Icky Pictures of My Floor (or What I Did On My Day Off)

Nasty grout, eh? We have lived in this house for 7 years and while I wash the floors (fairly) frequently, I have NEVER really scrubbed them. Last week the kitchen 'zone' received some extra attention. I cleaned out the fridge and cleaned grout! I researched the grout part a bit and came up with using 'oxygen bleach' as a cleaner. I don't know how environmentaly safe it is but it's been 7 years, so I went with it. I picked up some OXY-Clean from the grocery store (the stuff you use in the laundry) dissolved 1/4 cup in a gallon of hot water and filled the grout channels with the solution. I did scrub a little with a stiff brush at 0min, 30 minutes and then a good scrub at 60 minutes. All the crap that came up was truely GROSS. Then a really wet mop to get all the dirt off the floors and into the sink. Voila! the kitchen floor looks great (now for the rest of the tiled floors... (entry, hall to the bedrooms, rest of kitchen to back door) I think I am going to just do the darkest stuff and try to 'blend' to the fairly clean edges of the less traveled portions of the floor!!

The View From Here

My distance vision is very poor in the left and below average for the right, I believe the optometrist used words which sounded alot like, um, legally blind... Never the less I rarely use my glasses for anything except driving, or as an accessory if I wish to look more intellectual. In town this has not been an issue for me, as things which affect me happen close by. Visiting the Farm, my narrow zone of vision becomes glaringly obvious. Distant objects, animals, and cloud patterns are vital (not to mention beautiful!) and I am missing them because I am so near-sighted. The zone of interaction/field of view is so much larger out there.

I thought this was an interesting analogy to near-sightedness in the non visual sense. Some people go through life legally blind, oblivious to events which effect them even from a far off distance. If only it were as easy as pulling out the old eyeglasses to see things more clearly.

I would be much happier if my eyes could see the far away things more clearly, but lately I wish that my other 'vision' was a little near sighted. I see so many things out there that are frightening. But at least I can see them coming.


These are the views of and from my house as of today:

I love this yard, it is on a hill with many mature trees, but I have alot of different 'zones' to work with. Good neighbors, low crime and only three miles to work for both of us.


South East corner, slopes toward road, full sun, we cut down cedar bushes as old as the house last fall from the front of the house-this spring we will get the roots!



View from deck towards North East corner-big maple throws shade from noon onward, sloping away from house. We have two baby Mulberry trees planted out here.



View from South West of back yard. swing set, sand box and our best (almost) flat ground. Baseball and kickball field for now.



View from deck to North West corner -two bunny cages, compost pile, tin shed and a fire pit! Also partially shaded, stays wet since it is at the bottom of a hill. The apple tree is down to the right along with rhubarb planted by previous owner along the alley.


Kris