Category Archives: Wendy Welch

The Mouse that Showered – –

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Jack sprints home and arrives on Wednesday – –

THE CULPRIT – – –

Most mornings Wendy wakes up long before me and heads downstairs to start her day – very often around six o’clock. She usually leaves me to slumber on for another hour or so. But if she comes back and shakes me awake then that means there is some kind of emergency. Maybe a large pile of cat poop somewhere or the chickens have escaped from the yard; that kind of thing – –

A few days ago we had one of those mornings. I stumbled downstairs to find that a corner of the kitchen in front of the sink had transformed into a paddling pool!

Kneeling in the water, and after frantically closing off all the valves I could see, we could still hear water spraying somewhere. Finally Wendy discovered the main valves to the kitchen hiding in our bathroom closet and the sound stopped. Every towel in the house was utilized to soak up the water.

Having made sure we’d stopped the leak and still had water available in the bathroom for coffee and to flush the toilet we could attend our weekly Zoom meeting with close friends. It’s quite hard to have a relaxed conversation while wondering if there’s a swimming pool under your kitchen floor!

I checked under the sinks and couldn’t see any sign of a water leak there so began to realize that it must be the dishwasher which is right next to them. I pulled it out, made sure that the appropriate valve was closed and got Wendy to turn the main one back on, while listening carefully with my one good ear. No sound, so I very carefully opened the valve for the dishwasher and peered under – eureka!

The metal braided hose had a hole and was spraying water happily – – –

So we washed dishes in the sink while we waited for Amazon to send us a replacement hose and it arrived today. Since I’m getting a bit stiff these days and finding it more difficult to get into convoluted positions it was a ‘fair fechty battle’ to fit the new hose. But when I looked at the old one it was pretty obvious it had been chewed by a mouse and when I pointed my flashlight into the void I could see where it had come in. I cut up a tin can and closed off the mouse entry and will spray peppermint oil liberally while keeping my fingers crossed!

I can still see that mouse singing in the spray – – –

Tin Can Ally

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When the pandemic started, recycling was the least of our concerns. But we hated throwing away the plastic bottles and tin cans we’d been accustomed to sorting at the dump, so I started piling them up. If you have a decent funnel, bottles can be quite handy for storing all sorts of leftovers–especially if you aren’t going to the store to pick up Tupperware anymore.

But the cans? They became planters for tomato seeds to give away, holders of cooking grease, even tart burners on coffee warmers. And still they piled up. We have a dog and four cats, after all.

I began cruising Pinterest, which always makes Jack nervous. It’s not that he dislikes me picking up new hobbies; he doesn’t so much enjoy the part where “I just need you to poke the holes for me” and such. But he gamely welcomed my latest diversion: tin can snowmen.

It’s a 2020 thing.

Production began last night. We plan to make a few dozen of these and line the front walk with them, give some away to neighbors, just generally enjoy getting rid of the cans in a fun and fashionable way.

The funny part is, I figured this craft would be almost free, since we had the cans. All I had to buy was the paint. Over the summer when I got a supply online, it was relatively inexpensive, but schools have been out awhile now, and I suspect those with means to do so will thrown any amount of money at water-washable crafts that keep the kids quiet. So, the paint prices had tripled.

When I said as much to Jack, he waved a hand. “If it keeps you occupied, dear, I’m all for it.”

Hmmm. I don’t feel so bad about asking him to punch the holes for the arms now. Actually, he’s painting the faces because he has a steadier hand than me. And I’m doing the base coats, and the hats. We have become Tin Can Allies. The couple that recycles weird trash into cute Christmas ornaments during a pandemic, stays together.

If you want a pattern, just google Tin Can Snowmen. There are hundreds of ways to make these little guys. Have fun! (And buy your paint now. It’s still going up.)