I did two loads of laundry - the bed sheets that were on my bed and the old towels I use as floor mats in the bathroom, along with the kitchen rug. It is a blessing that the old washing machine is still working without being temperamental! Then, I vacuumed the entire house, taking short breaks in between rooms, and tossed the vacuum bag. It is a blessing that the old vacuum cleaner is still working and I am well enough, again, to vacuum the whole house in one go! Then, I sprayed the sofas, the area rugs and the door mats that I can't wash. And I flea combed Dancer so many times that finally he let me know he's had enough!
Later in the evening, I went outside to collect the mail. I wore a long white skirt and when I came inside, I checked my skirt and there were brown specks on it! EEEK! I removed my skirt, immediately, and washed it out in the bathtub! I had worn a black skirt when I watered the garden, yesterday and didn't think to check it! But I had worn a white blouse with it and didn't notice anything unusual on it, so I am hoping that it was OK, yesterday. This is the first time that I've been aware of a flea infestation outside, in the garden! Thanks a lot, garden cats!
Obviously, I will need to call some professionals to spray the garden! But, in the meantime, I will go to the pet supply store, tomorrow, and buy some outdoor flea spray to spray around the doors. At least, as I told my friend, I am home to attend to things! That, too, is a blessing! (Yes, I'm trying to be positive).
Brunch was a sandwich, followed by some yogurt. Afternoon snack was a bowl of grapes. Dinner was the last of the macaroni and cheese, with ground beef added to it. For dessert, I had a walnut roll. This is a picture of the label on the package of walnut rolls pastry I bought when daughter was home. I was very amused by the warning on the label, which I have circled in yellow, that it may contain traces of nuts. I realize that food allergies are a serious matter and appreciate what the label is trying to achieve, but, really, I would expect to find a little more than just traces of nuts in a product called walnut roll, wouldn't you?
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| "May contain traces of nuts" |
Today, I am grateful for:
- A working washing machine to do all the laundry without having to go to a laundromat
- Being able to vacuum the house
- Being able to flea comb Dancer
- Being home to deal with the flea situation
- Being able to video chat with daughter
Wednesday's To Do List:
- Put away laundry - DONE
- Do another load (my bed sheets) - DONE; DID THE FLOOR MATS, TOO
- Vacuum the house - DONE
- Flea comb Dancer - DONE
- Continue with paperwork/bill paying - DID SOME
- Go for a walk - DIDN'T
Thursday's To Do List:
- Doctor's appointment
- Buy more flea spray - both for indoors and outdoors
- See if they have a different type of flea medications
- Get another bucket of kitty litter
- Put away laundry
- Do another load
- Pay bills (2)
- Comb Dancer
- Go to the bank
- Do the dishes
How was your Wednesday? How do you try to cope with stress?
I think the fleas are coming from the stray cats that you feed and that you're bringing in fleas on your shoes and clothes. It's nice that you feed the cats but there IS a price to pay for you and Dancer. You might need to have a pest control service come and spray inside and out and then stop feeding the cats. I have a cat that I love but I wouldn't give her up for anything in the world so I'm not against cats. But fleas are real problem and there are a lot of restrictions against stray cats and feeding them in the park that I live in.
ReplyDeleteYou are right as usual, Marylynn. The strays are the culprits and I am unable to treat them with flea meds because they don't let me touch them (they are a bit feral at this point, I think). Yes, I need to stop feeding them and that is going to be hard for me to do. They've become used to me feeding them and are here at my back door waiting for me in the morning and, again, in the evening. :(
DeleteIf I was buying a walnut roll, I'd expect (or at least hope) for more than a trace of nuts!
ReplyDeleteI'm not great at coping with stress. I try to keep life stress free but I worry about my children and grandchildren and that makes me stressed. I get a back massage from time to time which de-knots my shoulders and I go to the gym where the exercise and coffee with friends is a helpful de-stresser.
Sounds like you have a couple of good ways in which to de-stress, Eloise. I'm sure we all worry about our loved ones, for their well-being, etc. I hope there is no real cause for you to worry about your children and grandchildren, though! I hope you are having a good week.
DeleteThis is why I don't have pets .... couldn't cope with fleas! I hope hopw you get it sorted and that it isn't too expensive.
ReplyDeleteI'm not brilliant at coping with stress. I have a few coping strategies - playing an instrument, reading (sometimes works), and some exercises the doctor suggested to help me relax.
I am just grateful that we didn't have a similar situation when I was having my treatments! Because I wouldn't have been able to do any spraying or cleaning! I wasn't even allowed to clean the litter box and daughter had different friends coming by to clean the litter box for me!
DeleteI'm sure playing an instrument is a good stress reliever! I pretend to play the piano - I should make it a habit to sit at it and play for a few minutes, each day!
Yikes, good thing the white skirt helped you realize that you were the one bringing the fleas in from the backyard so now you can address this issue, if you choose to! I had just come in from the backyard when I read your post, so it made my double check my shoes and socks and I didn't see anything. It's been so hot that the stray cats have been hiding. I don't feed them but they like hanging around our house, once in a while, as they come visit our indoor cats from the other side of the sliding door.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I'm glad that you have the energy and working tools to tackle this problem, Bless! Once again you are being so awesome at seeing the glass half full instead of half empty :)
I chuckled at the warning on the Walnut Rolls. I'm sure someone somewhere might decide to sue them if they didn't have the warning on there. Greedy people are shameless.
Thanks, Nathalie. I went and bought some additional flea meds and sprays, so I feel a lot better. Dancer isn't letting me comb him, today (managed to do it just once). I am also wearing white socks and walking around the house, today, thinking it would help me to see if anything gets on them, but so far, I've not seen anything! Need to keep up with the vacuuming, I guess.
DeleteIt does sound like the stray cats are the carriers of the fleas, but try not to stress about it too much Bless. You're doing what you can to get on top of the situation. I am sure it will be resolved with the use of the sprays. Just please be careful not to breathe it in. X
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder to be careful about breathing in the stuff! I need to remember to wear a dust mask when I spray! I didn't wear one, yesterday! Fortunately, it didn't trigger my asthma!
DeleteThere's a lady in my neighborhood who feeds stray cats. One of my neighbors asked her (not so nicely)not to feed cats near their fence because the food she leaves attracts not only cats, but also ducks, crows, rats etc. Then this lady decided to move her feeding place to right outside my backyard fence! Stray cats roam in my yard as if it were their property. After reading your post, now I wonder if they have fleas. :(
ReplyDeleteThat's kind of how I began to feed these stray cats, Nil. A neighbor used to feed them and the cats used to cut across my yard to get to the neighbor's house; when the neighbor moved, the cats would come to my yard and I felt sorry for them and started to feed them!
DeleteI hope you don't have fleas in your garden - but it might be a good idea to get it sprayed!
Oh dear, those outdoor cats! It reminds me of when we had our two cats and one seemed to manage to bring fleas into the house (he was a keen mouser) and he donated them to our other cat who then had all the problems including allergy to the flea bites! It really wasn't fair, but I guess it is like the way that some people are always bitten by mosquitoes and others aren't. My old great grandfather was known for never attracting any bites. I guess his body chemistry repelled them. Too bad I didn't inherit it.
ReplyDeleteI've seen 3 more monarchs today but sadly one had been destroyed, probably by a chipmunk that DH saw with a mouthful of something. All we found were pieces of beautiful wings! Sometimes it is a relief when the caterpillar/butterfly season is over and I can forget about the occasional tragedy.
I finally got to visit a dear friend this afternoon after weeks of conflicting schedules. We had a good "natter" over a cup of tea. Now there's a stress reliever!
Sorry to hear about the butterfly that didn't make it, Bushlady. But, such is nature, isn't it?
DeleteGlad you got to visit with your friend. One of the best stress relievers, I'm sure. :)
You might want to find out if the consumer grade of flea spray is the same strength as the commercial grade. Frequently they're not.
ReplyDeleteMost probably they are not the same strength, Marylynn. That's why I want to get a pest control person to come and spray the garden, under the house, etc. That's something I am hoping to accomplish next week.
DeleteBy the way, it's nice to hear from you, again. :) Hope all is well with you and your daughter.