My fraternal grandmother (Mary) usually knew the botanical names of plants and USED them freely and easily. While, my maternal grandmother (Nancy) might know one, or several, common names that folks in her part of OK used.
Gran-Mary absolutely loved plants, but was lucky to keep a jade plant alive. She enjoyed admiring plants in other people’s gardens or botanical gardens. Granny Nana could make anything grow and thrive, but also knew what the plant could be used for. When I asked her what a plant was called and she didn’t know. She would tell me it hadn’t mentioned its name to her. “You may have noticed, Child, that plants don’t talk much. One of the things I like most about them.” (Meaningful look at granddaughter.) I would insist it had to have a name, so she would help me make up a good name for it. Granny Nana was more fun so I spent more time with her. I am wishing now, I had listened to Gran-Mary more than I did. I will check into the chamomiles. Because the flowers dry prettily, even when left growing in the meadow, Granny Nana and I christened them wild, winter bouquet daisies. Not one of our better efforts, I admit. *Kay*
Practical Matters for Physically Challenged Gardeners
I wish i'd have known your granny Nana. I was always fascinated by the usefullness of plants. After i learned to read. I found a whole new world. Read everything i could get hold of,from science to fiction. Since i spent most of my time outside,with or without a book, i could identify more with Native Americans than anyone else. Gee! I'm still that way and ready to climb these walls, cast or no cast.
Better get my mind on something else. Bye
Bored already. Vickie?! Where is that patience I’ve always heard people acquire in their advanced years? :-)
I still can’t chew well because of dental work so I got oatmeal for my special birthday dinner. Not as bad as it sounds. Kay jazzed it up with ground sausage, sautéed pears and cheese. Not a combo I would ever have thought of, but it was good. Something I would not mind having again even when I can chew.
Unless they change their minds AGAIN, the soup at Thanksgiving will be Tom Yum. (The traditional version with shrimp and a veg version.) Wonder what the Pilgrims and Natives would think of it. Kay is claiming it is Native American in spirit, because it is the creative use of what we have around us. We have lots of lemongrass growing, a key ingredient in Tom Yum. She’s stretching on that one. but I like spicy Thai food so I will not argue. I’m on a restricted diet and can’t chew easily so I’m obsessing with food. Isn’t it odd the way the mind works. It is like when someone says “Don’t look!” What is the first thing most people do? (Jim)
.
Jim - exactly! I'm limited by what i can do. so i want to do what i cannot,
Since the pilgrams and their native american neighbors lived on the New England coast. bet they had somekind of seafood. hmmmmm wonder if Boston baked beans is really a native dish.
Wonder what patience is.
Jim hope you realize how lucky you are to have a creative cook like Kay.I'd probably just give you plain ole oatmeal.
Yes, I am lucky and I know it. My DW is the thing I am most thankful for this season. But, I’ve been hassling her since our tree house days when I intentionally put my toys on her side of the tree house just to get a reaction. It is habit now. Can’t seem to stop. Besides, Kay tends to make a strong impression on people just because she is so far from the stereotypical image of a deaf/blind person. Someone has to keep her humble. It is my job to see that she doesn’t get too swelled a head.
I remember when Kay had a part in a school play. It was part of her American history class. The kids walked out on stage, did a brief biography and quoted the most famous lines of their assigned historical figure. Kay was originally given Andrew Jackson. Miss Helen was not a radical reformer by any stretch of the imagination, but there was NO WAY her daughter was going to idealize Andrew Jackson. He is very definitely not a heroic figure to the “Oklahoma Cherokee.” The re-location of the native people of this area to OK (Trail of Tears) was mostly his doing and Miss Helen was born in Chickasha, OK.
Initially, the teacher would not budge. It was a history assignment and if Kay did not do the part she would get a failing grade on the assignment. That teacher misinterpreted Miss Helen's quiet demeanor as timidity and thought that when she refused to let Kay exchange assigned historical figures with a classmate that would be the end of the matter. Even as a child, I understood soft-spoken, little Miss Helen was a force to be reckoned with. She would just quietly and politely bulldoze any obstacle in her path. That teacher was no exception. I believe, in the end, Miss H. had to go to the school board to get what she wanted, but Kay passed her history class and got a standing ovation for her portrayal of PATRICK HENRY in the school play. I love my wife, but I’m not in awe of her the way some are, because I know exactly how she came to be as she is. Like mother, like daughter. Although, she did inherit her Dad’s sharp tongue. LOL (Jim)
You can bet my mother made sure I practiced my part as Patrick Henry. After all these years I STILL remember my quote: “I know not what course others may take, but, as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”
It was a small town. Everyone knew the story by the time the play was performed. I thought I might have a career as an actress until I figured out the enthusiastic applause was really meant as a show of support for my mother.
I tried being sweet to Jim once. Talked nice about and to him. He thought I was setting him up for something or that I was seriously ill, or I didn’t like him anymore. You only go to the trouble of tormenting those you love, right? We need to ease into this new, polite adult way of acting toward one another. It is hard, but we’ve started saying at least one kind thing a day to each other.
It took most of the day shopping, but we have everything we need to finish the living room. Jim wanted to keep the nautical theme so blue and sand are the paint colors we went with.
We also put the camper top back on the truck. There is an overnight "party" at the community garden in Fayette. It is B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Bed) Picking up pecans and digging in the garden is the entertainment. But, the food and company are always good. *Kay*.
Kay that sounds like fun. All but sleeping in the camper part. I hate to sleep in a different bed. Once you get use to a bed nothing else feels as good. But joining in digging in the dirt sounds like fun. Have a good time and safe trip. Scraps
That does sound like fun. It used to be my job growing up. Picking up pecans under a big old tree.Just like hunting little Easter eggs in a bunch of leaves.
I bought some of those nut cages you just roll over the ground to pick up pecans. That way, I thought, no one would have to bend over. The ladies ended up crawling around on the ground, anyway. (Except for Kay with her skateboard. She rolled along.) They thought getting the pecans out of the cages was just too much hassle. I’m the only one who uses them so far. We will see how everyone feels about it near the end of pecan season. I suspect some might change their minds.
Fenny, the dog, was fascinated by all these people down on her level. Kay decided she could teach Fenny to pick up pecans by encouraging her to do so and rewarding her with a treat when she did. I wish I still had a video camera. I would have recorded the scene for “World’s Funniest Animals.” Kay thought she had succeeded. But, instead of finding nuts on the ground, Fenny stole pecans out of other people’s buckets and brought them to Kay. Kay hasn’t given up on the idea yet. She probably should. Fenny has discovered these things people pick up off the ground are tasty. Someone cracked and fed her one. Now, she has learned to crack and eat them herself. Don’t think Fenny can be trusted around pecans anymore. (Jim)
Fenny can never be trusted with pecans. I had a pecan loving dog once.
Smart dog! Tiz much easier to pick pecans out of a bucket than to dig out of leaves.
Kay and Jim,Lets not go overboard with this be good to mate thing. Everyone needs a little spice in their lives.LOL
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you guys.
I am thankful i have a nice warm house today, I pray for all those who don't and may they stay warm.
Vickie
I'm thankful for having a pantry full of food. We volunteer at a food pantry and it is heartbreaking.
Wow, i am thankful to have friends like you guys! I missed you. we never got snow up here, just warm rain, but all of a sudden it feels like November!
Hi,
I just stumbled on to this forum after practically living on the hay bale garden forum.
You guys should go over there and see what is being done with hay bales. A great way to
garden when you are challenged in any way.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/strawbale/all/
I have a suggestion about path covers. I use it between my raise beds; old carpet.
It is almost all synthetic material so will last forever out in the weather and usually
fades to a dirty brown anyway. My path covers have been in place for 2 years and
I can still see some of the original color.
I have a friend that has an old carpet on a gravel driveway so he can crawl under a
care to repair it. I haven't asked him how old it is but I would bet it is at least 5 years+.
If you prepare the path base with some sand with cement sprinkled on it it will very solid.
We stabilized a gravel parking lot at a friends by spreading cement on the top of the
grave and letting the good old Oregon Sunshine, (rain,) activate the cement. It is
stable enough to drive a fork lift on. Fork Lifts get stuck if you wander anywhere off of
concrete. Then all you have to do is lay the carpet on top of the stabilized gravel.
Another subject:
Have a Great Thanksgiving.
Paul.
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving Paul. Welcome aboard. We can always use some good suggestions. How would the carpet be for Wheelchairs?
I went over to the haybail forum briefly. Will have to check it out more. Sounded fun.
Are you telling us Oregon gets a lot of rain? LOL Have a neighbor that grew up in Oregon but she talks about the beautiful flowers, not the rain.
I injoyed the day at DD.s brought leftovers home and did'nt have to do dishes! My big dog Dillen decided to take off when i started to let him in the house and he always goes straight to DD,s So he gets to spend the night there.
Got a seed catalog from Pinetree seeds in Maine. I'll probably be drooling over it this next week.
Vickie
Hi Vickie,
The Carpet would smooth out bumps so I think it would be great with a
wheelchair. The secret is to smooth out, and pack down the subsurface so
the carpet would lay flat.
Another bonus is the carpet would prevent weeds and such from growing
through, the same as landscape fabric.
I am doing a seminar at our church on bucket and small plot gardens in January or February. I am in the middle of researching on the subject, this is why I found your forum. I will keep this forum updated on my progress.
I am going to make up a power point presentation that I could download onto this site when I am finished.
I also have gotomeeting which I could hold some remote seminars on your computer, if this works out like I want and anyone is interested. I will keep you posted.
I do have an immediate Great Idea I received on another site, especially for you folks and me that need your gardens raised.
Go to the local electric company and see if you can have some of their cable spools.
These are wood, they will last about 2 or 3 years out in the weather. The cable spools I have in mind are around 36" in diameter.
You can set them up on bricks so the bottom of the spool doesn't touch the ground.
Position the spool where you have good light at least 6 hours a day, longer if possible.
Here in Oregon we have plenty of gray days but we still get good growing light.
You can buy these kids wading pools for about $7-10. They are about 48" in diameter by about 10" deep. Set the wading pool on the cable spool, fill with potting soil and plant away.
You will have to drill some drain holes up the side of the pool about 2". I say 2" because that will allow some water storage space. If you drill the drain holes in the bottom you will have to water more often.
Another Idea:
Set the wading pool up on some concrete blocks; you will have to build a platform
of blocks under the pool to support it. There are a number of ways to build a platform
Set a pallet on blocks and put the wading pool in the pallet. Put a straw bale in the pool, strings down, water thoroughly for 15 or 20 days until it cools to the touch in the middle and plant your plants in the bale. You will need to put some potting soil on the bale if you are going to plant seeds.
To make a hole in the bale to plant your plant, use a wine bottle as a wedge. Just push it in and pull it out, it will make a good hole for your plant.
Don't put any drain holes in the wading pool because it is there to catch the runoff and redirect it back into the bale.
Follow the directions you will find on the hay bale forum here:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/strawbale/all/
Thanks, Paul.
Great ideas, Paul, and welcome!
Hi Paul. I’m Kay. Welcome to the thread. I am always looking for new ideas to experiment with. Sounds like you have enough to share.
Question: Can you actually use hay bales? As opposed to straw bales. I’ve wanted to try that for a while, but don’t have easy access to straw. It is quite a long way to wheat country. Hay bales I can get easily, but I read or heard somewhere there are too many weed seeds in hay.
I used the carpet idea before in a fashion just because I had it and wanted to avoid the landfill fee. I used it as a weed barrier and put the concrete on top. It is now the back patio area. I never considered all the potential ways it could be used. Using old carpet could save a lot of labor and cost. Definitely cheaper than landscape fabric. I can’t imagine why, but the previous owner of this place put down cream colored carpet throughout the house. (It was the same lady who had all the deciduous trees cut down because she considered them “too messy”. She thought since pines were called “evergreen” it meant they would NEVER lose their leaves so she would never have to rake. LOL. ) The carpet was the first things to go when I bought the place. I will have to put out the word that I’m looking for old carpet. A lot of people are going back to hardwood and faux hardwood vinyl floors so it should not be hard to come by.
It’s been a crazy week. Had to take Jim to the ER Sunday because his fever was so high. Further complications from the dental work that did not go well. He is back on the LR remodel and grumbling about everything. It is good to have him back to normal. :-)Kay*
Oh prayers and healing thoughts for Jim! Today is gray and crappy.
Kay, Am sorry about Jim, Know it was scary for you too.Glad you can get back to pickin at each other. Is he on some good anti biotics? Prayers from here too.
Kay that woman had to have been a city girl. LOL
It's grey and crappy here too,Carrie. We might get snow later this week.Since i don't have to get out that is a good thing.Will have to get out tomorrow tho and fix up my winter bird feeding place.That wont take long.
Took me a week to finish my tree decorating. Now to set my little christmas village up.
I talked to the head of the Salvation Army yesterday, They can't get any bell ringers this year.They don't get paid here.(Did'nt know they got paid anywhere untill last year.) Will have to think about going down a couple of times.
Been having a little problem with depression.My house is a total mess. I just have too many things going and can't keep up with them.Being so slow don't help matters any.
Everyone have a peacefull Sunday.
Vickie
I've been seeing help wanted advertisements for S.A. bell ringers here, too, and I didn't know they got paid either! Vickie, it DID snow here last night, they say 6" but I can't tell, and by now it's not pretty. But I went to church anyway cause I had a mtg. and ended up volunteered for more stuff.
It was rainy and cold here too for a couple of days. Sunny and crisp today. Still too cold for my taste. Highs in the mid-50’s, but it is warming up again.
Can’t start the Christmas decorating until the re-model is finished. Funny how you start out doing a simple revision in one corner of a house, and before you know it, you are moving everything around. I’m leaning on Christmas music to keep me in the holiday mood. We had a Christmas dinner at church yesterday. Cando, Jim liked the cranberry gelatin salad you told him about so much it was the dish he made for the gathering. (Never thought he would willingly eat anything made with gelatin.)
I sent a dish, but was so tired I didn’t go with him. However, I wasn’t able to convince anyone at church today that I was just too exhausted. They all think I just stayed home so I could watch the Texas/Oklahoma game. LOL. The downside of belonging to a small church where everyone really knows everyone. I am truly innocent this time! I REALLY am!
I’m a little disgusted with the dentist since Jim returned to his office the day after he had the work done to tell the dentist it was hurting more than it should and something wasn’t right. The dentist said he didn’t have time to look and made some joke about how big men were wimpy about pain. I wish I could send him the bill for the pharmacy and emergency room visit. Jim will be on antibiotics for another week. Also, an extra painkiller that contains codeine so I need to stay close when he is working. He is fortunately one of those that codeine makes very drowsy so he can’t get into TOO much trouble unless he starts sleep walking. Thanks for the thoughts and prayers. *Kay*
Hi, I'm back.
I kept checking and no one asked any questions so I went off to doing other things.
The answer to the question on hay bales is YES they work, according to some, even better than straw. The theory is that the leaves in the hay provide some food for the plants. I personally have not used hay because straw is cheaper.
The latest tests show that if you build a raised bed just the size of the bale that they do even better than bales out in the open. The observations are, that they hold the heat better in the cold weather and don't dry out so fast during the hot weather.
Now I am hearing that old, last years straw and hay is even better than new straw or hay, dumped in a box and tamped down. Some have had great success.
One thing, DO NOT, use orchard grass or any grass hay. It seams that the ones who have tried these bales have not had good luck.
I am actually going to build some boxes and use this falls leaves as a growing medium.
I have a formula for a growing medium I am going to use in my grow buckets that calls for 40% sawdust, 40% perlite, 20% medium sand. I am going to substitute old leaves in one mix and old straw in another mix. Both the leaves and straw will be chopped so they are fairly fine.
In another mix I am going to substitute paper from my paper shredder. I have been saving this paper for quite some time. My bride thinks I am nuts. Can you believe they actually make papercrete. It is light but really strong. Actually you could make great raised beds out of papercrete. Hum, that is an idea. Keep tuned.
I am actually going to follow a method that has been used around the world for years with great success, THE MITTLEIDER GARDENING Method. Anyone interested can google the method and find out all they want.
Well this is enough for now. I really get excited when I talk about these projects.
This is a great week. Friday my great friend from Haiti, Etienne Francois` is arriving for 10 days. We are going to have a great time getting ready for the seminars we are going to present in Haiti in April. All of these preparations are for this seminar.
You all are guinea pigs for the project.
Paul.
Another point on old carpet. If you called any floor covering store, I am sure they would more than glad to get rid of their old carpet. They might even deliver if it isn't too far.
It costs them a lot to get rid of it in the land fill. You might as well get some more years use out of it. Most carpet is made from synthetic materials so will not decompose for centuries.
Another idea. How about lining your raised beds with old carpet. If it keeps your toes warm it probably would keep the soil warm and hold water better.
Paul.
Thanks for the good ideas!
My ferret’s old cage is about the size of a hay bale and I don’t think my DW or my dogs would approve of my getting another ferret. I will try stuffing that with hay for an experiment. Thanks for the idea, Paul.
The weather has been horrible, but we may see the sun tomorrow. There is already some flooding in low areas and more rain is expected in a few days. . The weather in this area is always erratic. Occasional floods and droughts are something the people around here are long accustomed to, but not in winter. They should be able to shrug it off if the temps do not drop too low. Ice and snow can cause real problems for people here because those are so rare no one is equipped to deal with them.
Kay says for her “a white Christmas” is just words to a song and pictures on Christmas cards. She has never had one. I think it is a real possibility she will this year. Those old people with their winter weather predictions based on their observations of ant and snake behavior may really know their stuff. Question is how do the ants and snakes know? (Jim).
Here's wishing Kay a white Christmas. Than for it to melt the next day.Arkansas is not ready for snow either,tho we get them some.
The ants and snakes know about the weather because the groundhog told them. I think the north wind told the ground hog.
I got a Christmas Card!!!! Thank you!!!!
The groundhog! I should have known. It's common knowledge they can't keep anything to themselves. I bet they heard it through the grapevine. And, the north wind told the grapes. I've heard the wind whispering to all the plants, come to think of it. I understand now.
Some thoughtful person sent me a Christmas card too with a unique, new recipe inside. Thanks so much. (Jim)
I got one too!!!!
Told yall i love Christmas.
Rearranging the house meant moving all the computers. I THINK I have everything operational again.
Today, a friend who is an avid hunter, brought by Christmas wrapped packages of sausage made from deer and wild boar. The ladies are laughing over male gift-giving practices. I thought it was a cool gift since I don’t hunt anymore. Can’t get that in the grocery store, but maybe, that’s “a guy thing.”
Deer eat daylilies? The garden cultivars, as well as the wild ones? If so, I may have to start hunting again. Very early in the morning, I’ve seen deer sifting through the compost pile looking for goodies. We never had any problems with them before, probably because Taterdog makes such a racket whenever she sees a deer. She is getting old now though. I think arthritis and hip dysplasia cause her pain when it is cold.. She avoids going outside when it is cold. Fenny rarely barks and apparently believes the rules that apply to cows and horses must also apply to deer. She pays them no more attention than livestock. The deer, for their part, have no fear of her. Fenny is like The Terminator when it comes to burrowing beasties, but is placid about grazing animals.
Cold and raining AGAIN! (I might as well be in Oregon. LOL.) We are curled up by the fireplace dreaming, scheming and planning for the coming year. What should a community garden serving sensory impaired, mobility challenged and temporarily able-bodied idealistically be like? We are just brainstorming at this point. Letting the critical, analytical part of our brain hibernate for the winter. That doesn’t stop Kay from making list, of course. The lady has a list making addiction. We are looking for a support group for that particular obsessive/compulsive behavior. Somewhere she has to have a list of list to keep up with them all! (Jim)
I make lists in lieu of doing things.... not in a bitter way, just since I can't get up to go do this just now, I'll write it down.
Hey,
I resemble that Oregon remark, Jim.
Isn't this getting old for the pits.
Hey, I have a great Idea to get your new Year started!! I am going to call it a Garden Care Crow.
I am going to start with a sturdy wood frame, Old Jeans, an Old Denim Jacket, Old Boots, a Small Bucket, Gloves and a Hat. I am going to assemble the frame as an
A frame and screw the old boots to the bottom of the A frame through the backs of the boots.
Then fasten the jeans and denim jacket together with gloves attached to the arms like hands. Then attach this whole thing to the A frame, tying the legs closed with the old boot laces and attaching the legs to the boots.
Lean the whole thing against the fence, or a good sunny place, fill the whole thing with good growing dirt. then Cut slots for plants in various places up the legs, arms, torso and shoulders. Plant my favorite flowers and veggies. Place a short pipe in the bottom of the bucket and stick it where the head should be and put a hat on the bucket.
I can remove the hat to water, then replace it to cover the whole thing.
How about that, Pictures to follow.
Actually, I am thinking of doing this as a fundraiser for our Haiti, Hope for Kids School Scholarship Program. It costs just $250 to sponsor a kid for a year in school; no school in Haiti is public. Everyone pays to go to school.
I will charge $300 for each Care Crow, and you will sponsor a Haitian kid in school for a year Plus have a neat conversation piece to boot.
What is your opinion?
Have a Very Great Sunday!! Paul
This message was edited Dec 20, 2009 9:07 AM
Paul, that idea sounds like it has real potential as a fund raising method if it were not too difficult for the people who purchased the “Carecrows” (I love that!) to move them to their own gardens.
The level of poverty in Haiti is heartbreaking. I was trying to market the work of an extremely talented scrap metal artist from Haiti. He died of tuberculosis! I didn’t realize before then that young people still contracted T.B. He gave me a Christmas tree ornament he made that depicts a Haitian Santa riding a colorful bicycle. I took the skinny, dark skinned Santa in stride. After all, it isn’t like our Santa Claus depictions bear any real resemblance to the historical figure of Saint Nicholas. The bicycle, I had a harder time with. He asked me to describe a sleigh in detail. I couldn’t. He laughed and said neither could he and did I know any child born in the Caribbean who could? He told me since there were no sleighs available in Port-au-Prince, when Santa showed up there he started riding a bicycle, lost a lot of weight and got a good tan. He was a special young man. I treasure that ornament. My Christmas tree would never get a spread in any home décor magazine, but so many of my ornaments have stories and history attached to them. I prefer the chaotic looking jumble with all its memories, even if some are bitter-sweet. The fashionably decorated trees are fun, but usually seem somehow sterile to me. *Kay*
Hi Kay,
I have been kicking around how I could ship these things,(Less Dirt). I am a designer/mechanic by trade so this is a challenge to me. The only thing is, I would have to charge at least another $25 for shipping. This makes them rather pricey, although, $250 would be tax deductible if you had any taxes to begin with. Yes, these things will always be for those that afford it.
I may sell the plans and/or a kit for less depending upon the traffic. We will see.
This morning I purchased the old jacket and boots for the first "Care crow." Pictures to follow, without plants yet, even here in Oregon. I could plant it with peas and other cold weather plants in late January.
Paul.
Here is a picture of mostly kids around a well we paid to have drilled in Les Anglais, Haiti.
I like the kit idea. I think you would sell more that way. Have you considered incorporating hard-shell gourds into your design? Bushel gourds are almost always what DW uses for the Halloween scarecrows heads. Even when I insisted on a traditional looking scarecrow, she just talked Nadine into painting a gourd to look like a pumpkin. We have plenty of bushel gourd seeds we could send you, if you would like to experiment. We use them for plant pots all the time. There are some painted and treated ones that have been in use for years.
One year the girls did “gourd folk” counterparts for different people at Amargia. Sort of like caricatures made from tree limbs, gourds and whatever else struck their fancy. It didn’t take much imagination to know which figure represented which person. They put a lot of thought into the creative use of natural materials to represent identifying physical characteristics. Used things like the furry magnolia seed bodies for a certain ladies retro- 80’s “big hair” and Spanish moss for Kay’s long, wispy tresses. It was hilarious! My DW pointed out, of course, that her hair was not gray. It would have been really authentic if they had dyed the moss. LOL. Better get off this subject before I find myself in serious trouble.
Very, very cold rain, but no snow. Kay says we can’t go off on the snow hunt I was considering. Just because we did not send out invitations doesn’t mean that no one will drop by tomorrow expecting a bite to eat and some company for a while. Well, I didn’t say which Christmas we would go on a snow hunt. We still have “old” Christmas (Russian Christmas) to celebrate. The Russian Orthodox celebrate Christmas on the 7th of January. It has something to do with using the Julian. rather than the Gregorian, calendar. Tomorrow is “new” Christmas or American Christmas. Kay’s family will not have their Christmas party until next week. Strange thing is I don’t think there is any practicing Russian Orthodox in the family anymore. Can’t say I completely understand it, but I get to party for a longer time so I’m not going to complain. No after-the-holidays letdown to deal with this way. By the time we get through “old” Christmas, it is time to start gearing up for Mardi Gras. Can’t beat that! Have a wonderful New Christmas everyone. (Jim)
The town weather sirens went off. Jim is forbidden to wish for me to have a white Christmas in future. What we have here tonight are tornado warnings. Does Santa still fly when there are tornadoes or is he grounded? Does he have flying rain deer for these situations? He better not track mud on my newly mopped floors.
Merry Christmas to all. and to all a good night!
merry christmas!!!
LOL kay, I can see you chasing Santa all around your Kitchen with a broom as he leaves muddy prints on the floor.
We had storm warnings too than snow storm warnings. Just got rain and a thin layer of snow and COLD temps. Am going to hibernate for a week.
I did get 3 seed catalogs that i'll curl up with. Shumways, Burbees and Cooks Garden.
Vickie
I just placed my R. H. Shumway order. LOL. They know how to snag us blind gardeners. I don’t think there is another seed catalog that big. It’s almost like a newspaper so even I know when their catalog arrives. Nothing like the smell of a new seed catalog on a cold winter’s day. : And, these days, I can click on their website and have the catalog read to me. Beats the days when I was losing my vision and always had an ink smudge on the end of my nose at seed catalog time. LOL.
I just ordered some radishes and Swiss chard to get me through to Valentine’s Day when I can plant potatoes. Also, some red clover to keep the bunnies fat and happy while improving the soil. I am hoping they will be so happy with the easily accessed clover they will leave the less accessible lettuce and carrots alone.
You mentioned poinsettias as part of your Christmas décor on another thread, Vickie. Will you try to keep them going for next year or is that too much trouble there? I had a pink one I wanted to keep going for next year. However, Jim told me about a party we were expected at an hour before we were supposed to be there. Lacking anything else, I gave it away as a hostess gift. I did snag a small cutting off of it before I left the party. :-)
We were shuffling my eldest GD between grandparents today. There was an area between here and her paternal grandfather’s house where all the azaleas were blooming. At least, that is what Jim thought they were.) I couldn’t believe it, but Jim wouldn’t let me get out and Braille on them to know for sure. Young redbuds are more likely although it is early even for those. If it blooms in this weather, I want it!!! When we go that way a few days from now, we will take the camera and solve the mystery. Jim tells me going into people’s yards to feel their landscaping is bad manners, but photographing those same flowers is not. Who makes up these rules anyway! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! Santa must have taken his boots off at the door. My kinda guy! *Kay*