OUR FIRST HOME ....THAT WE OWNED (MORTGAGED!)

November, 1968

Wow...we did it...we "bought" our first home. No more rent, base house.....this is the REAL THING!!!

We have been in Tacoma almost 8 years and we buy a house!!! That's us! Usually in the Air Force you are at one place no more than 3 or 4 years..... So naturally after 8 years stationed at McChord, we buy a house! Made sense to us.....




Master Carpenter was a Navigator on the C141 Starlifter flying to Asia every month doing his part of the Viet Nam War. He was gone three weeks every month flying all over the Pacific. Out of the blue he got the opportunity for a trip to Australia and New Zealand. During this time a lot of our contemporaries were buying homes. We had been married for nine years and I am beginning to learn how to "work" this guy! I convinced him we had to buy a home!!! Before he left for this "trip" he gave me "permission" to look at homes for sale. He also gave me a "cap" of $30,000 ....not a penny more!

No sooner had that 141 taken off than I was out looking...........I had an idea of the area and what I was wanting so it didn't take long. In about 4 days I found it!!! A dramatic, what is referred to today "Mid Century" ranch!!! Called the number on the builders sign and was in "love" before I had seen the entire home. It sat on a treed lot and was the most gorgeous home I had ever seen. But.........the BEST part............are you all with me? The PRICE......$29,950!!!

THAT WAS IT............

Now, I had to wait 10 more days before Master Carpenter came home. You have to realize we are not in the age of emails or cell phones. I had to WAIT to tell him!!!!!

The poor guy..his plane landed, I picked him up at the base and before he could give me a kiss hello I SCREAMED......................"I FOUND OUR HOUSE!!!!!!" He didn't have a chance! His trip to the other side of the world had to wait to be described, while I went on and on about THE house!!! I don't think it was a week before we had signed our first house papers....AND I am still hearing stories about his adventure to New Zealand and Australia.



Thinking back to those days, I think the two of us have to admit they were some of the happiest days of our marriage. We had so much fun planning projects and doing things together. We had wonderful next door neighbors, that to this day, we consider some of the best friends we have had over our married life. We haven't seen Sandy or Jim in over 35 years, but they are so much a part of our lives. Jim is in poor health these days and we wish him the best. We talk about once a year to "catch up" and it is always like we have talked just yesterday.

Jim and Master Carpenter constructed the Great Wall. A retaining wall to beat ALL retaining walls......I think that was Master Carpenter's first project of any size. It still stands today!!!!




We did window treatments, cornice boards, wall paper, paneling, converted closets to work areas, ....you name it.....


And in case you were wondering..................Did we have Harvest Gold or Avocado Green.......???

and the answer.............

AVOCADO GREEN OF COURSE!!!!

Grandma during one of her annual visits. I miss her so very much. An interesting note, in this photo, she is the same age as I am now!!!!

Next question.....Yes, we had shag carpeting in the "family" room !!!

YES....BURNT ORANGE

This was also the place where we acquired the infamous Stiffel hanging lamp!! The builder was not "QUITE" UP AND UP and had to settle our claim for a dining light fixture. I went to a showroom and picked the most expensive one I could find!!! That stayed with us for years and I think Patti has it now. At the time, it was very valuable!!!!


The wall book case unit was a Masterpiece!!!! It is, to this day, one of his best pieces of work.


Not to leave the "yard" work out......Look...Look at him doing all this stuff!!!! This is the MAIN reason we live in an area that includes ALL outside maintenance. Master Carpenter did not enjoy this intense, hard LABOR!!!!!



One of the saddest days of my life was the day I found out Master Carpenter got his orders to leave Tacoma.........We had to put "Our Home" on the Market and move to Tampa, Florida. I sat on the steps leading to the living room, and spent a long, long time sobbing...............

We are about to "sign" papers on what will be our LAST home!!! I say this because I truly believe it.......It will encompass all the features that make up what for us "today" is our DREAM HOUSE. I am calling this my BUCKET LIST HOUSE!!!! Considering that this first home was #10 and we about to move into #30 (with a short term apartment while waiting for the home to be built ...not counting it), the next few posts will continue the journey to the BUCKET LIST DREAM HOME!!!!!

PS:

Kids...this one is for you. Our famous guest!

This WAS a mountain beaver who was eating our azaleas. Master Carpenter became Great White Hunter and took care of him!!!!!

# 9.........BASE HOUSING

We Finally Arrived!!!

The entire time we had been in Tacoma, the ultimate goal was to be called and told we were on the top of the list and could have a Base House!!! The day we were called........it was like being told we had won the lottery!

In no time we were packed and moved. The "units" were duplexes in clusters of three buildings. The carports and storage units were in the middle.

All the homes were identical!!! Metal kitchen cabinets, with an electric stove, DISHWASHER, decent frost free refrigerator/freezer AND a washer and dryer!! The floors were wood parquet tiles and the kitchen and bathrooms were linoleum tiles. We were fortunate also to get some base furniture for the bedrooms. Head and foot boards for the kids rooms.....these were a metal material.

It was at this point that my EPIPHANIES started!!! I had all sorts of ideas and went to work to make our home different than the rest!!! This was a challenge. On top of our homes all being the same......our husbands all flew into Asian countries every month and brought back tons of "goodies". One husband would find a fabulous item, maybe a screen from Okinawa, and then we all had to have one. It was vital we all had the screen, green ceramic elephants, Asian horse, pillow tables, brass candle sticks, Japanese dancing women figurines just to name a few.

This was also the period of "antiquing" furniture. I choose the green with black stain. Everything I could find that was wood......I antiqued!! My best work was the hope chest that started out in a beautiful blond mahogany........Today, Patti has it and it has been restored to it's original state!


One day I decided that the thin wood legs on all our "Danish Furniture" casement pieces made them look top heavy! I experimented with the night stand by turning it upside down and discovered I could unscrew the legs. Presto.. the entire bedroom "set" had a new look!!! The latest MEDITERRANEAN look !!!!! I was redesigning all the furniture as fast as I could remove legs!!!!



I really got creative when I decided we needed square cube tables for the sofa!! Epiphany.....use the night stands and ANTIQUE the backs!!!! The backs were just a piece of plywood and to antique them was a breeze. I added a very fancy "Mediterranean" knob! Oh, how clever!!


Some of my best ideas were accomplished with contact paper. The discovery of this product opened up all sorts of possibilities.


Please notice our FIRST CHANDELIER!!!!!


I started in the kitchen......have you ever seen anything so perfect?? You have to remember we were in the 60's!!!!! Even the canisters were covered to match!
That was so successful that I covered the head and foot boards with a stripped pattern.




We were in base housing about three years! Started with one sofa (from a newspaper ad for $75) and ended with the first HIGH END furniture purchase we ever made. To this day I can't remember what happened to the "Danish" sofa that the dear children made the cake on! Started with the sofa in the apartment, on to the one in the "Mobile Home", the "Danish" sofa, the one bought from the classified ad to be up to date with the new Italian and French Mediterranean style and then........ We bought a custom Henredon sofa and two chairs. That's 5 sofa's......... When you purchase quality it lasts....Steve and Angela have the two chairs in Seoul and Patti has the sofa. They have been recovered many times, but the spring/down cushioning and the solid frames have lasted and lasted!!! Worth every penny!


As I look at these pictures I see my window treatment skills were beginning to develop as well as my picture arranging talents. My Dad's art was complimented with boards I covered with fabric to make "art"! I have no idea where the map of Long Island ended up, but I wish I had it now! The "key" and the ornate clock were design fashions of the day.

My design work was being born and I was on my way................

Two side notes:
Remember the floors I described earlier......I waxed them with liquid wax weekly!!! When we moved, we had to hire a professional floor cleaner to remove three years of weekly wax. It was mandatory that the units be left as you received them.........which meant the contact paper also became History!!!

AND

......The Latest thing in fashion was to have "robes" made out of three large bath towels. Mine was perfectly made by Grandma!!!




Master Carpenter just spotted his FIRST project!!! What is seen outside the window is a play house painted blue and yellow that he made for the kids!!!!
One last point...The Milk containers...we lugged 13 of those home weekly...no soda in our house!!!!

Next.................#10.........Our FIRST Home Purchase!!!!!

#2 THROUGH #8

THE SAGA BEGINS......

Hold on..... because you have to concentrate while reading this. Even Master Carpenter had to sit back and take a break.

Continuing from the apartment in Blacksburg, we started what would become "We're moving"!!!! We should have seen the signs 51 years ago....they were there!!!!

Not long after the Christmas Holidays we became friends with other married students at Virginia Tech. They lived in Mobile Homes............They were NOT considered "trailers". They were MOBILE HOMES!!! You guessed it.....I had to have one. It was twice the size of the apartment, had a washer and dryer..... we could take it with us when we moved to our next assignment, etc. etc.

Against EVERYONE'S advise

.... we bought one.

#2!!!



A 50' by 10' Mobile Home. We thought we had a mansion, and loved living in an apple orchid with our friends. One couple had a two story "mobile home". They were rich!!! The "mobile home" came completely furnished with all appliances (no dishwasher). Still no design talent emerging. I would rearrange the basic sofa and chair now and then, but it was rather limited!

Note the "ART" ...BEFORE ERICA I HAD MY FATHER'S WORKS! Guess we know where Erica's talent comes from!

When Master Carpenter graduated he received orders to James Connolly AFB, Waco, Texas for January. We had a few months of being nomads. We arranged to have the "mobile home" moved to Texas. An interesting note here....the Government didn't pay for most of the cost of moving "trailers"!

We moved back to my old room in my parents house in Garden City! If you are counting we are at #3!

In October, Bobby was born and then in January, off we went to the Wild West! Oh, by the way ...We received news that our second child was coming in September ........How????????, I just had the BABY!!!

We settled into a "mobile home" "park". Not the pretty apple orchid back in Virginia. I count this as #4!! Same home, different location.






Patti was born in September (the doctor was correct!) ! Master Carpenter received orders for Mather AFB in Sacramento, California in November. Now, we are not even considering paying for another move of the "mobile home" and we have outgrown it!! So...we sold it.

We arrived in Sacramento in late November and rented a two story apartment. #5....




We bought our first "sets" of furniture. All furniture came in "sets'! ..... a Danish sofa, chair, (remember the "Danish Period"), slat bench, end table, lamp and the bedroom "set". We had two cribs and the hope chest my parents gave me for Christmas back in 1956.

Note the Danish Sofa!

I must add that was one of the hottest Christmas Trees for it's time!!! and....for those that don't know what the "things" are on the mirror!!! Those are Christmas Cards. People used to send all their family and friends cards. Can you just imagine!!

....The construction of the ceiling/roof of the second floor of the apartment was very poor. We could see the sky......and we were air conditioning the State of California!!! Our electric bill was horrendous.
You guessed it.....we found a new apartment to move to..#6. This was a brand new duplex and a lot of our friends lived close by.

Are you all still with me......

We get news that Baby #3 is coming in January and
Master Carpenter receives orders to McChord AFB in Tacoma, Washington for November.

We are up to #7!!!

We arrive in Tacoma in late November and find a lovely little three bedroom home to rent. It had a huge backyard with a storage shed. You know, I don't think I EVER went out into the that yard. Simply didn't have the time! Steve arrived in January and I get the bug....we need a bigger house!!!!


....#8

We found a larger "ranch" home for rent. I didn't do anything in design in either of these homes. I was too busy taking care of three toddles to worry about such things! The three kids did create a design change though!!!!! One morning, before Master Carpenter and I got up, they got into the refrigerator, took out eggs, milk, Worcestershire Sauce, Ketchup, their "baby vitamins", along with some flour and sugar. They decided to make a cake!!! To this day I don't know why they added the vitamins! And where did they do this .......on our Danish sofa....Needless to say it had to be recovered! That was the extent of any design during those years!

But..............Wait......

We finally got word we made the list for Base Housing!!!!

Oh, boy, Base Housing, that was the best yet!
We had been in Tacoma two years and now we are moving for the third time... to Base Housing!!! #9

You see a pattern here.....AND..........

the design projects begin..................

# 1

THE FIRST .....WHO KNEW THERE WOULD BE SO MANY.....

Erica suggested I undertake a tremendous project. She is so clever at ideas. She has challenged me to post my "design" development over the past 51 years.

Here is #1 !!!

Don't you love that lamp!

This was our first apartment at 214 Clay Street, Blacksburg, Virginia. We shared the first floor of a gorgeous Victorian home with the owner, Mrs. Kemp. She had the second floor converted into two additional apartments. Entering the foyer you could enter our apartment straight ahead through a regular wood door or go to the left through French Doors that entered her apartment. There was a small table with a telephone. The two apartments upstairs, and ours, shared this phone. The apartment was furnished, so I really didn't have the ability to design! I did clean though. I remember I washed the wood floors every morning.....I hope I didn't ruin them!!! These pictures do show some signs of a design future in the accessory arrangements!

Now that's a Kitchen!

My design talents will grow over the years. You are all in for a treat! And...........some big laughs!

10,000 HIT CONTEST

NAMES AND DATES

Henry W......................................................June 7.....6:07:54pm EDT
Pat W...........................................................June 8

Helen M.......................................................June 20
Phil T...........................................................June 28
MK W..........................................................July 1
JT.................................................................July 11
Pam D..........................................................July 12

Patti M........................................................July 13
Janet G.......................................................July 16

Bobby D......................................................July 17
Russ K........................................................July 19
Roxanne B..................................................July 22

Claire W......................................................July 24......1:23pm EDT
Barry M......................................................July 27
Nancy S......................................................August 1
Carla D........................................................August 3
Erica D........................................................August 9
Patch Bobby W..........................................August 14...2:14pm EDT
Linda W......................................................August 16
Sue W..........................................................August 23
Carol W.......................................................Sept. 1

GIADA

MEET OUR NEW PRINCESS!!!

Master Carpenter and I were FINALLY able to drive out to Tennessee and meet our new Granddaughter, Giada.

She will be 3 months old on May 3rd.

Of course she is the most adorable, beautiful, precious, little baby girl anywhere.......Grandma's can say these things.

We had a wonderful couple of days "bonding" !!!!! Fun...Fun....Fun.....and...it was great seeing Carla and Bobby also!!!!

Naturally, I took Giada and showed her a fabulous "ladies" Southern restaurant that she now is looking forward to enjoying having lunch with Grandma some day down the road. We also did a lot of shopping !!!! Did manage to find some necessary items for her wardrobe!!!

Now without further ado here is GIADA !!!!

AND HERE SHE IS.......OUR NEW PRINCESS !!!!!

THE PROUD PARENTS

....I HAVE MORE, BUT I MUST QUIT.....

WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THIS...

OUR LATEST ADVENTURE.......

This was going to be THE BIGGEST News of this century and probably the last Century also...


....36 hours after the conception .... it was OVER !!!

Are you ready for this .....Master Carpenter and I were going to learn how to play GOLF.....YES, GOLF !!!!

We were signed up and ready to go...........but..... I was being cautious and had a call into my doctor's office just to make sure it would be OK......he returned the call JUST before we were ready to sign up for lessons. He said: "Are you out of your mind......you can NOT be in the sun, NO, NO you can not be out on a golf course!"

So there it went...all gone. All the pretty clothes !!!.....and did you know they have golf clubs in lilac!!! I was so excited. I was going to be so coordinated!!!

Not to be defeated, Master Carpenter and I adventured out and found our GOLF CLUBS AND NEW OUTFITS.........

DON'T YOU LOVE THEM !!!!

They are the perfect fit!!!!! Actually .....it is Me!!! Don't you think?

Patti and I found this wonderful piece while she was here. The moment we entered the shop, I knew I had to have it!!! We haven't had a storage piece in years...so it fit the "functional" need along with the "form".

There is this jewel of a town, Senoia, about a 30 minute drive from here. Two years ago it was just a sleepy farming community. Now....after a renovation of the "Historical" downtown it is the talk of the State! What was a hardware store and closed businesses is now a street full of many quaint shops, bakeries and wonderful dining, from a coffee shop to at least three other fine dining restaurants. The claim to fame up to now was Hollywood had filmed Fried Green Tomatoes in the surrounding area!!!

What's coming in June is going to be wonderful. Southern Living Magazine is opening their 2010 Idea Home smack in the center of it all. I will be there for sure, and hope to share lots of pictures. Their concept will be "brownstone" homes.... retail and businesses on the street level with two and three additional floors of living space and terraces. The town is located fairly near Atlanta and other communities which will be a great draw.

Here is a website to learn all about it!!


http://www.historicsenoia.com/residential.html


Still have more ideas up my sleeve.....came up with a good project for Master Carpenter to start on and will be talking about it down the road....

So.....continue to check that mail.....
Patty

THE BIG OOOPS.........

.....AND HOW I FIXED IT...............

Boy, did I goof when I designed the mirror tiles behind the sofa! I should have had them go at least two rows higher. instead of a row lower than the top of the sofa. I never realized this, until I removed the sofa table. With the table out...they appeared to be falling to the floor. It was driving me nuts.....

I thought the fix would be easy..... Just remove the framing and add more rows to the top. Not so ...Master Carpenter couldn't remove the frames. They weren't going anywhere! When he glues...he glues.
Nix Plan A !

EPIPHANY.....Plan B!!!

Such a simple idea....why it took two days to figure out is beyond me?
Put up a row of tiles, leaving a space between the main piece, creating a transom !! and.....frame them the same as the large tiles....

Worked, in fact they were "beginning" to look pretty good. Did you notice the "beginning to look good"? There was too much BLACK. I was beginning to OVERDESIGN in black!!! OK, now what??

Another day another Epiphany. Change the color of the frame! Duh!

With that, I applied gold metallic paint over the black on both frames. ( I have silver and metallic paints in the garage ready for such instant fixes.)

It was getting there.........still not there.......something wasn't quite right. Now it need a Little" black! Needed to bring a hint of black into the frame to carry the color to the wall.

I called in Assistant Designer, Erica, and she said: "No problem, just add some black cording to the inside of the frame. Grandma it's easy, just buy a glue gun.......(A GLUE GUN...I NEVER USED THAT...HOW DOES IT WORK?) ....and glue it on.

Now, I'm really out of my comfort zone. I love to design, but I am not "crafty" and I will be the first to say so. I found myself on the floor of Hobby Lobby, on my cell phone, describing the choices I found in glue guns and which one I needed. I must have been a sight for sore eyes to the crafty shoppers walking up and down the aisle!

With all my supplies, glue gun and a great buy of black cording I was happily driving home to do my new project. I could do this, it would be easy!

Well...........Master Carpenter and I almost ended our 50 years and 10 months of happy bliss!! This was a PROJECT of enormous skill! I only wish we had a picture of what took place. The two of us, a six foot ladder, four chairs (so one could hop from one spot to another quickly because the glue dries FAST), the glue gun, an extension cord to keep the glue gun plugged in because it has to stay hot constantly, and the 13 yards of black cording!!!!! Can you picture this? Master Carpenter worked the gun and I pressed the cording into place. We now are doing quite a dance from one chair to another with four arms and four hands getting into each other's space. It went FAST......and it looks pretty good if I say so myself!!!

I am still not a CRAFTY person and don't think it's my "thing", but one way or another I was not going to let a little mistake in design ruin the look I was after. I do not give up!!!

.......and the REVEAL......



There are more surprises coming.......watch your mail...
Patty

NOW THE WAIT

The Deadline Has Passed....

All entries are in! ...

Now we wait to see who the lucky winner of $25 will be. ......Not a fortune, by any means, but it will buy a nice lunch at your favorite casual dining place!!!! Naturally, my choice would be Panera Bread!! I remember when I would join my friends once a week at the Panera's in Virginia Beach. We would sit for hours and just talk. Those were very special days!

I have been up to my usual mischief since you last heard from me. I want to share some new "stuff" that has appeared here at the "Epiphany House". Those who have visited recently have seen the additions, but the rest will discover changes have occurred!!! Will save some for later posts. Can't reveal all at once.......and some are still in the making........

To begin......I decided to put the chandelier that was in the great room over the dining table in the kitchen. Of course that led to....What to do with the one that was there? Easy Fix......install it in the guest room. The kitchen isn't quite ready to be photographed......need to work on the shades for the chandelier..... That will come later. Erica has some ideas and we will work on them when she visits next month.

Any change, even one, leads to... a Domino Game! Everything changing places and functions!!!

With the great room chandelier "out", so many possibilities to reposition the furniture became apparent. I no longer needed to have the red ottoman "centered" under the chandelier in the middle of the room. That one change, created many more!!!

I decided to take the sofa table out and use it in the guest room as a desk/table. So functional..... and with Sexy Sadie as a chair, the room not only affords a nice desk for guests, but a place to sit!!!! Our guest room is becoming a fairly nice place. A huge improvement over the blow-up bed our guests endured in Norfolk and Charlotte!!!!



Are you getting the idea.....everything moving and changing............It's so rewarding! One discovers how different a room can look by making just a slight change. A room's function can become something entirely different. If you don't try.... you will never know how great something old can look new and fresh again!

The great room has been opened up ... seems more spacious and less cluttered. The two slipper chairs are a "pair" by the fireplace creating an intimate seating area. The sofa and two wing chairs... although just across from the slipper chairs, actually are a separate seating area. A great plus all around. The lady's desk has been relocated. It actually is being used in an entirely new way! Have to wait on that.......

............. While browsing my favorite websites... one of the BEST finds I have ever had appeared! There was this fabulous CHANDELIER. Another chandelier ......I can't quit acquiring them!!!! It didn't take long to figure out a place for it...... it was IN that "shopping cart" in a flash!!!! There was nothing special about the foyer. Now there is...and it says "WOW" as you entire the house!!




PS....If you look closely you will notice a big change in the great room I haven't mentioned. That will be featured in the next post...........

Scroll down to the previous post for all the entries to the contest. Good luck to all !
Let the contest BEGIN....................

HURRY.....YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOUR DATE!

THE GUESSES ARE COMING IN...........



Only one guess for a day....so hurry and get the day you think will be it. You can enter until midnight on April 16th. We can watch and see who the lucky winner will be...........

The Entries:

Carla DelGiorno..........................................May 5
Meredith Fochetta.....................................May 8
Helen Miller................................................May 17
Carol Wheller..............................................May 18
Maggie McDonald......................................May 21
Claire Wihnyk.............................................May 23 @8:20 am EDT
Linda Wiley.................................................June 1
Henry Wihnyk........................................... June 7
Pat Wihnyk.................................................June 8
Pam Dardar................................................June 11
Patch Wihnyk.............................................June 14 @2:14 pm (14:14)EDT
Barry Miller................................................June 15
Bob Wihnyk................................................June 17
Patti McDonald..........................................June 19
Sue Wihnyk................................................June 23
MK Wihnyk................................................July 1
Russ Keldorph...........................................July 11
Anonymous (JT)........................................July 12
Janet Gibson..............................................July 16
Roxanne Bridges.......................................July 22
Erica Dougherty........................................July 28
Nancy Steele..............................................August 1

Good Luck ....
Patty

ARE YOU ALL READY !!!!!!!!

CONTEST TIME !!!!!! Can you believe it!!!
We have just hit 8016!!!!

It's hard to believe that number of hits ....over 3000 since mid October. I can't thank you enough for all the support you give to this blog. Without your part.....Patty's Epiphanies would not exist!!!

With that in mind, it's Contest time... again!!! On October 13, 2009 at 9:20 am we hit 5000 !!! Now when do you think we will hit 10,000?????????

Send in your guesses. Just a date (don't think we need a time). If needed, we will figure out how to deal with a tie. As before I will post your guesses.

Remember..... we have a prize for the winner.............Now that should get you all into action!

Figure out when you think the magic 10,000 will happen.. and Thank You ....Thank You

Patty

WHAT.....NO PAPER TOWELS !!!!!

Gotcha!!!

What is she writing about now???

What I am writing about is an idea from Erica. She asked me over the weekend to let everyone "out there" know the REAL ME !!! She was referring to the "cleaning freak"!!! But, in the same breath said that everyone would love to know my cleaning secrets....What wonderful magic solutions do I use? What methods? So on and so on...

I have to say now that.. I don't consider myself a cleaning freak! You that know me, don't laugh! I consider myself SMART!! I call my house keeping style PREVENTIVE CLEANING !!!

Just think about it.....I use a system that allows me the freedom of never having to really have to clean in the sense of CLEAN ... Why??...because it is ALWAYS clean! It never gets DIRTY... Now, do you Get It????

The system or routine is very easy. I lightly, and I repeat, lightly wipe down counters, tables ..just about all the surfaces daily. This includes the windows as I pull up the "wiped" shades. It takes no more time to pull up a shade wiping it as it would without. I always hated the blind and window job and now I don't have it. It also includes a little "wipe" in the refrigerator as I prepare breakfast. Again no more time to do it as you are removing food ....Tonight I was asked about the appliances. And yes, I do them also. The biggest job is the range top after Master Carpenter (Master Chief also) has cooked a meal. But again, I use the vinegar solution and it removes all the cooking grease and mess. Doing it daily keeps it from building up.... and...the best invention in years has been the self cleaning oven. Use It!!!

The only secret I have is what I DON'T use. PAPER TOWELS !!

I buy washcloths from a discount store in a package of 24 for $9.99. They last forever. I never buy or use paper towels. I save a fortune and for those "green" followers....look at all the paper I don't throw away.

I lightly dampen the wash cloth with a solution of white vinegar and water (one third vinegar to two thirds of water) I keep it in a spray bottle and just spray and wipe! Actually I just have to spray once or twice and the cloth is damp enough to go over most of the house, except for the baths. This solution works on everything......counters to windows to mirrors to tile floors!! It's fabulous. I do have a cleaning product for the wood floors that I use with a clothed mop.

I was having a problem with the stainless steel appliances. Janet, a loyal reader and our Sales Associate, shared with me a great idea. Wipe them with olive oil!!! It works!!! I bought some in a spray can and found I could spray a dab on a cloth. I wipe it over the appliance and then wipe it off with a clean cloth. I only have to do this every once in a while. The vinegar solution works on a regular basis.

I do vacuum and go over the wood floors daily, but it takes 15 minutes at the most. If I miss a spot you can bet I'll hit it the next day!

So there you have it.

Patty's Preventive Cleaning.

The benefits are great! The house is always clean. If I can't do it one day for some reason, it doesn't really matter...it's not going to get that dirty in two days!!!!! No big long dreaded days of scrubbing, etc.

Another benefit is the physical exercise it gives me. Think about it. I am up and down a step stool many, many times, on the floor wiping the tiles and pushing the mop and vacuum around.

The best benefit is the cost............supplies are cheap and the labor is free!!!

There is a product I do use for the shower tiles and glass. This product also removes most spots off painted walls. It's Arm & Hammer's Scrub Free with OXY.

After I have all these little chores done I am ready to meet the day!!!!!
(over all I would say the time involved is less then one and a half hours)

Erica, I have opened my secrets to the world and now everyone knows how crazy everyone will think I am.......but I have a clean house!!!

THE MAGIC SOLUTION

MOP AND CLEANER FOR WOOD FLOORS

MY FAITHFUL BUDDY (CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT HIM)