Here in our red state testing is almost $200 at a clinic but you can get free testing at the county health department. We got tested three weeks ago. You just need to call and make an appointment. However, I just heard from a friend that her daughter was having trouble getting tested there. Cases are up so maybe they're running low on supplies. Not sure.

Chicken pot pie...maybe not technically pie but with biscuits on top, like a casserole. Does that count? Apple pie for dessert, but key lime sounds wonderful as well.

I think many, many people who think they can't sing, could learn from the right teacher. You don't just open your mouth and use the same voice you do when speaking. The exception might be if someone is truly tone deaf. Our choir director says that those people cannot be taught to overcome it. Most people are not tone deaf though.

Oh, I thought of that, too! Pretty sure it was potting soil although I did find a few bags of black..uhh..bread?...that had almost completely decomposed. If only I were still homeschooling...biology, health, home ec, and later on home repairs and remodeling could be covered.

I am praying for peace for our nation! Thanks for starting this thread, Mercy.

I used to let the kids use my large, plastic sewing cutting board for puzzles. Then the puzzle-in-progress could be moved if the table was needed.

Lots of good tips here! This isn't really cleaning but I put a large magnetic wipe off board on the fridge. I write a running grocery list there, as well as a weekly menu in one corner. Before grocery shopping, I snap a photo with my phone. Instant grocery list.

Thanks, that does make me feel better. I looked up Lyme disease in my area, and read that most cases here are contracted elsewhere while traveling. I am so, so sorry about your Lyme nightmare!! I don't even know what bartonella is, but I hope all of you are fully recovered soon.

I have made that type of fruit fly catcher before. Also, in another rental where someone left food (thankfully not a hoarder house) I used those sticky strips that you hang up. Those worked well. We are making progress! I wish I could work eight hours per day there but I just can't take it that long. Four hours has been my limit.

Yes, that would probably be the best thing. New counters, sink, and floors. New appliances because those are beyond saving.

I am not in a Lyme endemic area. I'm not sure it was a tick. When I swatted my neck, all I could see was a tiny bit of blood on my hand. I'm thinking mosquito.

The sink drains slowly. I am going to try some drain opener my landlord relative told me about a few yrs ago. The black gunk wasn't as bad as I thought...it was mostly potting soil! At least it looked and smelled like potting soil and had those little flecks in it. A plant must have broken or fallen over in the sink. That earthy, familiar smell was honestly a relief after the other horrors. Thanks for the cleaning ideas. I will try them once I get the sink draining properly!

Warning: grossness ahead! Besides throwing away piles of trash on the floor, I cleaned off the bathroom vanity and sink, scouring it and then using disinfectant. I cleaned off the kitchen table and...horrors...started on the kitchen counters. Even after the trash/crusty dishes/food is removed, there's a thick layer of dried food covering them. I think I need a chisel. But the SINK. Oh for the love of...stacked with trash and the nastiest dishes and swarming with fruit flies and...some kind of black sink pudding in the bottom. How do I even...?????? I just want this part done. Th

I do call their landlords, if they have any. I call their employer and I always, always have a background check done. I've never done a surprise visit at their current home. Not sure I would, but I could see driving by to look at the outside.

Good idea. I did mention upthread that another landlord my maintenance guy works for has him go quarterly to change the furnace filters. It's a good way to keep an eye on things.