WTH are my strawberries!!!!!

For my birthday my MIL got me two Hydrangea plants.  I guess I should mention that that is the same exact gift I got last year too! IDK what happened to them, they just died.  My MIL got me some stuff that you sprinkle on the soil so that they will bloom in color all year long.  Well the hubby put it on the soil for the plants but he used the whole 5lb bag.  We think it was a little too much. LOL

We have been getting no rain and I wanted to prove that I could take care of the new bushes that she got for me.  I have been watering them every other day and they are looking good.  I wanted to have large colorful blooms on them for years to come.

I also planted my usual flowers around the trees and they haven't taken off like they usually do.  It just isn't a good year.  I got two hanging bushes to put out front and they also died.  I planted some strawberries in a container because I didn't want them taking over my yard.  I had been watering them with all the other plants.  I was hopeful to see some strawberries soon.  The plants were green and I even had some blooms on them. 

So the girls and I have been away visiting family in Indiana for a week. I asked my MIL to water my flowers for me while I was gone because she is like Martha Stewart on steroids. I swear! She has the greenest thumb of anyone I know. She rocks!  She said she watered them like I asked and the bushes look good.  The strawberries on the other hand were terrible.  I forgot to tell her about them! They were looking very brown and at deaths doorstep!

The family and I were going out for supper the other night and as I pulled out of the garage I saw my strawberries just weren't bouncing back from being brown.  I had watered them and made sure they were getting enough sun.  I told the hubby about my plants and that I wasn't sure what to do about them.  He looked at me and said "Well, I may have gotten some Round-Up on them when I was spraying the yard last week."  LOL 

Don't call me and run down the EMS!

Earlier this morning my phone rang with a number from Bettendorf.  I usually don't answer my home phone if I don't know the number but I thought what the hell.  I answer and a recording with a gentle male voice started.  He told me that every year older persons are injured in accidents because of delayed response time of EMS services.  Some geriatric group is giving life alert away for free.  When you push the botton you will have a licensed EMT on the line to help you.

OK, I am an EMT on the local service for my area.  I take offense to the way this phone advertising made it sound like the EMTs just take their time getting to your house.  We don't sit at the station like in the bigger cities, we have to get dressed in the middle of the night, we have to drive to the station and then leave with proper equipment.  I am in total support of the elderly having life alert! It helps them have independence but also a piece of mind that someone will be there if they need help.  But don't try to sell your product by putting down the people that volunteer their time to help their community! 

It takes a lot of time to be a volunteer EMT or Fire Fighter.  There is a mandatory number of training hours to be done.  Monthly training meetings at the station, monthly business meetings at the stations, bi-monthly county meetings and annual conventions that while they are not mandatory are a great way to keep up on ever changing regulations.  Every two years CPR has to be renewed and the professional licensed has to be renewed.

EMS services put a lot of time and effort into providing their services.  What is an EMT on the phone going to do? Tell you to get up if you fall? How is that going to help you?

I didn't do it Mom!

We spend a LOT of time in the Tahoe.  I am not the best about keeping the interior clean, it's not unsanitary but cluttered.  I usually clean out the Tahoe once or twice a week depending on the activities for the week.  This week my mother and sister are going to be here to visit.  Then we are driving over to Indiana to see my aunt and pick up my other two sisters!  My Tahoe is the taxi for the upcoming two weeks!


As I was deep cleaning the interior I discovered that someone who shall remain nameless spilled chocolate milk in the back seat floor carpet.  We had just treated ourselves to McDonald's the day before and the lid on the chocolate milk container was not tightened all the way before it landed on the floor.  A certain 6 year old was asked about the milk and replied with "I didn't do it Mom!"  She still maintains her innocence two days later.


I cleaned the spot with hot water and soap, then with Resolve carpet cleaner and then again with hot water.  The spot was gone but the odor remained. I tried febreeze with minimal luck.  I then did what every person in my situation would do.  I googled it! LOL  I found an idea about using baking soda on the spot.  They use it in cat litter and it works so I tried it.  I bought a brand new box of baking soda last night at Wal-Mart and applied it liberally to the area. 

I left in on overnight.  I got into the Tahoe this morning to run an errand and totally forgot about the smell! I take that as a good sign.  I went out to vaccum up the baking soda and the 6 year old again denied the blame for the milk.  "I didn't do it Mom!" hmmm, where have I heard that before!


Long story short: Baking soda actually worked!!!!!!  Good cause I didn't want to have to spend money on a professional carpet cleaning job!


I can honestly say there probably will be more containers of chocolate milk consumed in my Tahoe.  We spend way too much time in it to ban eating!