Absolutely nothing was done this week. Nada. Zilch.
Guess what looks like Roseola at the beginning but quickly takes an evil turn?
Yes that is Lily, I didn’t get off that easy. She caught it too.
Oh Streptococcus, I don’t like you very much. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed that mom stays in the clear. Strep and I have a long unromantic history filled with hateful vile affairs.
Oh, and I can’t get rid of the garden slugs. They are super-slugs. No amount of salt, beer, crackers, lime or whatever I try can conquer these beasts. Die slugs, die.
I hope they are feeling better soon!
Looked up how to kill slugs and it says:
1) Beer. Place commercial traps or old margarine tubs on top of the soil close to the damaged plants, wait until dusk and then fill them with the cheapest—but freshest—beer you can find. The next morning, they should be filled with dead drunken slugs. Repeat every evening.
2) Coffee. Save your dregs and spray them full strength directly on the beasts in the evening. Surround plants under attack with a mulch of used coffee grounds to deter slugs and feed the plants.
3) Iron phosphate. Scatter the pellets around plants in peril to wipe out the pests without poisons. (And a little extra iron is good for your garden soil.)
4) Copper. You can buy ready-made copper plant guards or just adorn your raised bed frames with copper flashing. Hot-glue rings of pennies around the tops of your containers. Drop captured slugs into a jar of pennies and watch ‘em spark!
5) Diatomaceous earth. Surround plants under attack with protective rings of DE (be sure to wear a dust mask); freshen them up if they get wet.
6) Human hair. Surround your plants with a protective barrier of hair. The slugs will get all tangled up in it and strangle.
8) Citrus. Leave lemon, orange and grapefruit rinds out overnight near slug prone plants, and then collect and trash them—covered with slugs—first thing the next morning. Old lettuce leaves work well too.
9) Vinegar. A spray bottle filled with plain white vinegar is a great cure for slugs that aren’t on plants.
Hope this helps get rid of the nasty beasts!
OH goodness! I remember those days… Michelle and Robert had strep 6-8 times a year for years. I had their tonsils removed at age 5 and that was such a God-send. I’m so sorry Val. I wish there was something I could do. Love you all.
Oh, no, bless everyone’s hearts. Hope you don’t contract it, Val, and that the children feel up to snuff soon. Of course you didn’t get anything done … mommies never do when their babies are ill. Love all of you extravagantly!
Do explain how you read the “Step-A” device you picture above.
After you take a swab of the tonsils, you stick the cotton swab unto a test tube (a la CSI) add some reagents, let it sit for 2 minutes and then dab the liquid into bottom left corner there. The liquid will flow up the test (like a pregnancy test). A positive in the positive control window shows you the test worked, a blank space in the negative control shows you the sample is not contaiminated. A plus in the test window shows you that your sample is positive for the detection of Streptococcus Aureus Bacteria.
Which is the test window? The diagonal opening to the upper right?
No, that is the end of test window. The test window is the large opening in the middle with the plus sign.
if you really want to know more about the cassette you can go read more about it here. http://www.testpack.com/index/hcg_urine/on-board_controls.aspx
thats an hcg test but same principle.
I think I’m even more confused now!