DIY, ten minute variety, my fave, and other past capers

Since my front door faces west, the afternoon sun beats on it.  This is why I put up that awning at an angle to the door, outside, to keep the sun out of my living room a bit longer each day.  

I have a door curtain up, varies with season and mood, to draw over the storm door, so when I'm home I can keep the front door open and let light in, without the sun and heat.  A metal door really builds up heat, especially when you close the storm door over it and create a small enclosed solar oven out there.  The reason I don't switch out the storm panel for screening in summer is that I want light and my air conditioning, too.

Anyway, time to switch from the big fleecy blanket which kept the door warm all winter, blocked drafts, and generally did a good job.  I got another three yards of the same stripey canvas as the awning, and whipped up a curtain for inside the door.  I like this a lot. Very cheerful, and does block some heat and a lot of sun.  

Simple construction: floor to ceiling in that hallway is about 7.5 ft, three yards of fabric is 9 feet, big hem at top for hangers, just cut it at floor level at the bottom.  I used clips which slip into shower curtain rings, easy to draw open and closed, and the whole thing literally took about 15 minutes including finding the little step ladder and the clips.  I have a strip of fabric left over, which I might use to make a new sail curtain for the loft, very seasonal, and probably about the right size.

What with making paper right and left, and this latest  diy, it's been a strenuous few days.  When you do stuff like this you don't realize until you've finished that you went up and down stairs or stepladders numerous times in the process, and in the case of making paper, lugged gallons of paper around.  Then you stop, and your body points out that it needs a cup of tea and a nice rest, if you can get around to considering that.

Total cost of this exciting adventure about $15.  From the outside you see the awning and the curtain through the storm door, nice continuation of the stripey nautical effect.  Or maybe garden party.  Maybe I had Royal Ascot on my minds.. 

Speaking of solar ovens, when Handsome Son was much younger, I used to do various experiments and adventures with him, one summer building a simple solar oven.  Just the usual wooden box, lined with tinfoil, glass lid.  And we would cook in it, which thrilled him quite a bit. 

In those days I was still eating meat, so it might be pork chops, or something.  The slow gentle cooking was great, but we quickly found that one of us had to be on guard at all times once the meat started smelling good, since it was a dog magnet.  No fences in that part of town, so we had to fend off various people's dogs who thought we were throwing a nice barbecue for them. 

And speaking of experiments, there were the years when we got ladybug things, forget what they call them, but they are the item the babies hatch from.  And had 63,457 ladybugs flying around wiping out aphids from all over. 

And the praying mantis chrysalis, which delighted both of us. For years after we'd see baby mantises all over the window and door screens, and their descendants, too, tending to business for us.