Don't need to say much today. Yes, I thoroughly cleaned out the pantry. Woke up several times during the night hoping the ants had left. Come morning, no such luck. Must have been a new breed. Not having a hard frost down here, the critters build an immunity and I don't like it..
So, went to church early to compose myself and came home, emptied everything out, clean every can, jar, etc., and then bombed the h---- out of the pantry. Ah yes, after a disinfecting wash and reinstalling all the goodies, I am back to normal. Keeping windows and doors open this time of year tends to let just about everything in.
We lived on the east coast of Florida for 5 years right after retirement. We had triple sliding doors to the screened pool area and I was always chasing geckos out with a handy broom left by the door. For some reason, they didn't seem so invasive.
Nevertheless, we are back to normal and now that a horrific thunderstorm is passing through, I am just going to settle down and do some knitting. Sounds good to me!!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Critters
I have adjusted to the fact that living in a tropical climate where there is never a hard frost, brings with it another problem. Critters. Anything that crawls or flies where it is not supposed to be, to me is a critter.
Today, as the smell of a slowly braising pork roast is wafting through the house, critters are the last thing on my mind. Then, I open my pantry and WOW! Critters. Once a year it seems, ants get into my pantry. I have learned to put certain foods into glass jars, sealed plastic jars and bins, etc., but every once in a while, I slip with something and today they caught me.
I end up flying around the house with hair standing on end and there is nothing I hate worse than uninvited guests in my pantry or even my house. Did you hear the German words flying out of my mouth? It is not that I am swearing, I am just using every German word I can think of at the moment to console myself that "this too shall pass." At last look, the Terro seems to be working quickly. I think I got on top of it before it got out of control. Aw--Florida!!
But then, there are other critters I can relate to in the not so distant past. The last couple of years when we were renting another cabin in Montana, we had a BAT problem. Now that is one critter that gets no respect from me at all. One night, The Trout and I were battling several bats with a broom and I was the lucky one with only a baseball cap in one hand and an ax in the other. My heart was beating so fast I thought I might pass out, but that was certainly not something I needed to do in such dire circumstances. I needed to be alert and make sure I get my fair share of kill. These bats were sickly looking to both of us. At the end of the evening, we had killed six and by 9 p.m., we were packed up and heading to another cabin. Some people think that bats eat mosquitoes and many, we found out later, are protected because of being endangered, but please forgive me if I did something wrong. Bats flying at you in a small cabin, with many more bats flying around outside, is not the time I think about any critter being endangered. I think I got a few more gray hair that evening.
Today, as the smell of a slowly braising pork roast is wafting through the house, critters are the last thing on my mind. Then, I open my pantry and WOW! Critters. Once a year it seems, ants get into my pantry. I have learned to put certain foods into glass jars, sealed plastic jars and bins, etc., but every once in a while, I slip with something and today they caught me.
I end up flying around the house with hair standing on end and there is nothing I hate worse than uninvited guests in my pantry or even my house. Did you hear the German words flying out of my mouth? It is not that I am swearing, I am just using every German word I can think of at the moment to console myself that "this too shall pass." At last look, the Terro seems to be working quickly. I think I got on top of it before it got out of control. Aw--Florida!!
But then, there are other critters I can relate to in the not so distant past. The last couple of years when we were renting another cabin in Montana, we had a BAT problem. Now that is one critter that gets no respect from me at all. One night, The Trout and I were battling several bats with a broom and I was the lucky one with only a baseball cap in one hand and an ax in the other. My heart was beating so fast I thought I might pass out, but that was certainly not something I needed to do in such dire circumstances. I needed to be alert and make sure I get my fair share of kill. These bats were sickly looking to both of us. At the end of the evening, we had killed six and by 9 p.m., we were packed up and heading to another cabin. Some people think that bats eat mosquitoes and many, we found out later, are protected because of being endangered, but please forgive me if I did something wrong. Bats flying at you in a small cabin, with many more bats flying around outside, is not the time I think about any critter being endangered. I think I got a few more gray hair that evening.
Friday, November 28, 2008
My Amana
I don't usually get into conversations with anyone about where I come from. It is not because I am not proud of my background, it is because no one understands it. In the past, I remember getting into conversations with acquaintances and simply walking away from the conversations because they think I don't really know my background. It is easier to keep quiet than get into heated discussions with people who have no clue about where I am from.
You see, I am from the Amana Colonies in Iowa. www.amanacolonies.com/history.htm It is a religious sect of Piests who left Germany in the 1850's because of religious persecution. They are called "True Inspirationalists." They first came to Ebenezer, New York, and then to Amana, Iowa. I am not Amish or Mennonite. There is nothing wrong whatsoever being Amish or Mennonite, but I cannot claim that to be my history. In early history, the Amana Colonies actually lived communistically and they did so very reverently. It was in 1932 when they decided that they could no longer live this way and adjusted to giving up the communal living with everyone living independently. This is my background and I am proud of it. I am related to the forefather who left Germany to settle in America, Christian Metz. On my paternal grandmother's side, though, I am related to the Hutterites of South Dakota. They came from a part of western Russia and settled in America. I am very proud of that association also.
One of my greatest thrills was finding the Castle Ronneburg, east of Frankfurt, Germany. This is the castle where my ancestors took refuge for many years before coming to America. It is one of my most favorite places in Europe. It is beautiful and a place I have visited many times.
To most people, when they hear "Amana", they think of air conditioners. That is true. Air conditioners and freezer/refrigerators were made in the Amana Colonies and still are to some extent today. That is where most colonists worked after 1932 to earn a living. I even worked there for several years.
It is a beautiful place to live, to raise children and to retire. I only have cousins living there now since all family has passed on or moved away. (It still is Iowa and cold in the winter).
This is my background and it is what made me the person I am today. I am proud to be from Amana, to be bilingual, but I am certainly past the stage where I will argue with someone who does not have the knowledge that I have of my own background.
You see, I am from the Amana Colonies in Iowa. www.amanacolonies.com/history.htm It is a religious sect of Piests who left Germany in the 1850's because of religious persecution. They are called "True Inspirationalists." They first came to Ebenezer, New York, and then to Amana, Iowa. I am not Amish or Mennonite. There is nothing wrong whatsoever being Amish or Mennonite, but I cannot claim that to be my history. In early history, the Amana Colonies actually lived communistically and they did so very reverently. It was in 1932 when they decided that they could no longer live this way and adjusted to giving up the communal living with everyone living independently. This is my background and I am proud of it. I am related to the forefather who left Germany to settle in America, Christian Metz. On my paternal grandmother's side, though, I am related to the Hutterites of South Dakota. They came from a part of western Russia and settled in America. I am very proud of that association also.
One of my greatest thrills was finding the Castle Ronneburg, east of Frankfurt, Germany. This is the castle where my ancestors took refuge for many years before coming to America. It is one of my most favorite places in Europe. It is beautiful and a place I have visited many times.
To most people, when they hear "Amana", they think of air conditioners. That is true. Air conditioners and freezer/refrigerators were made in the Amana Colonies and still are to some extent today. That is where most colonists worked after 1932 to earn a living. I even worked there for several years.
It is a beautiful place to live, to raise children and to retire. I only have cousins living there now since all family has passed on or moved away. (It still is Iowa and cold in the winter).
This is my background and it is what made me the person I am today. I am proud to be from Amana, to be bilingual, but I am certainly past the stage where I will argue with someone who does not have the knowledge that I have of my own background.
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