9 October 2017

Housework and how it changes

Like you, I put a fair bit of time into my home. Doing the housework here allows us to live in relative comfort and to invite our family and friends over to enjoy our home as well. I've grown to understand that the work I put into my home pays off handsomely. But our housework is going through a transition at the moment, we're reassessing and reorganising ourselves so we can continue to live here well into our older age. My intention is to stay active right up until the end and then to be carried out feet first.  There will be no retirement village, no over 50s living, no nursing home for me. I will do my daily chores as they change over the coming years and enjoy life here breathing this fresh air and listening to countless wild birds who have chosen to make this place their home too.



If we are to stay here we have to be smart about what we do now that we're older. We've removed a couple of garden beds (I'll write about soon) and I don't do nearly as much baking or preserving as I once did. I still do it, but not as much. I have few problems with the housework now but I'm starting to struggle with things high up and down low, so does Hanno.

I'm pleased to tell you that in Australia, our government provides assistance for older folk who want to stay in their home in their final years. They assess you and then provide a range of services that might mean the difference between leaving your home or staying in the place you love. We have to pay for these services but they're subsidised and are within the means of most older Australians.  Hanno and I underwent our assessment a couple of months ago and were approved to receive 90 minutes of help, per fortnight, both inside and outside. As we get older, the range of services will change from the simple ones we start with, to having help with shopping, being driven to doctors appointments and general in-home nursing if needed. I have to tell you that it makes me feel quite confident that with that extra help Hanno and I will still be here in our home on our last days.


I used the normal Anzac recipe for these but replaced the coconut with almond meal. 

But in the meantime, my housework continues much as it always has. Along with the general daily tasks, this week I cleaned the oven, did some ironing, made cordial and biscuits, cooked, gardened and sorted out our winter jumpers, cardigans, scarves and shawls. They'll be washed and dried in the coming days and then put away until the cold weather returns next year. Most of them can be done in the washing machine on the wool cycle. I'll use my homemade washing liquid with a teaspoon of eucalyptus oil added. That good old washing liquid has saved us hundred of dollars over the years.



As usual, I'm cooking enough for two or three days when I cook our main meals, so there are only two or three big cooking days a week. I've stopped baking cakes, except when we have visitors, because now we can't get through a full cake without giving half of it away. I'm baking biscuits or slices in a half tray now and that seems to suit us much better. The rest of our food remains the same although we have smaller serves. One task that might change in the next five years will be the grocery shopping but I think we'll just move to home delivery then.

I have a self-cleaning oven but I have to remove the side rails and wash them separately.  I do this by filling the laundry sink with hot water to which I add Aldi Di-san oxy-bleach. I let it soak overnight, which loosens any burnt on food or fat, and then just rinse it and wipe down.  It works like a dream every time.

Hanno and I continue to work as a team. We discovered tiny black ants in the house last week, they were trying to invade the honey pot we keep on the shelf near the tea making gear. We got rid of them but then they turned up in the pantry cupboard, near the golden syrup. This week we'll work together to empty the pantry cupboard, check everything in there, wash the containers, clean the cupboard and return the food.


Lemon cordial made using lemon juice I froze a few months ago.  All I did was make a light sugar syrup and mix it with the defrosted lemon juice.  Fruit cordial recipes are on the blog.

All through our lives we've worked according to the circumstances we faced at that time. The two biggest changes have been when we had babies and growing children and now in our older years. Housework is an important part of life because it gives us a clean and comfortable home. I've found that by giving it the time and thought it needs, and working in an organised way, we've been able to move through this transition period without too much fuss. The changes we've made in recent years have certainly helped in this process, and by keeping up our home maintenance over the years, we're now able to adjust as we need it with small, simple changes.  I look forward to being here for a long time yet.
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56 comments

  1. Of course, none of us can be sure that a stroke or some unexpected challenge won't require a season of nursing-home care, but this hope and plan of yours is as it should be, Rhonda. I recently expressed something very similar as my hope, to my (adult) children.
    As an Australian living overseas I marvel at the supports provided to older folk back home. My 92 year old Mum is still living semi-independently (twenty years after Dad's death) with the supports you describe. She moved into her own little cottage in a retirement village in Brisbane about five years ago. Vacuuming, cleaning the shower, and hanging bed-sheets on the clothes line are the things she has help with (once a week now, I think). As Dad had been a WWII prisoner-of-war, she has the added benefit of transport to medical appointments.
    While not naive about the reality that governments are never even close to perfect, these services, provided to society's elders by the Australian one, are worthy of much gratitude.

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  2. Rhonda, I do so love to read about your daily life, and I'm pleased you're able to get some support to stay in your own home, really pleased.

    Our home doesn't feel like 'home' at the minute, although it is unusually tidy - we've sold it, and are waiting for all the legal and financial shenanigans to happen so we can move to our new place. Lots of our stuff is packed (including most books and ALL of my sewing stuff) so things feel very strange. I'm knitting socks and trying not to fret too much about it all.

    Our new place (if it all goes ahead as planned, fingers crossed) has a LOT more outdoor space (11 acres in fact, compared to our current 100 square feet) so I'll need to be a lot more organised both inside and out, especially as I'll still be working full time). I'm going to keep coming in here for inspiration and advice!

    Jenni x

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    1. That's a big change for you Jenni. Good luck with the move. xx

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  3. Thank you for a really honest and thoughtful post.Adapting to our changing circumstances and age should make change much less scary. We are a couple of years away from retirement but my husband and I are already thinking about the future and getting some of the big jobs done in the house while we have the money/ strength/ energy. I don't see this as depressing - in fact just the opposite as being sensible about the changes life brings and facing them calmly gives a feeling of contentment and security.
    Really interesting to hear about the subsidised aid for elders in Australia- what a sensible idea.

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    1. Making those changes along the way and taking control of your home maintenance are the keys to this Penny. You're right, it's not depressing, it's quite empowering. xx

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  4. It's wonderful that your government provide assistance for older people, Rhonda. Here most middle and low income people can't even think about retirement because they don't have enough money, and an illness can wipe out everything you've saved. Retirement places are expensive as well. On top of that saving rate is really low here.

    You are wise to think long term and adjust home chores.
    I hope you and Hanno will soon get rid of ants. Just today I found an ant hill near the back wall and I sprinkled some cayenne pepper powder to see if it repels them. Otherwise I will have to find something stronger.

    XX
    Nil

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  5. The lady across the road managed to live independently by making changes to the house over the years as well. Gradually she would have services added such as a gardener for the bigger jobs, meals on wheels, daily nurse visit, friends and family driving her around. My job was to make sure her curtains were open each morning otherwise I would call her son in law to check on her. The changes you’re making I’m sure will allow you both to continue living in your home with the beautiful setting.

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    1. My dad is 90 and still lives in his home, on his own and does everything for himself. We have the same arrangement with his neighbour, closed curtains and she goes in check on him, no response and she phones my husband.
      Great neighbours are a blessing.

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  6. Rhonda I have clean oven envy - a job for me this week. I've had problems with ants before - it seems they get a sniff of anything sweet and sticky & nothing will stop them. Since I started keeping my jars of syrup, molasses, honey, etc in a plastic storage box with a tight seal lid, I've not had any issues at all. Busy days here getting the house in order ready for sale. Your plans for the future sound well organised, here's hoping it's a long time before you need to put them into practice. Have a great day. Barb in South Gippsland.

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  7. I love the way you describe the adaptations that you and Hanno are making. There is no sense of remorse or sadness behind your words, simply a change in rhythm. You are an inspiration.

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  8. Like you I have found that cooking cakes is wasteful, and freezing half a cake takes up quite a lot of space. Then I realised the solution, with modern digital scales it is easy to weigh out half an egg. If yoy beat your egg with a pinch of salt, it will easily seperate using the scales to accurately only use half. The other half will easily freeze for later use. It means I can make 3-4 fairy cakes, or two cupcakes, or with the right tin a tiny, but utterly perfect cake to slice.

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  9. That's wonderful news, Rhonda. I'm happy for you. I can relate to a lot of what you are saying, even though I am in my early fifties. My mom lived in her home her entire life. My dad does very well on his own, and he is in his late eighties. He said that he keeps busy. He drives the grandkids to school, walks the dog, plays bridge daily, and cooks all of his own meals. He said that he likes feeling needed. You are all great examples for me.

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  10. You are so wise to plan ahead like this and look at the practicalities of your situation.
    I am in my early 60's but have some health & mobility issues which has forced me to take a hard look at things as well. There's just me in a small apt. so not as much to take into account. I try to pick one day a week to do laundry and housework. We have to go to the laundry room in the basement so I try to use 2 machines at a time and 4 loads at a time. I only put sheets & towels into the dryers so they get done first (if needed that week) and then a couple of loads of clothes/other linens that can be hung up to dry. While all of that is underway I dust, stiffer (mop) and vacuum. Ironing will be done later in the day but all items coming out of the dryer are folded and put away right away - no room to have things just lying around.
    Another half day is for shopping and then another half day is for food prep and cooking (I try to cook a few things at once and I freeze food and eat leftovers as well).
    But I'm no longer shy about asking for help with some heavier work and it also makes much more sense to pay a few dollars to have someone do some jobs rather than risk injuring myself. I may qualify for Govt. help at some point - although I don't think we are quite as up to speed as you seem to be in Australia.
    There is no point in being a martyr about things - do what you can and what you enjoy - but use some common sense.

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    1. Sounds like you've got it under control too, Margie. It's much easier that sitting back and worrying about it. xx

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  11. You are so right about changing things as we get older and making the house nice so people can come over for dinner or to play cards or watch a movie. I can't say I have been great about that part, worked all the time so that part of my former life was less than I wish it had been. thank you for the encouragement , we all need it, I wasn't going to leave a comment but then read your note and you are right , how will you know anyone is reading it, WE ARE!!! take care from Iowa , USA

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    1. HA! Thanks for your comment, Melody. I always like to know about my readers lives. It often inspires me and keeps me on track. xx

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  12. It all sounds very sensible...at least you do not think you can continue to do the work inside and outside that you did 5 years ago. What a great attitude and nice to be able to get a little help from the Govt when you need it. A great post Rhonda. Regards Kathy, Brisbane

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  13. ps..thanks for leaving a lovely comment on my blog about my birthday tradition...it was such a thrill for me. I still remember the first time I came across your blog via The Burkes Back Yard book many years ago when I was visiting my in laws in Melbourne pouring through their garden books....so pleased it resonated with me at the time.

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    1. You're welcome, Kathy. I remember the day we met in person. :- )

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  14. Rhonda this post is very pertinent to my hubby and l at this very moment. We live a few hrs north of you on 5 acres. We have an old home that needs care at every turn. Over 30 years on this land.
    l always though we would move into town when hubby retired but now on the edge of retiring Hubby says he cannot bare the thought of close living.
    We both appear to be healthy...fingers xed that continues.

    He is a worker and your Hanno reminds me of him in that mine, although younger than Hanno, will start at the beginning of the day in the yard and just steadily work through with breaks for meals.
    We too have our hens, veg garden, fruit trees, native birds and animals and pets
    So what to do.
    On the weekend we have come to the decision to build a smaller new home and get our older bigger place removed.
    l am a bit scared as l have never lived in a new home in my 60 years and even though we have about 2/3rds the cost of a new home in bank we will need to take a small mortgage while some of our other assets are sold. We have not owed money for many years. l do not even know if banks do bridging loans anymore. That is today's job.
    l do realize now is the time to do it while hubby has 2 more years at work and in some ways it is exciting . The chance to build a small but purpose built place.....one wet area for dirty boots hats etc is the first thing on my list LOL, but in other ways it is scary.
    SO Rhonda one thing about life is for sure and that is change .

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    1. Building a new smaller house on your land is a great solution. Good luck with all of it and stay in touch. I'd like to know how it all pans out.

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  15. I like the way you write about ageing, Rhonda, and share the practical things you and Hanno do to make the transition easier. It's great advice! Meg

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  16. Thank you so much Rhonda, an inspirational post on many levels, as always. Many ideas there I need to take on board!
    Very best wishes, Leonie

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  17. Hi Rhonda, when we've had ants attack in the past, I have placed the honey jar in a Tupperware container with a bit of water in the base. This stopped them from getting to the jar.

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  18. Such a well thought out wise approach Rhonda. That is why so many of us like to follow your lead! The careful planning really does take so much stress out of life changes. My elderly neighbour takes advantage of home help (she is 82), because she wants to stay in her home for as long as possible too. And although she says she could clean her house better than the cleaning lady, she is happy enough with it because it means she can stay in her home. I think a big part of it is also accepting that those changes have to happen and rolling with it. I know some people who won't accept help or feel angry that they need it and they don't seem very content at all. Thank you for your wise words, as always.

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  19. I'm glad you are taking advantage of the help offered - it is a great scheme. Both my parents and MIL use it and the hard things get done like bathrooms and vacuuming etc. I hope I 'go' with my boots on and never have to go into care.

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  20. I read an interesting article on the weekend about Swedish death cleaning. (won't post a link as per your comment, but Google will easily find it.)

    I am currently decluttering and for anything that I'm having trouble with discarding I ask myself the question, "Do I want family members to have to deal with this if anything were to happen to me?". A bit morbid, true, but it makes decisions a lot easier. Hope you have a lovely day.

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    1. Thanks for that Sam. I hadn't heard of Swedish death cleaning and yes, it's exactly what we've been doing for the past year. I don't want my kids to deal with the things I have kept which have no meaning for them. Along the way, when I want to get rid of something of substance, I ask them if they want it. The answer is usually "no". And that's good, I don't want to burden then when they're grieving for me or Hanno.

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  21. Rhonda, in your sidebar, you show a knitted dishcloth that appears to be knit with crochet cotton thread; what size thread is it and what size / number / mm knitting needle have you used? Did you use a single thread or did you double it up? Thanks in advance. Richard in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.

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    1. Hi Richard. Here is the original post were I wrote about this. https://down---to---earth.blogspot.com.au/2009/07/evolution-of-dish-cloth.html
      From memory I used size 4 needles but any medium size needle should be okay. I used single thread. It makes up a very fine cloth which is very good for glasses and ornaments.

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  22. Rhonda, you said that you used "size 4 needles"; do you mean 4mm needles or UK/Canadian # 4? There is a definite difference here in the States. Thank you so much for your speedy reply!

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    1. I meant 4mm Richard, sorry I wasn't clear enough.

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  23. Thank you Rhonda your post was very inspiring. It is much better to be proactive and get things in place for the future. PH and I are trying to get our gardens organised so they won’t need too much brunch cutting. Looking forward to many more years in our home.

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  24. Great advice Rhonda. We are in our late 50's and already talking about downsizing into a unit with a small garden. We live in a 4 bedroom house, big garden, and are already finding the work is too much. I would also love to live independently until the end,if possible!

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    1. I was cleaning last Friday and grumbling a little. Then I thought that I should be grateful I could still do the chores. Need a little nap in the PM but otherwise all is still well. Meanwhile my sister the old hippie who shares your birthday is working 25 hours a week. She is ten years older. There is still another sister who thinks nothing of driving thousands of miles for a vacation. Oh well we all do what we can! Hope you and Hanno are well

      Best wishes from Best Bun

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  25. An excellent post, which has got me thinking. How wonderful assistance is offered for elders in your country.

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  26. Hi Rhonda, great post! I know our day for downsizing is coming, we are in our 60's now but I don't feel ready yet. Hoping for a few more years in this house unless something fall into our life that we can't refuse. However, I do feel I need to get the inside in better order to remain here for a few more years. Thanks for writing about aging, we will all do it at some time in our life;-)

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  27. Your ants sound like our ants. The real issue, as you likely know, is figuring out where they are coming in. We have found that making a solution of boric acid, sugar and water (search on 'ants boric acid bait') and putting it on a cotton ball in a shallow small container lid or directly in the lid, will allow them to carry the boric acid back to the nest and stop the invasion. This should be put somewhere along their trail. When we've had them, I've put this under the kitchen sink, occasionally on the kitchen counter, and in a hall closet they seem to think is a good invasion point.

    We recently helped friends empty out a huge Victorian house they operated as a bed-and-breakfast, after they sold it and moved into a seniors development. When he was done with hauling things out of their house, hubby came home and stated we weren't leaving that kind of chore to our daughter. We are both newly fully retired, and working on making our home easy for us to continue in.

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  28. I live alone but am still partial to a slice of homemade cake.I make it, slice it and wrap each slice in greaseproof paper or foil, and then freeze. Like bread, cake sliced thaws quite quickly so is great if visitors are due and you haven't baked! As this is my first comment, although I have been a follower for several years and have your books, I just want to say how much I enjoy your posts.

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  29. Timely post! We're in our 50's and I'm forever finding myself frustrated that I just can't do as much as I used to. I remember easily squatting down to get something and now my knees heartily object and I make all kinds of huffing and puffing noises!!

    We're really looking to downsize, but don't want to rush into anything. We're taking our time and looking.

    In the meantime, here's a couple of changes I've made....
    *Kneeling to clean showers is out. An old knee injury leaves me limping for days. So, I bought a long handled brush. I put my cleaning solution (homemade, of course!) on the floor of the shower and drag the brush upward to spread and scrub. I leave it there for a couple of hours and come back, scrub a little more and rinse. It looks just as good as when I killed my back and knees. All of my *mature* friends have borrowed this idea.
    * I clean the house all week as opposed to one day. I work for 20-30 minutes on a standing job, do a sitting job for 5-10, & so forth until I'm done.
    * I've purged a lot. Let's face it. The less one has, the less it takes to clean!
    * I use my crockpot a lot more and in winter, we eat a lot of soups and stews. I can sit on a kitchen stool and do dicing and chopping. When it's all done, there's only really the crock to wash instead of a host of pots and pans.

    When we bought our first house, we started redecorating one room per year. Back then, we did it for financial reasons. It was fun to spend the year planning out the new room, cheaper to watch for sales & things we needed, & it didn't take too long.
    As the years went by, we stuck to that! It's much easier to handle now that we're not spring chickens anymore. We still get the time to hunt around and take advantage of the sales and it's not so physically taxing. In this much larger home, it takes us about 10 yrs. to cycle through it and by then, it's needing some new paint and such. This year is the master bedroom and bath. Last year was the beasty job. We tackled the kitchen, dining room, living room, hall, & entry. One giant room.....I want our next house to have some separation lol!

    Before my mom moved in with us, she got help from the state. She had a wonderful caregiver and she helped my mom with cleaning, took her shopping, etc. She got about 4 hrs. per week. It cost her nothing. She was a low income senior. I doubt we'd qualify for that, even in 20 yrs. My mom lived on only about $900 per month.

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  30. Rhonda, you continue to inspire me to keep pressing on. As a mom (in my 40s) of 2 toddler boys, I keep coming back to your blog - and your books, which I LOVE! I find new gems of inspiration to keep home, produce lovely homemade decor and food, and to find joy and contentment in our lives as they are now rather than wishing some circumstances could be different. Your information about planning for retirement and the later years is so valuable - I've no one else speaking these helpful ideas into my life. I know I have shared before the meaningful way you unknowingly stepped into my life right at the time I needed motherly guidance after my own dear mom passed suddenly. You've impacted my life in more ways than you could know, dear Rhonda.
    Blessings from New Mexico.

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  31. Morning Rhonda,
    Your post is so close to home at the moment. Hubby and I are always looking at ways to live better and simpler. We are both in our 60s.

    My 95yo mum decided that it was time to move on last week. She and dad had lived quite independently in their retirement home until about 8 years ago when dad's heart began to fail. They both moved into quite a lovely aged care home in 2 separate rooms. Less than a year later dad passed and mum, well, she blossomed. She walked the corridors, chatted to all and sundry and was really low care until the past year or so. She was never sick, never got gastro, and would wash some items of clothing by hand and hang them to dry over her shower.

    Finally it was time after a bout of pneumonia. She was lonely and tired.

    Having said that, I do not want to follow her into aged care living. Hubby and I want to do absolutely everything possible to stay in our home and to be taken out on our feet, just like you.

    Take care.

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    1. I'm sorry to hear about your mum, Brigie, but it sounds like she had a full life. I'm sure you have many good memories of her and your dad. xx

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  32. I so appreciate these posts on aging. I have been thinking about buying my first home at the age of 51. But lately I’ve been rethinking that. Less than 1000 sq ft, two bedrooms on the same level, a tiny yard and a garage. Even that requires frequent maintenance. I also worry about possible mobility issues in the future, trekking up and downstairs to do laundry etc.

    Perhap renting an apartment, as I’ve dine all my adult life, is a more sensible solution.

    More consideration is needed for certain.

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  33. With you every step of the way. We plan to move to a one story house with a smaller yard next year before it is too hard for us to do so. Your available assistance is wonderful and I wish we had that here but we can begin to use some services that we hire out in the years to come, too. Check to see if your ants are coming in around a window. In times of little rain we have had them come in there and stopped it by putting a shallow jar lid of water on the outside window sill. Here is seems that they come in for water. We have the same issue with cake bit getting eaten fast enough so I started baking them in muffin tins and freezing it in airtight containers to pull them out two at a time.

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  34. My hubby and I have been thinking about our aging selves just lately. We are both 57 and in pretty good health. We both have bad knees though (his from playing football and mine from ice skating in our youth LOL) so I can really see that being a problem 10 years from now, if not sooner. I'm already having problems with stairs and the hubby is missing half the joint from his left knee (surgically removed at age 17). Yes, this is going to be a problem. We are working on losing weight and staying flexible, cleaning out our home and garden of all the junk we have collected, and becoming organized so that our house and garden work have a method. You are an inspiration Rhonda and I really enjoy reading about the lives that you and Hanno have made there in Australia. I aspire to be like you, honestly. Reading your blog makes me feel good and provides the inspiration needed to move in the right direction :)

    Sandie in the USA

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  35. Like you Rhonda, I think it is important to plan and make adjustments so that we can, all going well, live in our home comfortably for the rest of our lives.I'm happy for you that your assessment went well and was beneficial. Pauline.

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  36. Rhonda, your posts are always so warm,inviting and thought provoking....I look forward to reading what is on your mind and enjoying your photos of everyday life ....thank you!

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  37. Thank you Rhonda for your wise words. I will be 70 next May and following a fall 7 years ago when I broke my fema on my already paralysed leg from polio as a child,my mobility has become an issue. I am grateful that although I have worn a calliper for most of my life I have been able to independently look after my home and family. Now that has changed and acknowledging that has been difficult. I have started to have my groceries delivered and my husband does all the heavy housework, vacuuming, mopping floors, cleaning baths, etc, as well as hanging washing on the line (no room for a dryer). I can no longer do the gardening on the ground but grow vegetables in a large manger raised bed on the decking. I have got used to sitting to shower instead of getting in th bath. I still help out with my grandchildren but my husband has to do any lifting/carrying of the youngest. Accepting my limitations has been the hardest thing for me but when I start to feel sorry for myself I quickly remember how many years I have been able to do the things I wanted to do. I concentrate now on what I can still do - cooking (by sitting on a stool), quilting, knitting, crochet and spending time with my precious family and friends. After all nothing is more important than that to me. Thank you once again for your lovely and helpful blog.

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  38. Hi. My oven is like yours. I put the shelves in the dishwasher. It really softens everything, so if you take them out hot, a wipe brings it all off easily.

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  39. Its good to know that you'll be able to get more help as you need it. People should be able to stay in their own homes as long as posible.

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  40. I just now finally got to reading this post, Rhonda and really enjoyed it.
    I wanted to add what we do to get rid of ants in our house. We used to have so many issues with ants & I would get so frustrated with seeing them all over my kitchen counter. But now we keep a plastic jug in the basement filled with a mixture of 50% borax & 50% white sugar. At the first sign of ants anywhere in the house, my husband takes the mixture outside and sprinkles a very narrow trail of it along the entire base of the house. This method has never failed us and we usually have to do it only once or twice a year. It almost seems as though the fact that it seeps into the ground when it rains, it still acts as a shield/protection from ants even wanting to get through it and into the house. Works like a charm.:)
    ~Sue

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  41. I am so Thankful that I found Your Blog.........I just turned 66 & my Husband is 73......We are older, but no where nesr feeling or acting OLD...He still works & I still do all my Homecaring & Housework, keep my 3 Grandchildren a whole lot & do my own shopping, etc. I just have sometimes gotten upset with myself when it takes me longer or I have to put things off because of a sick Grandchild or something like that...Sometimes it seems like my Household Rhythm gets off balance....It does me so much Good to be able to connect with other Women around my age to communicate & be friends with that may go through some of the same things & struggles........I just want to say I am so Thankful & Glad that I found You!!!!!!!!!!

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  42. Hi. I just want to let you know that I have stumbled upon your blog and I really love it. I really agree that retirees should stay at home so they continue enjoying the comforts of home. It can be really heartwarming to spend an afternoon tea with family and friends. Plus the housework will make you stay fit. Keep on writing Rhonda!

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  43. Hi Rhonda,

    I have been reading your blog now for a year and love it. I am 38 live in Port Mac in NSW and have a zimbabwean hubby and 2 young kids. We are living frugally, working on a developing veggie and sustainable garden. I make my own pasta, bread yogurt and I love learning new things from you on your blog. I am currently trying to organise myself a DIY home makers manual where I can stick in all my useful things I find and was wondering if you have any tips for sections in which to organise it? Ive been looking through the contents of your 'down to earth' book for ideas. Bless you for writing this blog and I hope Hanno is getting better. Clare

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    1. Well done, Clare. I've written about setting up sections in a home journal in The Simple Home. If you can't buy it it should be in your local library. Good luck!

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