Z is for Zero Dollars #AtoZChallenge

$0 is how much I’ll have to spend to fix my dryer this week because I did it myself! Some kind people on a forum gave me advice and a copy of the service manual. With that and many viewings of YouTube videos, I was able to get the job done.

What a nice feeling to be able to fix it, especially after my initial attempt at DIY repair left me despondent a few days ago.

Hooray for achievement, hooray for the Internet, and hooray for the end of the A to Z Challenge! Thanks to everyone for checking out my blog!

V is for Vectors​ #AtoZChallenge

What was it that I learned about vectors? It was a long time ago. Something about triangles and movement and direction. Then you draw an arrow over the letters and call it bar? Didn’t really come in handy I guess.

I wish I had learned more at school about how to fix things in my home. I feel helpless when something breaks because I’m not confident I will be able to finish the repair job and afraid that I’ll make things worse.

This fear was reinforced yesterday when I tried to clean some lint out of my dryer. It seemed simple: take out three screws, remove the thin metal plate and take out the lint. Well, it seems that those screws were also holding the drum in place and now we can’t get it back together. We’ll probably have to call a professional. I’m trying to research how to fix it but not having much luck finding info.

I feel defeated by my dryer, by the mystery of what makes appliances go, and by home repairs in general. Why couldn’t I have spent more time learning practical things?

S is for S-Iron #AtoZChallenge

Anchor plates, also called wall washers, tie plates, and pattress plates, help reinforce masonry walls and prevent them from bulging. These s-iron examples are one of many different styles such as stars, diamonds, circles, crosses, and ovals.

Q is for Quiver #AtoZChallenge

Dry, yellowed beech leaves
like parchment quiver and shift, crinkle and twist,
on each flowing breath of wind.
Last year won’t let go.

P is for Pokémon #AtoZChallenge

Gotta catch ’em all! Or in my case, gotta step on ’em all. Each Pokémon creates its signature imprint into the bottom of your foot. They are all truly unique! (For the record, these were a gift from a relative. I did not bring all these tiny toys into my home.)

I do like the Pokémon games, but I’m a few generations behind (haven’t bought one since Sinnoh). We recently gave my daughter a copy of Diamond to play on our old DS, and I enjoy watching her experience the world of Pokémon for the first time. It’s fun to trade, battle, dig underground, and exchange trainer tips with her. Playing is also helping her get better at reading, although sometimes I catch her skipping through the game’s dialogue and later complaining that she’s stuck and doesn’t know what to do next. She’s determined to be a Pokémon master, so I know she’ll figure out a way 🙂

 

O is for Offseason #AtoZChallenge

Finally this year I was able to visit the beach during winter. I had always wanted to go there during its offseason, just to know what it was like to walk next to the ocean in opposite weather of what I’m used to.

It was as beautiful, windy, and cold as I had guessed it would be.

A bundled figure walks while several surfers wait for the next wave

N is for Newark’s Cherry Blossoms #AtoZChallenge

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Newark, New Jersey? The airport, maybe? It probably isn’t the home of the nation’s largest collection of cherry blossoms, and yet that can be found in good old Newark.

Branch Brook Park, listed on both the New Jersey (1980) and National (1981) Registers of Historic Places, is home to more than 4,000 cherry trees, according to the park’s website.

The park began in 1865, when the city, along with the newly created Essex County Park Commission, made plans to transform a former Civil War Army training ground into public use as a park. This became the nation’s first county park.

Donations from wealthy families expanded the park in the following years. The cherry trees were a gift from the Mrs. Felix Fuld family in 1927.

I was lucky to visit during peak blooming, and I spent several lovely hours viewing the cherry blossoms.

L is for Lice #AtoZChallenge

Yup, we had lice for the first time recently. One Saturday morning, I was snuggling with my daughter on the couch and thought I saw a brown crumb in her hair. I leaned over to take it out, and well, made the discovery the sent my stress levels soaring to new heights and made panic my new best friend.

I soon realized that it’s not such a terrible affliction. It’s pretty manageable (gross, yes, but definitely manageable). The combing and laundry take some time, but it’s not as scary as I had first thought.

The problem, I think, was that I found it during the weekend. I couldn’t get through to the pediatrician, and I couldn’t talk to anyone at school to find out more about their lice policy. Searching for information online was helpful but frustrating because so many sources contradicted each other.

Once Monday rolled around, I was feeling like things were much easier. Talking to others who had dealt with it before made all the difference. The school nurse, teachers, and friends who had dealt with it with their kids were supportive. I suppose a lot of my stress came from the fear of being ostracized. Once I found acceptance, for my kids and myself, I felt much more calm.

K is for Keep Going #AtoZChallenge

Keep going, tender little leaves. Spring is just getting started, and it’s your time to grow big and strong. Feast on the warm sunshine and breathe in blue skies.

J is for Jars #AtoZChallenge

These jars were Christmas presents for a few friends. I found the idea to decorate them online and was happy with the way they turned out.

Decorating and wrapping gifts are not my strong suits. I’m good at cooking, baking, and in this case, canning, but that final step before gifting usually gets overlooked.

This time I was happy to decorate. It was fun. I learned that the name of that kind of scraggly looking string is jute. (I would have guessed raffia.)

This delicious chutney is a treat to make.

The recipe for the  Hot Mango-Rum Chutney came from Better Homes and Gardens. It’s not actually hot, but the people I gave it to would consider it spicy so I labeled it to give them warning. The recipe can be made with papaya or mango.

The recipes for the Green Tomato Relish and Dilled Green Tomatoes don’t seem to be online, but if you have an older version of the Ball Blue Book, you’ll see them there. I did blog about making them in a post about relish a while back.