Finally Some Fresh Clean Air

We can go outside and breathe again!

The weather has turned and there is a fresh breeze blowing with not quite good air quality but in the moderate range which is about as good as it gets here in the valley where the bad air just kind of hangs around because there is no place else for it to go.

I've got the windows and doors open and rode the bike over to run a few errands and it's nice and cool outside and only supposed to get up to about 80 today. Then this weekend we might even get some rain!

It actually did sprinkle a little yesterday, some clouds rolled in and some raindrops dropped but it only lasted about 5 minutes and then all the clouds rolled back out and blue skies for the rest of the day. I was outside trying to get the backyard cleaned up, which is a major major undertaking. The cats and dog have their potty places in the side yard along the fence, so you've got to rake all that up, then there are the leaves that constantly drop from the camphor tree out front, so you've got to rake all that up, then there is the big tree in the back yard that also constantly drop leaves, so more raking. And sweeping. I just kept working as what little rain there was fell, it felt really good to me and there really wasn't even enough rain to get me wet.

I made Keith get up out of bed and come help me move these huge pieces of wood that have been laying in the middle of the back yard for months and months, part of some project or something, but very hard to rake around. The yard looks somewhat better now, but there is still a lot of junk here and there, things that Keith might need someday, or things that he has in mind for yet another project, or just plain things that need to be thrown away.

I just finished watching a bunch of Hoarders episodes on Netflix (love love love my Netflix!) and while our back yard would never qualify for an episode, it does come a little too close for comfort. Keith definitely has some hoarder tendencies, the can't part with this whatever because I might need it for something someday. My thinking is that if you haven't touched it in years you aren't going to any time soon so get rid of it and then if you really need it later, just go buy a new one!

And speaking of buying new things, I kind of wish that Walmart had come out with this new line of dishes and other kitchen stuff a lot sooner than just now because I would have been all over these back when I decided to replace all of our old dishes with new. I don't remember how many months it's been but I did buy new dishes at Target, sets of 8 of each so I can't really justify buying more dishes, but I would have much rather gotten these dishes.

They were designed by The Pioneer Woman, and if you are not familiar with her, she started out as a food blogger, she lives on a cattle ranch and started blogging to share her recipes for feeding a hungry ranch family. Then cookbooks came along and a show on The Food Network. And now a line of dishes and cookware.

I did buy 2 coffee mugs the other day and so far like them very much. I like her glass pitchers that remind me of the old carnival type glass so may eventually get one of those. The prices are quite reasonable, it is Walmart after all, and I really like the vintage feel of it all. You can see more of the line at Walmart.com or just go check it out in the housewares section.