If the weeds are really tall already, you'd have to use way too much chemical and it would probably get all over you, too - yuck. I'd mow on whatever the highest setting on your lawnmower is, then spray. Wait a couple of weeks for those to die and see if any new ones come up. If so, then spray those. Wait again and keep repeating if you have to. Till when no more perennial weeds are coming. As far as mulch for the annual weeds, there's really no point at this stage. With as long as you say this area has been neglected, you're probably in a situation much like ours where every time you stir the soil, there are going to be a bazillion new seeds exposed. You're going to be dealing with annual weeds for years to come, but at least they're easy to keep under control. Get yourself a good hoe and get out there before they get any true leaves or even sooner. I hoe once a week at least until mulching time. If you keep the soil loose - don't be walking all over it all the time - it's much easier to hoe. Once you've managed to take care of the perennials, another approach with the annual seeds is to rototill, let them germinate, rototill, let them germinate, and so on. You're getting rid of seeds this way instead of just cutting off their sunlight with mulch, in which case they're still there, lying dormant, waiting for their turn to cause trouble. This much tilling isn't always the best idea for soil tilth, though, depending on what kind of dirt you've got. First, though, I'd concentrate on the perennials and get them eradicated asap. Worry about the others later. P.S. Roundup tip from my (conventional) farmer neighbour... spraying in the fall is more effective than any other time of year. The plant is directing it's energy down into its roots instead of up into growth, which means you need less chemical to kill the plant at its root.

At night I would try 2 veggies ,little piece of meatloaf or some other kind of meat, chicken or fish. May have to try different veggies. There are lot in frozen food section but check back for salt content some are loaded, some have almost none. If she has high blood pressure than be sure to get ones with almost no sodium. Some of the ones with sauces are loaded with sodium so would raise her BP if that's already a problem. Canned peaches, pears, apricots, prunes, applesauce or fruit cocktail make good snacks or dessert for evening meal. If she doesn't like water, try weak decaf ice tea, V8 Fusion drinks or any of assorted juices, fresh grapes, cut up apple with skin off, fresh ripe pear, bananas or orange cut up but some older folks can't take much acid so may have to stick to bananas & grapes, melon, or watermelon. My mouth has started cracking in corners from too much acid so I have to be careful & I'm much younger. Jello is easy to eat & can have fruit added.

When I still worked I used to take bentos all the time since there were no readily available food sources near my office. Leaking was not a problem with the ones I had. Www.justbento.com has lots of good ideas, not all of which are Japanese. Maki at Just Bentos also talks about storing a "stash" of bento fillers in the freezer. Other than that, dinner leftovers were my staple. I would also pack bread, filling, and lettuce separately to combine on the spot into a nice, non-soggy sandwich. Also, if you look around a little you can find small packages of real cheese (processed cheese is just industrial (i.e. "cheap") cheese melted with salt -- nothing yucky or chemical added to it despite the name) from France where cheese is more highly respected. A handful of crackers and some fruit will round out a meal. Pink Lady apples resist browning when cut and will be perfect in appearance at lunch time if tossed into a solution of a pinch of Fruit Fresh (vitamin C) and water as you cut them. If nuts were not an issue, then almond or peanut butter would be great accompaniments instead of cheese.

Microwave pasta, courtesy of Pbrisjar... Take a large microwave-safe lidded dish and put in some water (maybe about 1/3-less than 1/2 full) and salt and / or spices if you want. Place in microwave and cook until hot (about 5 minutes for the size I cook). Take out of microwave and add pasta until the water just covers it. DO NOT overfill your container. Leave room for the bubbling/boiling action. Cook for about 18 minutes. The water should become completely absorbed by the pasta. If it's not quite cooked enough, you can add a little more water and cook for about 4-5 minutes more. Here are some useful threads: Wish you had not packed away Tips for living without a sink for a week? What/how do you eat when you have no kitchen? temporary kitchen must-haves Demo Now Days Away--Getting Cold Feet Thread: Great ideas for coping during construction (it's no longer available on GW, so I copied & pasted it from my files) Posted by imrainey (My Page) on Thu, Aug 2, 07 at 14:21 We're getting close. I've got appliances in but not their front panels and handles. Yesterday the counter went on and we could no longer wedge our fingers between the door of the dishwasher and the gasket to open it and use it. My daughter suggested large Command hooks (the kind that you pull a tab to release the adhesive completely and mess-free). We installed two hooks with a 5 lb. pull strength upside down on the unfinished front. Magic! Only about $5, we can now open it with ease and we'll be able to reuse the hooks for something else when the panels and handles go on. I'm off to get two more for the front of the fridge and freezer. Wish she had suggested it a week ago! I might even take up mountain climbing now that I've become so adept at wedging my fingertips in tiny spaces to pull. ;> Who's come up with other make-dos and work arounds? Let's get them all in one spot to make it easier for the guys just starting out. Follow-Up Postings: Posted by aliceinwonderland_id (My Page) on Thu, Aug 2, 07 at 15:00 #1: Maintain a sense of humor. #2: I had a portable dishwasher and hooked it up in the bathroom while the kitchen was a mess. The only modification I needed to make was to replace the aerator on the bathroom faucet with one that fit the dishwasher attachment. #3: Keep the margarita glasses handy. Posted by chmpgntst (My Page) on Thu, Aug 2, 07 at 15:18 Oh my gosh, the portable dishwasher idea is genius. For me, the hardest part of the reno was doing dishes in subprime environments (i.e., powder room pedestal sink). I have two small children, and for others in that situation, I recommend signing up for classes (we did soccer and tumbling), and hunting down every library and nature center in the area. I'd pack PBJ, fruit and drinks (Horizon makes shelf-stable milk boxes -- so convenient!) and we'd have picnics -- sometimes just on the front lawn. Oh, and, keep the margarita glasses handy. ;-) Posted by decodilly (My Page) on Thu, Aug 2, 07 at 16:08 Pre-made food from Trader Joes paper plates, cups and plastic utensils 2 buck chuck to offset the price spent on dinner out a coffee station in the diningroom bring in laundry to the cleaners- love their fluff and fold service...beats the Laundromat (our laundry is also non-functional) plastic margarita glasses? :) Posted by cat_mom (My Page) on Thu, Aug 2, 07 at 16:15 Wine glasses, too, and a fully stocked wine rack! Posted by beatrix_in_canada (My Page) on Thu, Aug 2, 07 at 16:40 We were able to turn the rumpus room in the basement into a very functional kitchen. It has a small bar area with a tiny sink. The sink is basically useless but it gives us water and the dishwasher could be installed!! We paid $150 to get an electrician to wire 240V for the old stove to be moved down. Very good investment! The old fridge was moved down as well. It is dark and cold (60-65 F most of the year) down there but very functional. Posted by kkcooks (My Page) on Thu, Aug 2, 07 at 17:01 Our tear-out starts next week, while we are on vacation. I (sadly) packed up the wineglasses last night. DH, however, remembered that we had some plastic ones from years ago. They will be much used in our temporary kitchen (newly-renovated screened porch). The GC is moving our fridge there--and we have lots of paper and plastic ware. I saved a few real plates in case I reach my limit with paper. I tried one dishwashing escapade in the bathroom sink--that was enough to convince me that paper is the way to go. Those of you that can use a portable DW--how lucky! As always, it is so helpful to read about others' coping strategies for this exiciting but stressful adventure.