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denisez10

Idyll #331 As the Aloe Spirals

denisez10
16 years ago

... autumn follows summer.

(will that do?)

Comments (104)

  • babs_clare
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Dagnabbit! I lost my post....hope to post later. Grumble, grumble....; )

    ~Babs

  • gardeningmary
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Good afternoon

    For some reason I'm having a hard time getting over jet lag - my body still doesn't know whether it's tired, hungry or what to do. We did the school supplies shopping this morning - along with what appeared to be half the school district. I'm not sure why everyone else left it to the last mninute - were they all in Engalnd too? Fortunately we have a fairly large Staples which still had everything in stock - school lists are becoming more specific and expensive. The tab for Annie and David was over $80.

    This afternoon I helped Annie give her room a really thorough clean to start the year off on the right foot. She "cleans" her room independently along with doing her own laundry but I've come to realize that her idea of tidy and mine differ considerably - and remember I'm far from a neat freak LOL! Annie, bless her, is a dedicated pack rat and cannot bear to part with a thing. This includes every card ever given to her, drawings, dried flowers, school work, magazines, the list goes on and on (and on). Her method of tidying seems to be shoving things from desk or shelf into a closet or drawer where they are out of sight but even messier. She also values her privacy and considers her room her sanctuary so I'm hesitant to go in and throw things out when she's not there. (I might also find one of those "I hate my Mom" diaries.) In the mode of those organizing shows on TV we emptied every surface and drawer and went through the gargantuan pile sorting to donate, keep, recyle or file. The good news is I think we've won - much has been tossed and recycled, everything is dusted and vacuumed and her room looks great. We didn't have even the smallest arguement. Annie has gone to celebrated with a bike ride with best friend and I'm putting on the kettle for a cup of tea.

    Did any of you seasoned Mom's have to deal with messy teenagers?

    Mary

  • michelle_zone4
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow, the first day back to work after being gone and its a day after a holiday which is always crazy. I may be crazy by the end of the day. I did have a very productive day yesterday and the garden is much more orderly. For anyone counting, my containers number 58. In the pictures they weren't exactly arranged as a display.

    Mary, you will probably be horrified, but that was a battle that I chose not to fight. Their rooms were upstairs and ours down so I really didn't have to see it. As for laundry if they threw it down the clothes chute, it got washed. Funny thing is that they both have turned out to be extremely neat, more so than their mom.

    Deanne, I meant to mention how cool I thought your puzzle border is. Great use for Preen too. I'm not sure about the topiary, but I will check my picture. It was nice that they had a nice list in each container with the plants included.

    Denise, I can't remember the last time anyone hit on me LOL

    Back to the grind

    Michelle

  • cynthia_gw
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have jet lag too. Imagine how it would feel if I'd actually gone somewhere. So long week-end lag I guess?

    Mary come help me clean my office. It's going to fall in on me if I don't do something soon. And I'm cleaning out everything else just to avoid it. Yesterday I tackled a row of kitchen cabinets.

    In the last few weeks I've cleaned all of the upstairs closets including the dreaded linen closet. And turned the closet in the front guest room into a 'dog' closet complete with a shoebag on the door for their collars, and two rods to hang sweaters and coats on top and pjs on the bottom. Extra fleece blankets on the shelf :) I should take a picture...

    Yes, I really like Deanne's puzzle border too. Just perfect as always.

    Here's a photo for Chelone of one sleeping and one smiling :) I washed Monty's face after that!

    {{gwi:174251}}

  • chelone
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The "sad cloak" has settled 'round my shoulders, my friends. It's partly the time of year (have always found autumn terribly depressing, sorry!), partly the circumstances of my mother, and largely my own inability to deal effectively with "the pig" (nursing home care in general; my brother's term). Weary of the interminable stream of noisy machinery and (lovely) tradesmen, too. I want my home back, esp. at a time when I feel so deluged.

    SO! you can probably not imagine my delight in reading the hopeful, happy, and contented post from Saucy, the light-hearted room cleaning adventure from Miss Mary, Michelle's vacation snapshots, etc.. (Lazy reader, sorry!). My spirits are bouyed by mundane tales of familial triumph. Yes, really. :) And I smile broadly at the joy you share with us all.

    Thinking of Marian and Nolon.

    Will have to jot down the luscious chicken salad recipe, too, Cynthia. I really liked it a lot... was doubly impressed by the little fruit salads, too. Monty?

    There were serious "man toys" in the yard today. The big excavator. The new course of the driveway was dug out today (the remaining trees were taken down last week and stumped today). Tomorrow the big boulder will be removed from its place next to the road and moved to the northern part of the site. Then we will wait for the electrician and connect the power to the garage and from there to the house. And the godawful pole and overhead wires will be eliminated entirely! I have waited nearly 17 years for that to happen, my friends. If fireworks were not illegal in my state, I'd set off several in celebration. (hmmm... sparklers are OK, though... ).

    Wrecks and I have begun baby walks again. He has to go back for a "follow up" and an X ray pretty soon, but he seems to be doing well. It will good to have my walking companion back; esp. at a time when daylight is fading, I'm feeling generally sad, and need the "reason" to make myself go out for a walkie.

    One day, Mary, I hope to visit your native land. Will have to look up Kent (reminds me that I need a good, basic map of the shires to help me as I continue to read English history). The helpmeet's mother was Welsh (used to mutter to herself in Welsh when she was irritated about things, lol). His grandfather died of blacklung after years in the mines, about 3 mos. after the national healthcare went into effect, lol. His mining lantern graces the mantel above the woodstove.

    I have fond memories of cleaning my room with Mum when I was a child. Only she used to let me play "hookey" from school and we'd spent the entire day sifting through the accumulated detritus. She never made me throw anything out, though... it was about "consolidation" and organization. Funnily enough, the exercise actually DID manage to make an impression! As a teen I was very tidy, a necessity if I wanted to achieve good marks in barn management from my 4-H leaders. It has stuck with me over the years. Have faith!

    I have to get the cur out for his post prandial wee-wee/dump and see if I can't round up the remaining "feral" cat (Polly; who ought to have been named Beryl because it rhymes with feral).

    Hi to Babs. and thinking of V. and the weekend pigroast... wondering how the family remembered the recently departed. With great love and affection, methinks!

  • gardeningmary
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Chelone - "post prandial wee-wee/dump" has just become my favorite phrase. LOL!! Hope your spirits lift soon. Wonderful Rex is taking baby steps again.

    Michelle - I'm not horrified at all at the decision to leave your DD's room alone. We've always valued creativity over tidyness, and family time over that spent on housework. However, there is a level of cleanliness I try to maintain for health reasons if nothing else, that Annie has no awareness of. Yet.... I'm very taken with Chelone's idea of taking a day off from school to clean - we could make it a fun one with lunch thrown in to reward hard work.

    Cynthia - thanks for the chicken recipe. It brings back fond memories of how delicious your picnic was and how much fun that day was in general. Monty has a great smile!

    Time to round up Annie and David for dinner and then coerce David into hair wash and bath time. The children are still out with a friend riding bikes, extracting the last moments of fun from the vacation. I too am sad its all over.

    Mary

  • Marian_2
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Susan, Denise, Chelone, and anyone else thinking of Nolon and I.....His reports were all negative !!!!! So...on with life. Maybe I will sleep better tonight.
    And to add to the good news, we are getting rain. A nice shower today, and more in the next several day's forecast.
    Also, the temps have fallen to a much more comfortable degree.
    Chelone, how I wish I could help uplift your spirits. It is certainly no fun being at the end of your rope....I was there not long ago. Hang in there, there are better days a-coming.

    Marian

  • denisez10
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Marian, that's the best news possible. And the blessing of rain too!

    Here's a bit of silliness that's keeping our spirits aloft in this heat wave, like a reject from a '50s sci-fi movie. Eden's evil little gnome man would fit in nicely, climbing out, dripping, waving his trowel. It's actually a Christmas present, a fire pit I gave to BIL/SIL that was "regifted" back to me, since they wanted something larger. The cats hang out near it like a watering hole on the Serengetti. Us too. Just staring and twirling the fishing float.

    {{gwi:174253}}

  • veronicastrum
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hello to everyone. The funeral was today and I am spending a quiet evening on the coach doing nothing. The pig roast on Saturday was a great success - a lovely evening, a great turnout of good friends and one tasty pig! The "find of the year" was the farmstand that picked their corn at 6:30 Saturday morning and had 5 dozen ears ready for me to pick up at 9:00 am. It was hands-down the best corn I've ever had.

    Monday was the vistation for my brother - a long day that at times was hard and at other times was simply amazing. A cousin that I had not seen for 39 years showed up! He had been estranged from the family for a long time but decided to re-establish contact. I never understood why the family had resented him as much as they did, but I learned a few pieces of family history last night that somewhat explained what happened.

    It turns out that I had a cousin that no one had ever told me about. His name was Jimmy and he was killed in an army plane crash before I was born. Apparently Jimmy's death greatly affected the family, and our grandmother died a day or two after they were informed of his death. (Since I'm just learning all of this, I'm not sure what the entire connection might be here - did the news of his death give her a shock, or had she been ill and the timing of events just compounded the tragedy?)

    Anyway, the estranged cousin was Jimmy's nephew, and his action that turned the family against him was to enlist in the army. I suppose his mom and grandparents (whom he lived with) were terrified of history repeating itself.

    I'm still rather amazed to be learning all this so much after the fact.

    Also found out that when there was a major plane crash in our neighborhood in 1972, my brother and his friend were one of the first on the scene, and my brother actually touched the nose of the downed plane. I'm sure he never talked about that because my mother would have killed him if she knew he had gotten that close to the crash. This crash had always rattled me, because I had been Christmas shopping and remembering stopping at a counter to look at wallets for my boyfriend. I looked at a couple but put them back, decided I had done enough shopping for the day and headed home. Had I taken a few more minutes and bought a wallet, I would have been driving past when the plane crashed. It was a rather infamous crash because it had links to the Watergate affair. More info below.

    Today I decided to stop on my way home and do a little totally unnecessary shopping at IKEA. I found a small Sanseveria cylindrica and a cheery green pot to put it in. When I scanned the pot, it came up as an "Idyll flowerpot". Why did I feel like my friends were shopping with me? :) You can see my new pot at http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50116116

    Back to the grind - garbage to be taken down the driveway!

    V.

    ps to Kathy - would you please take your Dodgers back home? signed, a distressed Cubs fan

  • michelle_zone4
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I remember growing up and having a walk in closet that became such a mess with 3 girls sharing one room. Finally on a Sat. morning my mom would send us in and tell us not to come out until it was clean.

    Interesting when we were on vacation, I was browsing a garden book that I had recently purchased. I recognized a cute potting shed that reminded me of one that you all saw in Inta's garden. I checked tonight and sure enough it is hers. Also, interesting is one of her metal troughs looks just like a picture I snagged off the internet several years ago for inspiration. If you remember last summer I tried one but I wasn't real pleased with the results.

    Deanne, the variegated topiary is euonymus japonica 'Silver King'. Its supposed be a fast upright grower.

    Michelle

  • denisez10
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Checking in to see if Kathy has returned and found V.'s moving account of the funeral. Our recent family funerals, too, have had startling reappearances of the long lost, and it is truly amazing how long family secrets, not to mention grudges, can be held on to. "Flights of angels," for your DB, V.

  • deanneart
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Good morning all,

    Condolences to V. ~~ RE cousin, Family dynamics are a mystery. So the family was afraid he'd get killed in the Army so they didn't speak to him the rest of his life? Unreal. ~~ So happy the pig roast was a huge success. Hmmmm... maybe I'll have to time my visit to you with the pig roast some year. LOL

    Thanks Michelle for that information on the euoymus. I kind of thought it looked like that. I'm thinking of training a cutting of my Coprosma kirkii into a standard. It grows very fast also and would be a great specimen if I could pull it off. ~~ Interesting you found a pic of Inta's potting shed in a gardening book.

    Denise I absolutely love that fire pit used as a water feature! You clever woman you.

    I'm getting worried about Eden. I hope all is well with her Mom.

    Mary, when DD was a bit younger than Annie her room would have been condemned by the board of health. One time she'd left the windows open and we got a summer thunder storm. When I went in there to close the windows I COULD NOT REACH THE WINDOWS for the accumulated detritus on her floor. I fell down tripping on something and needless to say was quite unhappy with the situation. Privacy is one thing but a fire hazard is another. I wound up starting the clean up with a snow shovel and oversized garbage bags. She got the message and finished cleaning her room.

    Marian, great news about Nolan.

    Well we are in for another beautiful day here. This morning it's 49 degrees outside and I'm afraid we are going to be in for an early frost this year. The mornings have been downright chilly for the last week or so. I'm getting anxiety attacks over how I'm going to get all this plant material in for the winter.

    Cynthia, love the pic of the puppies! You realize you are engaging in PLAT behavior by cleaning out everything except what really needs to be done? (Perfectly Legitimate Avoidance Technique) I've been known to scrub toilets instead of painting. LOL

    Here is a photograph of my 'on sale' cement pot I bought myself for my birthday. For some reason I had a hard time getting a decent photo of it. I just love the grapes on the handles and the leaves on the rim.

    {{gwi:174255}}

    {{gwi:174257}}

    And a photo of my garden helper. Luke was pretty funny yesterday and followed me around for an hour or so.
    {{gwi:164099}}

    Have a great day everyone
    Deanne

  • gardeningmary
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Good morning

    V - I am so very sorry for the loss of your brother. How special that your long lost cousin made his appearance - I wonder how many family members recognized him. You've had quite a few days of emotion.

    Marian - wonderful news that Nolon is in the clear!! Enjoy your cooler temps.

    Deanne - that is a gorgeous urn. Luke has such beautiful coloring.

    Annie has left already for the first day of 8th Grade. Her concerns were over who would be in home room with her, what to wear, and whether Physics was going to be hard. But she was cheerful and excited and when I peeked into her room her bed had been made and PJ's neatly folded. Yay!!

    David's bus is almost 2 hours after Annie's (talk about a drawn out send off) but he has no worries about getting back to school and can't wait to see his friends again. I will probably feel quite lost when they are both gone as I don't start work till tomorrow and might even get something accomplished in the garden.

    We are predicted several days in the mid 90's with not a drop of rain in sight so anything still looking decent should be suitably crispy by next Thurdsay's talk. Somehow being out there is not so much fun. Is it too early for Bailey's?

    Mary

  • just_t
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Good morning!

    May I first say that it is NEVER too early for Baileys!! :D Gosh, I've not had some Baileys in my coffee for a very long time.....sounds delish.

    School starting again. I believe the local schools are beginning today, too. I do miss those days of school clothes and supplies shopping...I loved when my children were little -- but that could be because as I've aged, I have a more selective memory and don't remember all the tough times with children? ;o)

    V, I am thinking of you often these days.

    Michelle, you took some lovely photos, thank you for sharing them!

    Denise, how did you plug the drain hole in the fire pit? My brother gave me his old one and it sits out in my front flower bed.....just waiting for me to come up with an idea or plan to use it.

    Deanne, the new container is a neat one and I wish I had a handsome garden helper like you have.

    Mary it is WONDERFUL to have you back!! :D Missed you while you were gone.

    I hope Sue is doing well......her garden weekend is coming up soon and she is often on my mind, too.

    Honey? How are you?

    Good to read Saucy's happy post. I wish I had something helpful to offer that would lift Chelone's spirits.

    We just stayed home over the weekend and holiday. DH took yesterday off from work, so had an especially long weekend (Friday was taken as a vacation day, too). I had the babies here and they are very close to walking. The new thing is to stand up and then lift both hands in the air, standing/balancing without support. They then clap for themselves and grin. Fun little tykes (most of the time). I cannot figure out if life will be easier or harder for me when they get even more mobile....

    Thomas rolled over for the first time last week. James tried to pick up a bumblebee -- and yep, got stung. He learnt a valuable lesson about listening to mom and believing her when she says something he plans to do is not a good plan or idea.

    Well, coffee cup is empty (not a good thing) so I'm off to fill it up.

    Hello to all.....
    T.

  • Lara Noles
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Time to catch up on Idyllin' after a busy weekend that included Brad's birthday, a trip to the zoo with Bella, a family get together, and finally getting the bedroom finished. Also yesterday my mom got a good report from her oncologist. The CT scan showed that the chemo is working and the latest mass has shrunk. I haven't had time to catch up on what's been going on with you all. I'll go back and do that this afternoon while Bella's napping. I see Deanne has a couple of threads up too. Can't wait to get over to them and see! Be back later with comments and I'll leave you with pics from the zoo and of the finished bedroom.

    Bella doing her tiger impression
    {{gwi:174260}}

    Sizing herself up to a rhino
    {{gwi:174262}}

    End of the day
    {{gwi:174264}}

    Aound the room starting at the door
    {{gwi:174266}}

    {{gwi:174267}}

    {{gwi:174268}}

    {{gwi:174270}}

    {{gwi:174272}}

    I love all of this dust free storage space under the bed!!!
    {{gwi:174274}}

    {{gwi:174277}}

    Eden

  • gardenbug
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Fabu-Fabu Eden! I love it all! The news about your Mum especially!

    Good to hear Nolon's news!

    Mary, when the gang leaves on Friday, will you come help me tidy up the house? Bring Annie along! It is a pig pen!

    This morning I bought an oak tree to plant for our friend Ed who died of cancer early this year. Seems the right variety to honour him.

    I'm really quite wiped out. DH is talking again with ministers in Toronto today about environmental business and policies, 2 more meetings nearby later this afternoon. The workman is making progress slowly on basement improvements and DH is also working on the lighting in our bathroom. Then comes the exterior painting. I suspect interior painting will be my winter activity. I'm going to NEEEED a trip to Edmonton though....

    Tomorrow is supposed to be incredibly HOT and so next week will be cooler and time for massive outdoor efforts.

    Later my friends,
    'bug

  • flowerluvr
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Just a quick pop-in.
    V, I'm so very sorry about your brother. My thoughts are with you and your family.
    Chelone, I wish I had something wise to say to you. I guess a hug will have to do ((Chelone)). Glad to hear "Wrecks" is up for a bit of a walk these days.
    Marian, I'm glad to hear that Nolon's tests were negative, and that you're getting rain.
    I have to cut this short. We're getting ready to head for Michigan tomorrow. Will be gone for most of a week, I imagine. It's been crazy here...pigs decided to get sick just as vacation time drew near, so we weren't sure what was going to happen there. They're on the upturn, so we're gettin' while the gettin's good :)
    I'll catch up when I get back...who knows-maybe I'll even have pictures :) I've still got two disposable cameras from last year waiting to be developed. Sheesh!
    Hi to all, see ya when I get back!!
    Brenda

  • Lara Noles
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    V, I'm so sorry to hear about your brother's passing. I'm so glad you did get to spend time with him. My thoughts are with you and his family.

    Saucy, glad things are turning around for you. I think all marriages go through ups and downs. Someday you'll look back and be so glad you stuck it out. I remember reading once where they'd interviewed couples who'd been married 50 years or more and pretty much every one of them said that there were times through the years that they stayed together just because of the commitments they had made to each other and how glad they were that they had.

    Michelle, looks like your containers sailed through your vacation with no casualties. Good to have you back.

    Mary, ditto to you too. I missed you guys! As for the subject of the kid's rooms, mine were pretty good. Jen's naturally an organized person, Megan less so. If they got too bad I'd do what you did. Go in and help them get it all sorted out. David prefers that I just clean his room myself periodically. He's not too messy though.

    Deanne, that rock border is a thing of beauty. Very nice and I also like how you have the hostas and grass arranged in the bed. I'm not looking forward to sorting out what has to be brought in for the winter either. Time to get working on it though. We usually have a frost by the first week in Oct. or so.

    Denise, great use for the fire pit. I love the glass orb.

    I picked up a sans. cylindrica over the weekend too. I love the pot you chose for yours V. AlsoI got another variegated sans and a new pepperomia. Like I need more plants:) I did end up ordering that new agave too.

    Have a great vacation Brenda. Hope the pigs stay on the mend while you're gone.

    Marie, the oak tree will be a beautiful memorial for Ed.

    I usually don't look forward to the end of summer but it's been so hot today and I find myself wanting autumn to begin. Very strange for me. I'm just not in much of a gardening mode these days. I'm ready for it to be over for this year. Never ready for it to be winter though.

    That's about it for thoughts from me tonight. Hope you're all having a good evening.

    Eden

  • Marian_2
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks to all for your good thoughts.

    V, so sorry about the loss of your brother.

    We have had showers and sprinkles all night and all day. Such a blessing!

  • dodgerdudette
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hello everyone !! I'm back in the Napa Valley, got in a few hours ago and just wanted to pop in and say hi..no time to comment till tommorow..I have been enjoying all the posts as a last hurrah of my vacation...
    Kathy in Napa

  • chelone
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Running short of time this morning but wanted to tell Eden how happy I am that her Mom's treatment is having the desired effect. You must be so relieved. Your new "dust free" storage/bed is terrific. I really admire the creative way you pull together what appears to me to be a rather small space (yes?). I think you send Angela Lansbury to Denise for a photo op. on the Serengeti... ;). Great shots of Bellatheball, too.

    Marian, soak up some rain for me, too, willya. VERY dry here, too. You can see the very tops of the maple trees wilting ever so slightly and the few areas of our lawns that are prone to dormancy in dry times have "folded their tent", too. And terrfic news about Nolon! do you think we're on a roll with good stuff happenin'?

    The construction trailer LEFT THE YARD yesterday! The excavator is still here, the huge boulder has been moved, and the scar that will become the new driveway entrance should receive gravel today/tomorrow, and the original entrance will be dug out and filled with loam to receive screen plantings. I am now worried about rescuing the daylilies and some host from the area... .

    Brenda, I hope you have a great vacation, the swine a postcard, two. Sick swine doesn't sound very good, would worry me, too.

    I have a bad case of urn envy... or, "urn yearn"? And wonder if Deanne selects her mulch color to coordinate nicely with her cats (handsome boy).

    T.'s description of the twins made me laugh. It's amazing how fast they grow and move from phase to phase. As soon as they master one foot in front of the other I imagine she will be racing for the Bailey's.

    Welcome back, Kathy.

    I loved the image of the cats hanging around the '50s sci-fi reject. With the heat wave in your area how long does it take natural evaporation to make a noticeable effect on the water level?

    Thinking of Wendy and Saucy, and Sue who probably hasn't left her garden for weeks now. How about a TGIF Lyme Disease update, m'dear?

    Loved the smiling Monty and have to jot down the chicken salad recipe before I completely forget about it.

    Now I really have to go... my toes are COLD, but the warm weather returns this afternoon.

  • gardenbug
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Humid and 90 expected here today and tomorrow. Then I believe Fall weather is expected. I hope so as I MUST get out in the gardens and work miracles FAST.

    Welcome back to Kathy. I hope she manages her terrible heat. She must be laughing at my 90F!

    Marian, we need rain badly too. Perhaps on Saturday we'll get a bit.

    Chelone, your reports on the building and landscaping sound like quick progress from my point of view. Here the work seems much slower. On the plus side, the basement room is ready for the painter (yeah, not ME!) and a new couch. (when I can afford it!) The main bathroom has all the electrical work completed by DH and plaster repairs to the wall done by the same fellow who did the basement work. Outdoors, the window repairs are being worked on today. When the outdoor painting is being done, I'm sure you'll hear grumbles about my plants being stepped upon.

    Today is my last full day with Sarah and Reed and so I'm off. First the dentist for Sarah though...then lots and lots of packing! I know how tired T must be, but at least she gets to enjoy the progress of the twins. I am missing these guys even before they leave....Oh my heart! Boo Hoo.

    Can you stand how happy my funny boy is first thing in the morning...without coffee?
    {{gwi:174279}}

    {{gwi:174281}}

    Here comes the sun through my window!
    'bug

  • deanneart
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Good morning all,

    It's only 50 this AM but tomorrow is supposed to hit 90. Yikes!

    Bug that Reed is as cute as it gets!

    Eden, I just LOVE your new room! Beautiful, beautiful, beutiful!!! You are one of the most creative people I know of and are ALWAYS thinking 'outside the box' when it comes to decorating your home and gardens. I love that railing on the wall. So very clever. That bed is a masterpiece of efficient use of space and so beautiful. Thanks for sharing. ~~ Love the pic of Brad with the sleeping Bella. So cute.

    Chelone, sounds like good progress is being made. I can remember when we put this addition here and after four weeks I couldn't stand to have all these people at my house every single day. Made me crazy! I couldn't wait for everyone to leave and have my home back to myself again. ~~ "Urn yearn" LOL!

    OK I'm out of here, my friend is coming to pick me up in an hour and I've not watered yet so I must run. have a great day

    Deanne

    PS here is a pic my friend snapped a couple weeks ago. I thought it neat that it shows just how big that brug is

    {{gwi:174282}}

  • michelle_zone4
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Weve been hitting 90 for the last few days, but storms are brewing. I heard hail and wind mentioned, which is a farmers (and gardeners) biggest fear. Things are really supposed to be cool for the weekend.

    I started working in the childrens garden. It is a pretty rough area. There many rocks to be picked up, but at least I started. The plan is to get a small playhouse that my grandpa built for my siblings and me when we were small. Hopefully, it survives the move. I thought it would be pretty neat for Kenzie to play in the playhouse that her great-great-grandpa built for her grandma.

    I have also started some seed collecting and even took a few coleus cuttings.

    Little Reed just exudes sweetness.

    Eden, Brad did a wonderful job on the bed and you did a fabulous job decorating the room. The topiaries, chandelier, mirror grouping and spindle shelf are all great touches. Did you paint the dressers? I have a maple set in the guestroom that Im thinking of painting. The finish isnt the best anymore and its a bit dated looking. Im glad to hear that things are looking up a bit for your mom. That rhino is pretty realistic looking and Bella looks pretty brave.

    How nice to see Deannes smiling face this a.m. The brug is really something. The new urn is lovely. One that I got earlier this year has a grape motif also.

    Brenda, have fun up north. I love Mackinac Island. There are quite a few cute little gardens there along with the wonderful displays around the Grand Hotel.

    Michelle

  • denisez10
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I lit out for a job yesterday with no watch, dead cell phone, mistook the address on Wilshire by a few blocks on Mapquest, so yo-yo'd up and down Wilshire on public trans., first passing it ten blocks on the express, back again on the local, oops too far. I'd get off on one corner, run to the opposite side of the street and hop another one. Begged an astonished express driver to treat his bus like a local and let me off e-x-a-c-t-l-y where I needed to go, since all the construction was messing up the buses, and he did. In short, spread chaos everywhere I went, lol. Made it on time, though. And you all thought there was no public trans. in LA! The attorneys hated each other, and there was lots of "Stop pointing that finger at me! If you don't put that finger away..." Nice. My DH suggested I try, "He's rubber and you're glue, whatever you say bounces off him and sticks to you." Fits the general playground tone anyway. Had a bunch of young male Brits in the back of the train on the way home. Mary, I could listen to that accent all day. Every words sounds hilarious, ironic, unbearably clever.

    Eden, your room is lovely. Wonderful news about your mom. Shouldn't the zoo be wheeling Brad out to the car, with an attendant carrying Bella? ;) Zoos are such guilty pleasures for me. The LA Zoo has been notoriously bad to its elephants, who exhibit that neurotic swaying syndrome since they don't have enough room to move. San Diego Zoo has amazing plantings, really first rate. I passed the LA Brea Tar Pits with their mired mastodons yesterday and wished I had a camera to show Bella. On my to-do list is find a purse big enough to hold what it presently does plus a camera, but the ones I like are $250 plus. That's a lot of plants -- my usual shopping calculation.

    I can't think of worse abuse than having workers around the house, day in and day out.

    Marian, I don't believe in rain anymore. I put it in the same category as Haley's comet, mid-day eclipses...

    The firepit has no drainage hole. Maybe that's why it was regifted?? I was so sure I had that Christmas present nailed shut. Evap. rate seems negligible. Much scientific discussion on whether the float's constant movement keeps water mosquito-free. I was tempted to throw a few fish in too. Now that the heat's lessening, I'll be returning to my senses. Soon. Any day now ;)

    That pot is stunning, Deanne. And lots of idyll reports of S. cylindrica coming in.

  • Lara Noles
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    So Chelone, have you ever seen those websites where they mail a teddy bear or garden gnome all over the world and take pictures? Maybe that's what I should do with little creepy guy, mail him out to Denise for his first photo in an Idyll garden, lol? And yes my rooms are small. That bedroom's around 10x13. Sounds like that garage project is moving along nicely even if it's noisy. It'll all be worth it when it's completed.

    Deanne, my favorite picture of your garden, one with you in it! That brug is amazing. What a great urn. When I was at Homegoods last weekend they had a couple of really nice ones with grapes and faces on them but both a little different from each other. I should have grabbed them right off. Someone else did before I decided. They were the first ones I'd seen there this year that I really liked.

    Michelle, I did paint the furniture. It's maple too. Funny that you mention using the playhouse that you're grandpa built. I'm in the process of repurposing, to store dvds, and painting a dresser that my grandpa made for me when I was born. I'm glad you're working on the children's garden again.

    Denise, love the image of you spreading chaos wherever you went, lol. The Detroit Zoo has an adopt a garden program. I have a group of friends who adopted one and go down day a week to work on it. I've heard the Toledo Zoo is really something and we're thinking of taking Bella there next summer. When my kids were small we always went to the zoo on my birthday. I've always loved zoos too.

    Brenda, have a fun vacation. My neighbor went up to Mackinaw last weekend. Always a fun place to go and only about an hour from my mom and dad's place.

    Marie, that Reed's a doll. What a personality. Love the goofy faces:)

    Hi Kathy! That's one more Idyller back from vacation.

    Cynthia, nice to see the sleeping/smiling pups and I've copied the chicken salad recipe. Sounds good!

    Time to get Bella some lunch so TaTa For Now as Tigger would say:)

    Eden

  • chelone
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    There was a couple in the local viewing area who had a cement frog taken from their yard some years ago. And yes... with a week of its disappearance the local TV station received a shot of him in front of the Eiffel Tower... and thereafter at several other famous sites throughout the world. He was returned to couple's home, unharmed, and they never found out who was responsible for the heist. So YES! I think Creepy (nee Angela) really must make the grand tour for photo ops. I think it might be a terrific way to pass the cold, dark months!

    I was home no more than 15 minutes before the nursing home called to give me the report on what Mum ate today after returning from the psych. ward. THEN they told me her hearing aids are GONE. Vanished like a fart in the wind... no evidence of them at the psych. ward, in the ambulance, anywhere. I am incandescent with anger right now and was civilly COLD to the director on the telephone, telling her they were "on the stick" for them. She hung up on me, and I called her back, saying "we must have been disconnected" and to call me after my alteration appointment leaves later this afternoon. I have called my brother, too.

    I hustled to make a large canopy for a retractible awning this morning (big! 14' projection and 18'8" wide), then recover a cardtable. Hunted for white vinyl (to no avail) and then cracked off two pool cover repairs. I am FILTHY; I think they're about the grossest job going; big, awkward, and DIRTY. But they "pay the rent".

    I should wash my face before my customer arrives.

  • gardeningmary
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hello everyone

    First day back for me was productive but tiring - it was great to see all the work peeps again but I'm not quite ready to admit summer's over. Still, I enjoy getting my room ready and am excited about the thought of starting visits with children again.

    Eden - your bedroom is as stylish, creative and comfortable as the rest of your house. Congratulations!! You and Brad are a great team. It was also heartwarming to hear that your Mum is making progress.

    Chelone - keep us posted on the missing hearing aids - simply unbelievable:0(

    I too love the idea of passing the ugly guy (gal?) around for a photo thread. I think we could all have some fun and provide a little extra entertainment as the evenings shorten and darken.

    Denise - while an English accent is nothing I think twice about, British humour is something I really miss. I had many, many laughs with family and friends when we were home. By the way, DH spends a week each month in Long Beach - I imagine fairly close to you?

    Deanne - I love seeing Idylls gardens, but even better, seeing the Idylls themselves amongst their flowers. Thanks for posting!

    GB - Reed makes me smile every time I see him. I can almost hear the little noises he must make too. I can only imagine how much you will be missing everyone once they leave. I talked to Mum a couple of times this week and she is feeling the same way after we all departed in different directions following our last 3 days together in London.

    I need to move as I have Parents information night at David's school this evening and I'm out of milk.

    Hi to those I missed.

    Mary

  • cynthia_gw
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Reed is almost cross-eyed in pic #2. Keep it up GB and your visits will be restricted :) I love seeing pictures of him, thank you really for adding joy to my day everytime you post pics of him and the happy family.

    The room is ge-orgous Eden! Who is that in the picture with Brad? Is it David with a summer do? The bed is such a great idea, and if I had a bed like that Dannie couldn't hide under there on stormy (or non-stormy) nights.

    BTW folks, sorry I didn't caption well. That's Dannie smiling, and Monty in the background with the dirty face. Dannie is a big girl and Monty is a big man but very small of stature.

    I want Angela-icky man to come here so I can outfit him in hearing aids and see how fast it takes to lose them. Get a Lojack for those things Chelone. Can't believe that woman hung up on you, apparently she isn't used to being held accountable?

    Deanne, I hardly recognized you with a hat! It is indeed very nice to see you in your garden.

    Enjoyed the trip to the zoo, Luke of the jungle, and Denise's swimming hole.

    Dogs are ready for w-a-l-ks, gotta run.

    Later all, Cynthia

  • denisez10
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The morning glories are now blooming with the golden hops -- I wish it was clematis! I've got Arabella on order, but realistically it's probably not meant to be. Yes, getting a bit fatalistic on clemmies. The golden clump is the 'Isla Gold' tansy, one of my faves, and the tall drink of water in the pot is African foxglove.

    Babs & Cynthia, your checks arrived, and that's way too much for postage. My DH did NOT need to expedite shipping since it was only bulbs, so the mistake was at our end. I consider the ball definitely back in my court, so watch out!

    {{gwi:174283}}

    Re sending Eden's Angela/gremlin, anybody see 'Amelie'? Big plot point was the garden gnome traveling around the world.

    Funny thing about Reed's pix, I KNOW the reason he always seems to be bustin' out of his drawers is from the intense beams of delight focused on him from mom and nana/memere, which he's trying his darnedest to imitate and give his own spin when reflecting back. So the entire house is making googly faces! I made the gookie face to a stranger's baby in an elevator today -- impossible not to.

    Master of gookie:

    {{gwi:174284}}

  • veronicastrum
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow, how can I follow a gookie face?

    Deanne, when are you going to fess up to the lurkers that you are only 4'8"?

    And I am convinced that gb's daughter did not have a baby and Marie has been posing one of those lifelike dolls for all her photos. That's the only possible explanation for why "Reed" is such a perfect, adorable baby. Chelone hates dogs and I know that real babies can't be that cute. ;-)

    Yeah, I'm in a weird mood tonight...

    Lots to do, including laundry to wrangle and a suitcase to pack. I have a weekend conference for work, and I'm looking forward to two days that are so heavily scheduled I'll barely have time to sneeze. I have an intense need to be distracted right now.

    Thanks to all of you for your thoughts, prayers and condolences.

    Let's close with a photo from Saturday evening. We'll call this "Three chicks sitting on rocks with drinks" Do I see Les lurking behind that elephant ear?

    {{gwi:174285}}

    I don't know if the laptop will make the suitcase cut, so in case I am without access, you all have a great weekend!

    V.

  • dodgerdudette
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The first day back to work after vacation is kind of an ultimate Monday-especially if it falls on Thursday .. I was back one day and tomorrow I am off for phase one of the d*#m teeth ordeal. I better write this post now because Ill probably be drooling on the keyboard in 24 hrs.
    Boy does my garden ever look like hell after a week with no dead-heading ! It was hot too, so there was a bit of that high-temp malaise that happens around here . I think my felcos are going to get quite a work-out this weekend if I can operate them while on Vicadin.(Do they qualify as heavy machinery ??)

    V., so sorry to hear of your DBs passing. My best wishes to you and your family.I hope he is enjoying peace and freedom from pain in his new world. And fear not, my baseball dudes have blown the Midwest for the City by the Bay. I was offered tickets to tomorrow nights game but I will be enjoying my cold soft periodontal diet and viewing the game on the tube.

    Denise, I enjoyed the mental pic of you dashing back and forth across Wilshire in quest of the correct locationSo I was at Portland nursery on Saturday and lo and behold there was a cart loaded with 8" pots of Sansiveria Cylindrica. 44 bucks each ! I passed on that So obviously Im dying to hear prices that others have seen/paid. They are just too cool looking. Love the "water feature" by the way.

    Eden the bedroom looks great ! I especially love the colors of the linens and the three mirrors on the wall. Splendid !

    Chelone, wow, this saga with your Mum seems to just go on and on with out much resolution. What a boat-load of crapola. I have enjoyed reading some of your brief yet eloquent tales of better days with Mum, it reminds us that Mum was once like us, and we all could be like Mum one day.

    Marian, glad to hear that Nolan got a passing grade.hope hes feeling ok and you too-isnt it about time for you to post some pics of your famous African Violets ?

    Deanne, if you dont mind could you please stop posting pics of that Brug ? Im sure that pre-oral surgery drool is not good for me! Funny about your DDs room ---my DD is an incredible slob to this day ! I was at her house in Eugene this week and she was giving me the tour-lo and behold she opened the door of the unoccupied bedroom and announced this is my closet. The floor was strewn with clothes piles everywhere. The rest of the house was neat though !

    Cynthia, glad to hear from you and the 4-leg kids. That chicken salad recipe will be made soon here-thanks for posting it.

    Ok, this about all I can manage right nowHi to all and thanks to all who posted photos of the Idylling stations

    Kathy in Napa

  • chelone
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oooh, Kathy, more dental woes, huh? I'll be thinking of you. How long does it take the worst of the after effects to subside? Felcos as "heavy equipment" made me chuckle.

    While my need for distraction is different from V.'s, I understand completely. It's been a tough couple of weeks for you and you certainly deserve some "decompression" time. I smiled at the tale of the missing cousin (and the plane crash!); EVERY family has a story like that (mine is that a grandfather didn't die of a heart attack, in fact, he was found swinging in a tree... he hanged himself!). I loved the shot of you ladies in the swimming hole.

    No gravel was spread yesterday (mercifully), the noise may've made me even chillier than I was to the DIRECTOR. Cynthia, you nailed it; my greatest irritation is that not a soul in the place is willing to assume any responsibility or accountability for what I'm coming to see as slipshod performance. My brother has an appointment with the attorney on Monday.

    Will be thinking of 'bug this day... maybe Angela should go to her house first? :)

    "Time to make the doughnuts"

  • deanneart
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Good morning all,

    Its only 64 outside right now but is supposed to hit 90 today. The plants wont know what hit them after a week of cool temps and a couple mornings in the 40s. Looks like we are going to have six over for dinner tonight so Ive got to get a move on and get the chunks taken off the house. Doug wont be home until a bit later as hes driving home from Rochester this afternoon so its going to be a busy day all around.

    Yesterday we wound up with some really strong wind gusts and it blew over five of my huge plants and a couple of the smaller ones. What a mess! I had to prune off quite a bit of broken coleus, plectranthus, acalpha etc. etc. etc. What a bummer.

    Kathy, so sorry the brug pics are causing you distress! LOL Its about to throw about two hundred flowers so youll have to excuse me when I post a pic of it in full bloom. Ill post a warning for you to avoid looking at that post. LOL ~~ sorry for your continued dental woes. ~~ LOL about your DDs closet! ~~ Bummer you are still dealing with oral surgery. When are you going to be finished with that?

    Chelone, Good grief!!!! They lost her hearing aids again? Thats beyond belief! What a bunch of incompetent idiots, and they are charging how much $$$ for this? Unbelievable. Id be frothing at the mouth.

    V. great pic of the pond! LOL about 48"

    Denise, love the morning photo/tansy photograph! Beautiful! ~~ LOL about you zipping up and down Wilshire.

    Eden, were those new pots at Homegoods? The last time I went there they didnt have any garden stuff left.

    Michelle, LOVE that you still have that playhouse! I cant wait to see photos of it in the Childrens Garden,.

    So Kathy, since Im not allowed to post brug pics how about a fuchsia pic? This is my Sunray which has gotten enormous this year also. This urn is about 20" in diameter so you can image the size of plant. This one is four years old now.
    {{gwi:174286}}

    OK Im out of here for now. Have a great day all,
    Deanne

  • gardenbug
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    GDIF! (Gosh darn it's Friday!)

    V, hope you manage all the activity and then come back with time for recovery!

    Kathy, good luck with the ordeal!

    Unfortunately I believe it about the hearing aids, but how disgusting....We never found Mom's wedding ring which was on her finger when she died....no apologies even. Someone no doubt collects these things and melts them down or sells them. GRRRR

    Time to start the sprinkler. Then the workman arrives, then Reed will entertain me!!!

    Hot and muggy once more here, waiting for some rain still. Busy busy day here. I'll try to keep up reading but no time for contributing much today.

    All the best!
    'bug

    PS: Yes V, he's very real!

    {{gwi:174287}}

  • Sue W (CT zone 6a)
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    TGIF!

    Another Friday already?

    V, I was very sorry to read of your brother's passing. Forty-nine is just way too young. We should never take life for granted. In the words of Warren Zevon "Enjoy every sandwich". Love the chicks on rocks with drinks!

    Chelone, I am also amazed at the incredible incompetency you are experiencing with your mum's care. Ditto what Kathy said. There's a good chance we'll all be on the receiving end of that some day. Hang in there!

    The bad news here is my Lyme disease seems to be rearing it's ugly head again. On Monday morning I have an appointment with an infectious disease specialist. My upper back is stiff and I can't tell if it's Lyme related or I twisted something the wrong way but I'm not taking any chances. The throbbing behind my right ear came back about a week ago. That I know is Lyme related. Something tells me I'm going to be back on antibiotics soon.

    With the Garden Conservancy open day looming I'll be running around like a nut. Last weekend I spent all three days working in the garden. I expect more of the same this weekend. Deanne and Monique have graciously offered to come and help me do a last minute spiff up next Friday afternoon. What a tremendous help that will be! Maybe Deanne can make my garden look more like hers...NOT! This was not a good garden year for me. Like Eden, I'm ready for it to be over. After the 16th, it can all go to sh** as far as I'm concerned...lol.

    Let's see...welcome back Mary! Eden, do you do decorating consults? My dining room needs help. Denise, what type of work do you do? And 'bug, I'm not much on babies, but I love the family joy that is so evident in every picture you post of Reed et al.

    Enough from me-I took a lost afternoon yesterday to spend time with a friend right in the middle of closing week. Some offers you just can't refuse.

    Sue

  • Sue W (CT zone 6a)
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh crap, the pressure is on! My open garden day is published in today's Hartford Courant. Guess I'd better warn the neighbors.

  • gardenbug
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    "Idyll Haven"! I'd forgotten that Sue. ;-)

    I'd gladly give up the traveling gnome in favor of traveling Idyll garden helpers!!!! Boy do I need them....

  • Lara Noles
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It's very windy here today. Cloudy too but no sign of rain which is needed. Bella's sitting here with me which will probably mean this will be a short post. I've had her the last three days and it looks like someone picked up my house and shook it. She has things spread around everywhere. Brad's off this weekend so we're sweeping out and cleaning up the basement. I need to get things down there situated so it's ready for the overwintering plants soon. Also hope to get some cuttings taken this weekend.

    Chelone, it's unbelievable and unacceptable the way that nursing home's being run. Good luck on getting it all straightened out. Nothing more frustrating than dealing with that degree of incompetence.

    Hi Sue, bummer that you're not feeling well again. Seems like you've been sick forever. I was hoping to see some pics of your garden in that link. Maybe after the tour? It's one of my all time favorite gardens you know.

    V, great pic and love the title too!

    Deanne, I haven't seen much in the garden department at Homegoods all summer that I was interested in until I saw those urns last week. Lesson learned to grab and then decide, lol. Beautiful fuchsia. Can't wait to see that monster brug in FULL bloom!

    Here's a picture of my variegated one from this morning. Nothing like yours but the best I could do this year...

    {{gwi:174288}}

    Kathy, the tag on my san says S.zanzibarica and I don't know much about them and haven't been able to find much info. It looks cylindrical to me, lol. It's an 8" pot and was $20. Here's a picture, the other san is S. Bantel's Sensation.

    {{gwi:174290}}

    Denise, I've had my eye on one of those Isla Gold tansys all summer but haven't gotten it because I've been afraid it would be hard to keep under control. I've got a coupon for earned "bucks" from the nursery I've seen it at. If I spend $55 I get $55 in free plants. So maybe it'll pick one up. I put Amelie on my Netflix queue.

    Those faces Reed makes are priceless Marie! Doesn't he ever cry? As far as the garden goes the frosts will come and take care of it all for you soon and there's always next gardening season for us to all strive for that elusive perfect garden with renewed hope. Right?

    Gotta go.

    Eden

  • wendy2
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Just a quick drive-by here, the interruptions are constant at work today - why aren't all these people at the beach?

    V, so sorry to hear of the loss of your brother. Love your pond and the chicks on the rocks with the required red cups! DH tells me that the red cup signals that the adult beverages are out...

    Saucy, nice to hear such positive things from you. Congrats on building the business, so glad it is all working out. You must be ecstatic that the rest of the hedge is gone. What will you plant there?

    Chelone, thinking of you often. Hope things quiet down for you soon on all fronts. It might be a good idea to back up your conversations re: the hearing aids with a certified letter, and "cc" everyone and their boss (the director must answer to someone). A letter is harder to ignore than a phone conversation since it is "on the record". I noted that you are having your electrical wires buried on your property, that is awesome. Makes everything look so much nicer!

    'bug, I am loving all the Reed and family shots - the happiness certainly does come through. That baby is suspiciously photogenic though...

    I love the idea of a travelling creepy guy, I can just imagine where the Idylls might take him. When my DH's cousin got married, we caught the photographer staging a picture of the happy couple on the alter, with a garden gnome in the foreground (I believe it was kidnapped sometime during the bachelor festivities). Said gnome was also glimpsed at the reception, on the dance floor no less.

    Mary, glad to hear you enjoyed your trip. I hear you on the school supplies, my children's lists were very specific too, including a certain folder available only at Staples. After school started, DD needed erasable pens for one class, and four colors of highlighter pen for another class - those particular items are teacher idiosyncrasies I guess.

    Sue, sorry to hear you are still fighting Lyme disease. I'm sure your garden looks great now, but no doubt Monique and Deanne will put some finishing touches on it as only they can. I am still trying to work out a way to come down for the Open Days - I enjoyed the gardens of Steve Silk and Jan Nickel (and yours too of course!) so much last year. That day is also the NASCAR race in NH and DH will be gone from sunrise to sunset. He and his buddies like to get to the parking area early and have a tailgate breakfast to build the excitement.

    Chelone, Saucy - are you up for a road trip to CT, Idyll style?

    Everything is so dry here, I'm desperately hoping for rain this weekend. The forecast says chance of showers Sunday, I better do my special rain dance!!

    Waving hi to everyone!

    Later,

    Wendy

  • gardenbug
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Well, we worked hard to achieve a sad face! It took 3 weeks! He really is a contented fellow.
    {{gwi:174292}}

    Here's the big lower lip:
    {{gwi:148499}}

  • chelone
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I wanna see some damn booties! (w/o crack, thank you very much). I suggest using the cable ties electricians use to keep his hands off his feet for the picture... good to see that even the world's most perfect baby gets crabby every so often. :)

    Sue, my own bout with Lyme involved the worst headache I've ever experienced. It was relentless and went on for a few days. I described it to my boss thusly, "my teeth hurt". It was then that I KNEW something was really, really wrong. You need to be on anti-biotics again! and you really need to keep on alert and follow the directions to the letter. LD is nothing to take lightly; it's absolutely insideous because it's so often misdiagnosed or not fully treated. I'm sad that your summer has been so curtailed by it. But, as all gardeners know, "there's always next year"! I know your open day will be a huge success. You worry too much, sistuh!

    Yes, Wendy! I would definitely be "up" for a Nutmeg State cruise. Lord knows I need to get the hell outta Dodge before the snow flies, lol. And I DEFINITELY could use the laughs. Yoo-hoo... Saucy?

    The preliminary layer of new driveway entrance gravel has been spread and it's QUIET here. I can even hear birds chirping. I have one final coat of paint to apply to one of the "man doors", but I'm tired, it's very warm, and I don't feel like it! I have to pay the remaining (mondo) bill for building supplies tomorrow. GULP. I'm growing increasingly irritated by the electrician who has been grossly unreliable about returning phone calls, but he gets one more shot before we find someone else... there're plenty of people looking for work right now... . You'll laugh at me, but we've taken our first tentative step into the world of "automation". Our mortgage is taken care of on the agreed upon date... not check writing, it just "happens". It worked fine the first time... we'll see how the next payment goes... . One down, 179 to go... but we are "rounding up" and paying one "payment" to principal every year. LOL

    An employee of the ambulance company that transferred Mum found the missing hearing aids in the car they used, after my paniced call to them. I have his name and the address of the company and will have his thank you in the mail tomorrow. It's my chore to write my letter of complaint this weekend, e-mail it to my brother, and have it looked over by the attorney before sending it formally. What is so exhausting is the blase attitude that "UTIs are routine", and that we "expect too much" from the facility; that the care given in a home environment is always better. HUH? jeez, we did it for "free"... they're charging 9K/mo.. Please, my friends, tell me I'm not being unrealistic when I expect that Mum will be free of UTIs, instead of having one every 2 1/2-3 weeks! Is the world really upsidedown and I'm the only one who missed the memo? If I performed as abysmally at work I'd have been fired 7 1/2 yrs. ago. When I screw something up I take responsibility and I FIX IT. I change the way I perform the operation. Is this mindset peculiar to tradesmen, people who work in fields where errors and mistakes are more easily "tracked down"?

    Right now, though, I want to go outdoors, enjoy the late summer warmth, and look at the devastation and dream about how I would like it to look...

    You're good, true, and loyal friends. You make me smile and even chuckle when all around me seems so glum. I thank you for that and hope to return the same in time.

  • denisez10
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Enjoying all the posts. To clean up unanswered questions, Mary, yes! I'm very close to Long Beach! -- what's your DH do here for a month? As to what I do for employment, it's freelance court reporting, which entails obtaining different daily assignments through an agency, then shlepping myself and equipment to these sites, usually conference rooms in law firms, take down testimony from witnesses, which I later turn into a transcript that is sent in to court as evidence in the trial. For example, the three cases this week were a homeowner assoc. dispute, real estate transaction gone bad, and someone suing a car manufacturer. Most of the actual work is done editing the transcript in the home office I posted a pic of, researching terminology, punctuating, proofing, etc. While working at home, I'm mostly wearing the attire seen in the linked photo, taken by my son while on vaca. in Oregon, sans the sunglasses of course. Serves me right for wandering into a photographer's lair thusly attired.

    About the movie Amelie, it has some "adult" situations, two scenes I can think of, in case of viewing near kids. No violence. Lovely film and great soundtrack.

    Cindy, I'll probably get the agave out today. I received some plants today from High Country Gardens that had tire tracks on the mashed box but plants were still OK. Gulp! Let's hope they treat your agave with some respect!

    Chelone, if you get any more wise, you will be insufferable, lol! ;>) kidding aside, you're doing a great job by your Mum, and I'm taking copious notes for future reference.

    Breaking out the red plastic cups tonight...

  • Lara Noles
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What is up with this wind we're having? It's blowing over my pots. It even blew down the ensete maurelii which is so heavy it took all of my strength to set it upright again. That monster fell on some other pots and broke lots of plants. Good thing it's getting to the end of the season. I've had enough of these garden mishaps for one year. Oh yes, and Bud decided to make a bed in the middle of my patch of phlox David and Laura. Had to cut those to the ground too.

    On the bright side the agave americana medio picta alba that I ordered came today. It's a really good size plant that I'm really happy with. I'll put up a picture once I get it potted up. Funny but I'm out of pots and have to go out tomorrow and purchase something to put it in. Imagine that!

    I haven't done a thing today and Bella has things in even more of a mess than it was this morning. I'm in need of a break I think.

    Marie, aw what cute pictures of little Reed. Love the pouty lip. How great that he's generally such a happy boy.

    Chelone, glad the missing hearing aides turned up. Good thoughts for you regarding the rest of it.

    Denise, love the picture!

    Cynthia, in answer to your question, yes that's David with Brad in the picture on the bedroom wall. I think he was 5 there. They had that taken at the State Fair that year. I've always liked that picture of them together.

    Hi Wendy!

    Off to think up something for dinner.

    Eden

  • babs_clare
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh Denise you are a scream!-no,not a scary scream just a fun one lol. LOVE your uniform;I wish I could wear *that* to work! do you ever get mixed up and wear the wrong uniform to court?
    Chris has spent the whole week in jury duty for the second time in three years. I'm afraid to say that I haven't served yet because we all know that means the summons will be in my mailbox shortly,right? He never even got on a case because he was turned down twice during the interviews. He just missed being picked for a six week trial!

    Eden cheer up: ) I used to tell myself with Ryan that he'd grow up soon enough and I've have plenty of time then to clean...then I'll have too much time on my hands-maybe that will turn me into the neat freak I always wanted to be? I bet not. Join me in a class of wine: ) Cabernet sauvignon?

    I'm going to guess that Reed was pinched for that teary mugshot lolol. Love that boo boo lip.

    Sue I feel really bad that this thing is ongoing for you and I hope they can wipe it out quickly. I'm with Eden,I'd love to see your garden which I doubt looks as bad as you think. Can we twist your arm? If I lived closer I'd love to help you shape it up. All I can say is that this summer was really tough with big amnounts of rain coming way past when I really needed it...yep there's always next year.

    Who has Calicarpa dichotoma? Does it send out lots of seedlings for you? Mine has gone bonkers-I'm glad though surprised. I also had two successful tip cuttings root en situ with little effort from me. Wouldn't an informal hedge of neon purple berried shrubs be a fun sight.

    I better go-tomorrow we have a cross country meet early and I have to prepare.

    Have fun
    ~Babs

  • deanneart
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Good morning everyone,

    Eden, too weird about the wind because I had the same problem the day before yesterday. It knocked over five of my huge pots and just made a mess of things. I had to prune back tons of coleus, plectranthus etc. etc. Also knocked buds of the brugs I feel your pain. ~~ BTW your variegated brug is stunning! I cant get mine to bloom. Its about five or six feet tall and hasnt set one single bud. Im ready to hoik the thing. LOL

    Babs, I got called for jury duty but never got picked for a trial. Doug wound up on an abuse case that had him pretty upset for the duration of the trial.

    Denise, ROTFLOL!!!!! That portrait is way too funny. Love it.

    Chelone, you are totally doing the right thing in expecting that nursing home keep your Mom healthy. It is beyond unacceptable for her to have continuing problems with UTIs.

    HI Wendy! Great to hear from you. Hope you can get to CT next weekend.

    Kathy, hope youre doing OK with the oral surgery thing. Thinking of you.

    Bug, that baby gets cuter all the time.

    OK off to water the gargantuan plants hereits supposed to be in the 90s today with a chance of T-storms and Im hoping we get some rain. Not a drop has fallen here in five weeks and stuff is bone dry.

    Have a great day everyone,
    Deanne

  • gardenbug
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It seems that there must have been some moisture fall during the night. I never heard any of it, but this morning i went to move the sprinkler and it is wet all around. Not much, but anything will do! There's nothing on the patio though...odd. It is sunny and cool at the moment.

    Denise, your garb is perfect. I would not dare show mine! Great portrait!

    Babs, a cross country meet this morning would do me in! Good for you getting the team up and out!

    Well, so far I've put laundry in the dryer, put about 15 towels in the washing machine, emptied waste baskets, thrown away piles of junk mail and other stuff left by DD. There will be sheets to deal with later.

    It is very odd around the house. Quiet with many jobs to do that I can't face: Mom's taxes, checking with Amazon about 3 separate books that were not sent out, weeding the 10 acres, etc. I think after taking Vita the cat for her check-up and going to the dump, I'll be up to planting the oak tree. Not much else. Feeling a bit glum.

    The exterior work is drawing to a close (financially anyway!) and soon the painter should arrive to do his damage.

    Meanwhile, at 66, DH is signing up for another season of hockey....Good for him!

    Time for a bite of breakfast and then off to the vet.

    'bug
    PS: Hope this satisfies Chelone's foot fetish. These are not the hand knit ones though, but the soft ones with velcro fasteners.

    {{gwi:174294}}

  • gardenbug
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    OK Chelone, here's an old shot from mid July. Search carefully for one of the booties! The blanket is by Nanamarie too. TWMPB is doing research on being diaper free.

    {{gwi:174297}}

  • chelone
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    No more coffee bean hunts...

    Sorry, the bootie in the lower left quadrant of the "bankie" ain't cuttin' it!

    I wanna see cable ties, duct tape, and some hand-knit booties. Just so's yaknows...

  • gardenbug
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'll put in a request, but it will be a while...if ever...before I get a response. She's a busy Mama.

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