November 1, 2025

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Bite your tongue!!!

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Well, here’s a loaded request! I imagine for most this isn’t possible, but I will share with you what my thoughts are on the subject. I believe that some people do what  I term as mis-speaking  (not really knowing what they are talking about, or they’re just plain RUDE)  And is it really our place to correct them just because we possess the intellect to…I say no! I’m not asking anyone to compromise their convictions or beliefs, but ” biting your tongue”  is simply a means of  not participating in what generally turns into an argument or hurt feelings. I believe that the power to “bite your tongue” is a great quality in one’s character, not having to be right all the time, or getting the last word.  We are all individuals with feelings that matter… so think about it the next time you want to “lay in” to someone, is it really worth it? Look at it this way… if you are right, does it really matter if they are wrong?  EXAMPLE: My father has said many times ” I was wrong ONCE, but then I found out later that I was really right”… now you see where I learned to BITE MY TONGUE!!!

 

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Filed Under: Southern Gentleman, "Living Life with Ease", Uncategorized

Using… VINEGAR!!!

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We all know the many uses of vinegar, but we just wanted to go thru a few reminders. Vinegar should be in every household, and should be used as it is inexpensive and very versatile!

    • Use vinegar (1/4 cup to a quart of water) to clean mineral buildup (a grayish white color) on metal screens of a screen door and screen porch.
    • Clean and freshen the garbage disposal by running 1/4 cup of vinegar poured over ice once a week.
    • Add 1/4 cup vinegar to a load of laundry along with the usual soap,will brighten colors and make whites sparkle. This will also act as a fabric softener,  it inhibit mold and fungus growth.(especially good for those of us that have front load washing machines) Finally, it helps kill athletes foot germs on socks too.
    • This is a big one for me….as I use to throw  my t-shirts away and buy new… perspiration stains in clothes will fade if soaked overnight in 3 gallons of water,with 1/4 cup of vinegar, I usually add a little extra vinegar, as I sweat a lot! I don’t think you can over do it on the vinegar.

 

OK…. Let’s see we have saved money on; fabric softener, and buying new clothes, not to mention the fact that you don’t have to re-screen the porch! I believe this staple product is worth it weight in gold! These few reminders are money-saving tips, which should always be our goal.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Kitchen “micro” storage…

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I am a firm believer in using all the available space you can for storage. This home needed a place to store a broom and a mop, but we created so much more! We used an area that was behind the kitchen door that was only about 6 inches deep by about 4 ft wide. Most of you would think that this area is not enough space to do anything with… wrong. We were able to create shelving that is 5 1/2 inches in-depth, which is enough to hold can goods, cleaning products, and of course, the broom and mop. The great thing about this shallow pantry is that you don’t have to dig for anything, you know how things always get lost in the those deep pantry closets. Now check out the video and you will see what a “micro” storage closet is. And by the way the owners are thrilled!

Filed Under: Home Renovations Large and Small Tagged With: , , , ,

Create Evening Curb Appeal With Landscape Lighting

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This is a great and easy do-it-yourself  idea… You can buy a lighting kit at any of the home improvement stores for under $100. Now you say, why bother… I say, think about it, we all have great pride in the curb appeal we have created for our homes, so why not show them off during what I call “Primetime” . Primetime viewing is after most people are home from work, and start their personal lives….going out to dining, a movie, grocery store, even carting the kids off to their various functions. My point is, this is really the only time we have to showcase our homes. This exterior lighting will put your home on the map, drawing all eyes to a warm and inviting glow. I guarantee your home will get more than a second glance! I almost forgot to mention the upgraded security these lights offer, that’s a big plus in itself! Watch the video and if you don’t think this is money well spent, I’ll come do it for you myself! Remember to watch the video all the way to the end, as the last frame will show the before and after! Wow…. and for under a hundred bucks!

Filed Under: Gardening Tips Tagged With: , , , , ,

Get those tomatoes out of the window sill!!!

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Wow! How many of us growing up and even for me, until today, thought sitting a tomato in the kitchen windowsill helped it to finish ripening? wrong!!! Tomatoes don’t need sun to finish ripening, they actually need the total opposite. Instead keep them in a dark pantry closet, or on the counter top or shelf, but cover them with several sheets of newspaper or a paper bag. Check them regularly as they will ripen fast, and by no means put them in the refrigerator even after they are ripe. Who wants a cold tomato, anyway? I learned this today and I would almost bet, the generation before me , aka,  my mother would have argued differently. Thought I should pass this on … so get those tomatoes out of the window sills!

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Local Artist with so much talent…

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       I have the pleasure of calling this local talent my friend, Laine Neese Francis, is blessed with a God-given talent of painting beautiful oils. I have always said that “if you do what you love, the rewards come naturally” The countless hours she puts in to her paintings show the colorful life she leads. Laine has travelled oversea and has collected many interesting photos, of which she has transferred to canvas. These transformations are  bright and colorful  interpretations of  life through her eyes. She  also has many paintings of the beautiful coastal areas of North Carolina filled with nature at it’s best! One might catch her standing in the middle of a marsh, easel erected, with paint brush in hand!       Being an avid animal lover, she also has a collection  of paintings that she has done for friends and family;  yes… portraits of their four-legged  friends.  We all  benefit from being surrounded by beautiful things, so with that being said, I would like for you to visit Laine’s site… be enlightened by her talent and passion to create beauty on canvas!    http://lainefrancis.blogspot.com/2011/07/pet-portraits.html

 

Filed Under: Southern Gentleman, "Living Life with Ease" Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Creating curb appeal with plants and a trellis…

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Sometimes we have an area of our house that just bugs us, (example an over pronounced garage doors) Many houses were built with this type of architecture… the garage doors stick out farther that the front door…and usually the doors are standard white and big! We can soften these areas with a trellis and an evergreen vine.This is not a large project, but will have a huge positive impact on your house’s curb appeal.  I have always been a fan of a garage, just not one that is the main feature of the front of my house. Frank Lloyd Wright, the famous architect once said, “a physician can bury his mistakes, but the architect can only advise his client to plant vines.”

 

Filed Under: Gardening Tips Tagged With: , , , , ,

A Great “Before” and “After”

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This project might be considered a teardown…. NO!!! Nothing is beyond saving, especially when a local city ordinance may require it to be moved over (in this case 3 ft) from the property line. That’s right, always check with the city before tearing down a detached building or garage that is sitting close to the lot line. This is especially true if you live in an older neighborhood. The requirements for setbacks on lot lines have been revised over the years. If your building is still standing… renovate it, because once it is torn down you may not be able to rebuild it in the same spot. This is why we renovated this little single car garage… Of course we changed it’s use to a small studio with garden storage in the back. I must say that this little building was brought back to life with style!

Filed Under: Featured, Home Renovations Large and Small

“MY” Tomato Pie Recipe

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This  all started as a joke, doing a video on making my tomato pie…and we did it! I  personally like the part of the video where I reach in the oven ” bare handed” and grab the hot pie crust. Hehe! Hence the reason I am a contractor, not a cook!  Here’s the recipe, and you gotta check out the video!

Two frozen pie crusts, 4 tomatos, one cup of Dukes mayo, one half cup of feta cheese, tablespoon of  Basil, teaspoon of garlic salt, several bags of shreadded cheese (mild and sharp cheddar), and one bag of mozzarella cheese. This is all the ingredients you will need, now click on the link below to watch the video on how to put it all together..

Filed Under: Southern Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A cup, cup and a cup…Peach Cobbler

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Ok , now that I have your attention…. It’s the southern slang for the best peach cobbler recipe! I first must give credit where credit is due. On one of many trips to the wonderful seaside town of Southport NC, I attended a 4th of July cook out with my friends. I met a wonderful lady by the name of Lane Cook who brought this fantastic peach cobbler to the backyard bash! She was kind enough to share this simple recipe with me. The rest is history, as I have been making it ever since. As I said, it’s simple and takes no time to make! Here’s the cup, cup, and a cup peach cobbler!

  • a cup of sugar
  • a cup of flour (self-rising)
  • a cup of milk

     That’s all… so easy you don’t even have to write it down… well we still need the fruit, butter,and directions…

Mix your cups of sugar /flour/milk together … lumps are good. Then put a stick of  butter in a casserole/baking pan (9×14) melt the butter in the oven on 350′. On the stove top put 6 cups of fresh peaches ( you can use frozen peaches, just the one’s with no sugar added) Then add one  cup of sugar to the peaches, only need to cook til sugar has thoroughly melted (syrupy) Take the dish out of the oven with the melted butter, pour the batter into the dish, and then pour the peaches right in the center of the mix… Do Not Stir. Put in the oven for one hour at 350’… watch it toward the end as it sometimes cooks faster…Enjoy!

Filed Under: Southern Recipes Tagged With: , , , , ,
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