Oh, I love to visit (though hate the high hotel/restaurant rates now) but you couldn't pay me enough to live in a big city, safe or not. Well I guess IF the offer was high enough, I could be persuaded.

We were in NOLA in May of 2005 and stayed on Chas. St. in the garden district. We had traded a time-share to the Fairfield Inn there. We had a great time and I went out every AM early and walked a different course each morning. Streets and alleys, all were fascinating, sometimes if I was out later I'd follow a tour carriage and get the local take on different gardens and iron art.

Ric, you were on St. Charles Street, and the garden district is probably one-of-a-kind. Heck, New Orleans is one-of-a-kind. You sound too much like me. Why pay when you can get it all for free?

Hmmmm -- you all are making me think that LA would be a good place for a winter getaway one of these years... I have a niece that lives near Shreveport!

Ric, I'm not sure if it was you or someone else that posted in the past about using Dawn and a squeegee for the windows, but I am definitely trying that this year! Need to get a good squeegee first off... I had a cheap one but it was -- well, junk. Sounds a lot better than going through a gallon of Windex and a roll of paper towels!

GF uses 1/2 and 1/2 90% alcohol and water. Swears by it on her sun room windows. And she is gestapo about clean windows. I tried it on my windows and there were no streaks!

Alcohol or vinegar added to the water will do that. You only need a little Dawn, it cuts any oil. A trick maids use is to polish any streaks away with a balled up piece of newspaper.
Michelle do you have any plans on using your enclosed yard? I was trying to think if we've visited any botanical gardens or such down your way that had a multi-zoned green- houses. Mt. Cuba, Longwood Gardens, and Phipps Conservatory do but they're here in Pa.
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond does also I believe. I think I was to an FSU bamboo and banana research station that had one as well as a really cool Xeriscape garden, but can't remember where.

mjsponies said:

I'd move into the greenhouse and rent out my house

Weedwhacker said:

I was thinking this same thing!

Welcome to ATP, Michelle -- you have officially made a whole lot of us very jealous!!

On the subject of home-made, cleaning solutions. For years I have made up (one gallon at a time) a solution of 1 part white vinegar, 1 part rubbing alcohol, and four parts water. We use that solution to clean hardwood and ceramic tile floors and glass.

That sounds like a perfect mix to use with a good squeegee Ken. I usually just use a water vinegar mix with a few drops of Dawn, but the rubbing alcohol would help eliminate spots.

The alcohol also evaporates fast, thus the floors dry more quickly.

drdawg said:The alcohol also evaporates fast, thus the floors dry more quickly.

....and it smells better than vinegar!

The vinegar smell is soon gone, and I feel the benefit out-weighs the odor. It leaves a virtually streak-free surface.

Call me crazy, but I LIKE the smell of vinegar!

I don't think your crazy. I use vinegar a lot. sprinkled on steamed greenbeans or peas. Malted on French fries....

I was thinking the same thing Sandy!

It is supposed to be very healthful.

Although I know a lot of people that do that...

but not on French fries, Ric !! (that's what ketchup is for!)

My mom and dad used to put it on baked beans

I don't know if where I grew up had anything to do with it, I grew up in Chambersburg, Pa. I don't like ketchup. There was a H.J.Heinz there and for 3 months a year the whole town smelled like ketchup. As far as I'm concerned ketchup was made for cocktail sauce. The town also smelled like applesauce since there was a Knouse Foods (think Lucky Leaf) plant too, I do like applesauce.