We have a water softener out in our garage. We “inherited” it when we bought this house, but it doesn’t work. We checked into how much it would cost to fix it once, but we decided that the repair was too expensive. Aquatell water softeners and other brands are on the market, and if we really wanted a water softener then it would be better to buy a new one than to have our old one repaired. Do any of you have a water softener?

Something I really appreciate is having computer chairs with casters on them.  My computer chair at home and at work both have casters which makes it so much more convenient when I need to get something close by and don’t want to get up.   I can just roll over and get what I need.

Once we had a chair and one of the casters broke.  It was nice that we (actually, my husband) could replace it so that we could still use the chair which was in great condition.  I’m all for fixing something, if possible!

It’s hard coming home from teaching and having the energy to clean house or even cook supper, especially since I stay later most days. I don’t need anything like durham maid service, though, because my husband is good to do most of the house cleaning, do most of the laundry (I wash my own clothes), and do most of the cooking. That really helps because I’m so tired most days when I get home!  Now, during the summer, I do most of the cooking because I enjoy it.  It’s all relative to my energy level.

I came home from work yesterday not feeling so well. I took my temperature and found that it was over 100 degrees. Chills soon set in so I headed to our comfy bed with a foam mattress plus a memory foam topper to make it extra soft.  I was so thankful to have a soft, comfortable bed to sleep in when I felt bad.

Some people might like foambymail latex mattresses which provide support and pressure relief.  Many people find the foam mattresses to be superior to the regular mattresses they have slept on before.  I definitely do!

Some magazine pictures of backyard makeovers look like resort getaways. Our backyard definitely needs a makeover after this extreme Texas heat! It would look great with some potted flowering plants (pots are easier to keep hydrated) and maybe new deck furniture.  Maybe something to make it a little special would be nice.
It is not uncommon for backyards to have a little creek or maybe a low place in them. I’ve seen people put cedar bridges in their yards for something like that. In fact, my aunt and uncle had a small bridge in their backyard which was very charming.

I think it helps to have trees, and an adequate amount helps to make it seem more like a park.  If trees are lacking, they can always be planted.  The more greenery and foliage, the better.  That makes for a park-like atmosphere which is very relaxing!

Years ago (I won’t tell you how many), when my husband and I had been married only a year, we decided to buy a brand new mobile home. It was nice to have a place of our very own instead of renting from somebody else.  It was also a nice place to live.  The two bedroom home had brand new, name brand, quality appliances which included a heavy duty washer and dryer that lasted many years.  For the most part, we used our own furniture which included our own bedroom suite.

We lived in our home for several years, until our daughter was two, and we enjoyed living there.  Storage was plentiful for a mobile home.  My favorite parts were a built in double china cabinet and the abundance of cabinets in the kitchen. And the washer and dryer!

The park where we lived was nice, had an excellent storm cellar, and we actually only had to use the cellar once.  The lots were nice and pretty with trees on every lot.  Like I mentioned, we enjoyed living there and it would be nice to have a mobile home again, this time as a cute, cozy weekend getaway in some beautiful location.

We’re busy getting our son ready to go back to college. This year, he will be living off campus instead of the dorm, so we have been looking for office furniture such as a desk long enough to hold his monitor, laptop, printer/scanner, etc. I don’t know if he needs scanning software or not, but I’m sure he has listed everything he needs on his shopping list.  He has a great chair for his desk and a great laptop and monitor, so he’s all set there.  He does need a bookcase, though.  Once he gets the desk and bookcase, that should complete the major items on the list for his office/study.