New bees Seed Junkie chit chat Come in!! 12-14-09

Great! Let us see them.
What fun!!I love critters.

Okay - I'm back from my long winter's nap (along with extended visits to far away relatives). My mailbox was piled with seed catalogs from everywhere! Time to think about Spring again I guess..

DJ, where are you? Zinnias and Marigolds are easy for me here in NY, but it's a little early to start right now. Usually I do seed starts in mid-April to plant out around Memorial Day. Here's the easy way I do it. Take a half gallon cardboard milk carton and cut it in half length wise making two halves that look like little boats. Poke a couple of holes in the bottoms for drainage and fill with good quality potting soil. Dampen the soil down a little bit and evenly spread your seeds across the top, add just enough soil to cover the seeds. Germinate in a warm spot (top of refrigerator), then move to a cool windowsill to grow out. Gradually move outside to a sunny porch to harden off. In 5 or 6 weeks you should have a nicely leaved crop that can be easily sliced with a knife into 2" squares for your transplants.

Marigold and Zinnias are simple for me, this may also work for several other plants. Anybody else do this?

Al

Okay, I'm about to show my newbie colors...I am sorry i have not been back in a bit but (don't laugh...okay, I guess you can chuckle) I was coming to this forum by way of link in an e-mail. Well, guess what??? I forgot to save the e-mail and couldn't find it so I have had a terrible time navigating the site to find the forum again. I am directionally challenged...
Anyway, hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. I must say a big THANK YOU for the newbie seed package I got earlier in the month. It took me a bit to get it all sorted out but I was like a kid in a candy store. Hopefully, after I get it all growing I can collect the seed. I've only collected seed on plants that have easy to find seed so I am definitely a Newbie with this, too.
I'm so excited for Spring to come. Glad we've not had any snow here but we've had terrible wind, cold and lots of rain.

Love seeing all the pictures everyone posts.
Mekos, cute little dog. Reminds me of the kiwi I had this morning, just a nugget of a dog. I have a small dog that makes that pitiful look sometimes. Maybe Kiwi????

Good morning everyone.A brisk COLD out here. Was 25 last night.
RRM that is what mine look like, they are so pretty. Do you have any seeds of yours left? Flower is looking for some , maybe you guys can get together if you do. If not, I'll devide mine this spring to repot and send her one.
Welcome back AL. Hope your Christmas was much fun and good memories. Hi Arejay, I had thought about calling her tinkerbell. That was the first thing to come to mind but thought there may be something else that might suit her better so figured we could get a game going out of it and let someone pick a pack of seeds from me if they come up with something better. Let a turkey come knock on my door, I would BET my husband would invite them in for dinner! LOL hahahaha - BIG mistake turkey!!!!!LOL Too funny.
Mindy I think we all like lemon cookies. You guys will have us all baking soon.
So nice to see all the new bees back. Lucy has a reputation of scaring the new bees away. Get back Lucy!!!
Hope everyone has a good day and Sure MISS YOU SERAY!!! Have I told you lately?????
Keep the names coming. Well pick one for sure in a couple days.

Already named----- Taco ( SO DON'T LIKE)
Now calling her --- Tinkerbell --- for lack of better name.

1. Fawn --- Mindy
2. Jar ---- Tink
3. RRM- O Rilley
4. Agnella -- Kiwi
5. Tana or Canela -- Skellogg
6. Tiki-- Enidcandles







This message was edited Dec 29, 2009 1:10 PM

I can send Flower some of the Arums when the weather, I owe
her anyway for that Beautiful philo she sent me. It is a beauty!
I am so proud of it. Now, tell me this is not a Beautiful plant!
Come on back Seray, I miss you too. Planted those little purple
cp and got it in frig. in butter compartment.
Do you think we need a new thread Arejay? Meko's needs a new puppy name.
I still like Fawn.

That is beautiful RRM. I love the verigation in the leaf. WOW! Good find.

How about Canela for the little new member? Means cinnamon in Spanish. But I also like Tana. And of course we will keep thinking for you!
Got a huge batch of chili made for tonight, so feel free to stop in for dinner everyone. Sure wish I could figure out how to make a small batch, but I just don't think it's possible. LOL
Looking forward to trying the cookie recipes! I love cookies, although don't really need them. Maybe I'll give some of them away so I don't eat them all. My DSIL was "kind" enough to tell me that the average person gains 12 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years. Just the kind of info I needed to know :-( It'll take me a whole year to lose that! LOL

Hey Mekos - she looks like a Tiki to me - you know tiki tourch; lights up your world.
My dogs are named Chigger and Junior so who am I for names!

Skellogg - I am sick today - bad cold - I will be over for the chili, that sounds really good!

I can gain 12 pounds looking at food - I don't even have to eat it.

I gonna go back to bed - I feel really crappy!

Here is Chigger - she is a 10lb toy aussie

Morning everyone! Sorry mekos and sk - no good sugar cookie recipe here. I haven't made them in ages. I go for cooking more complicated things and I don't know why 'cuz I really like sugar cookies. I'll wait for the recipe right along with you all...

Cute little doggie mekos! My choice would be Tink or Fawn - both seem to fit her...

She ate all day yesterday and I weighed her this morning and she weighs 6 lbs. I had guessed about 4 because she is small but she just wouldn't quit eating and still is but I figure he just fed her once a day and that was scraps and I keep food out all the time and I feed her Eukanuba for small breed animals and she loves it. I figure she thinks she may get hungry like before and just keeps eating but eventually will slow down. She is very shy but so happy and hyper too. She wants to be petted and held but at the same time so timid because for the last 1 and 1/2 -2 years she has seen no one and not been out of that pen. She seems so starved for love and attention. Well, she is getting attention now.

Enid, you take care! Don't want you to get sick. Definately the wrong time of year for that. Seems to take so much longer to bounce back this time of year. I'll keep the chili warm for you!

They are high energy little dogs just like my Yankee. Maybe sk needs one to lose all that weight she's gonna gain eating all that chili and cookies?!?! She will settle down, but not much - lol. Chihuahuas are also very protective of their owners mekos. No one will mess with you if that little dog really likes you - she'll tear them up - no kidding. My BIL has chihuahuas and that is exactly how they are...

Thanks for the name suggestion Enid. Hope you feel better soon. Drink lots of fluids and get vitamin C to give you some energy and resistance to germs. Stay warm and rest a lot.

Sorry Loca, you posted as I was typing.
Yes she is protective of her food bowl right now. My cat came in to see her and wanted to play and she tried to bite him. He thought she was crazy. You should have seen his face when she growled, he didn't know what a growl was. I'm hoping she will get over the food agression and bowl guarding as she sees she has food all the time.
I'm sure it won't be long till she gets settled and more secure of everything and starts the protective mode. They seem to think they are roaring lions.

Once she realizes she will have food available she will stop being so protective, but it will take some time. Poor kitty got a shocker, huh? Cats can take care of themselves - he will probably lose interest in the growling fur ball soon enough - lol...

Off to lunch... Think I have time to dash to WY for some chili?

mekos, keeping her bowl full all the time will let her know that there will always be food for her. guarding the food is her defense behavior and may or may not get better. I had a dog like that once and it took the better part of a year before he didn't guard his bowl with agression. I taught him to sit and would have him sit 4 feet from the bowl when I put food in and than I would tell him to come and get it. Once food was in his bowl, I never touched his bowl until he walked away from it and than only to put food in it. I also did alot of hand feeding so he would learn not to grab food from my hand and bite me doing it. I would offer him small bites of food and say easy, easy. I never drew my hand away. Yes I got nipped a couple of times, but I never punished him. I just yell ouch and than offered him another bite and kept saying "Easy, easy. When he took it gently I told him in a very soft and happy voice what a good boy he was. He quickly learn the terms "Good boy" and Bad boy". Of course, I was working with a abused German Shepard. After that year, I was able to place him in a loving home. He lived there with those good people and had a wonderful 12 years before he was gentle put to sleep. He was 2 years old when I took him in. So out of 14 years, he had 12 year of love and kindness. He was a good dog.

Oh Marti, that is so swet. I have such a tender heart with the animals and feel so bad when they don't get treated right. They are like family to me. Little kids. At least yours got 12 years of love and that outweighs the first bad 2. We have rescued several over the years and placed in good homes and I always go check later to be sure too.
My husband is really getting attached to this one. He takes her out to potty and he talks like he is talking to a baby calling her daddy's little girl.LOL I woke up this morning to him outside at the window talking to her while she was doing her thing.It was so cute. He's off work for another week so lots of time for him to bond with her.

I know how you feel. I have to stop myself from taking in every animal I see not being cared for properly, but I can't take care of more than my two cats, both rescued. I just don't have the money for more. It's sad to because I now have the yard to do rescue work but no money to care for the animal or build kennels for them. Of course, my neighbors here might get upset if I started having a large number of dogs and or cats here.

I am saving up to buy the things I need to build an outdoor yard for my two cats. That way they can go outside and still be safe. Shorty is only coming 4 but he was thrown out of a moving car onto a highway at 4 1/2 weeks old. He has brain damage from it and has seizures and I'm afraid to just let him roam the neighborhood. He gets confused easily and can't figure how to get back to the front door even if its only a few feet. Ginger is now 9 yrs old and I don't want her to get lost or hurt. The kennel from them will be 6ft wide, 8ft long and 8ft high. That will give them plenty of room to wonder and climb as I will put in climbing post etc for them plus a catnip plant of two and beds and feeders. I;ll build it up against the trailer and on good days I can just open the window and they can come and go to their hearts content.

What a great idea. I would not have thought about making the access door through a window for them.

It's like a doggy door, only it's a kitty transom. Lori, Yor baby is pretty. Get some chicken soup, it will make you feel better. Me, too, Mati. Husband has me on restrictions as to how many critters I can have. He knows I would have a zoo, if uncontrolled. I have 4 dogs, 3 donkeys, 1 Mule, that's Charley and numberous chickens. No cats, but I would take one if it would show up.
Yep, chili would be good today, it is cold out.
Marti, you going to put a top on that fence. I would. Chicken netting would work, That's what I did for my Chickens to keep varmits from getting them.

Of course it will be enclosed for safety. It will also be portable. How's that? I've done this before and it works great. Just need to buy the wood and chicken wire.

I figured you would enclose it. don't know when a Owl might want a kitty cat for an appetizer. I worry when I let my little Chi out. He isn't too much bigger than a rabbit.

Hello all.. Hope everyone had a great Christmas.. No snow here, but we got 7 inches of rain between 23rd and 24th.. so was wet and muddy, roads under water..Irises once again flooded...Ive never had that spot where my garden is flood till this year...Land owner behind our property have built levies to hold water on thier place for duck hunter paradise, flooding out everyone on this side of the woods...Gotta figure out how to fight someone with that much money now...

Cute dog Mekos...I see someone so kindly came by and dropped me off a new addition to our dog clan some time during the night...My dog is loving it lol..Jumping and playing, I bet that poor dog wishes it had found a different home..My dog doesnt know when to quit!!!! Over grown hyper pup..


Welcome to newbies I havent had the chance to meet yet...Sorry I havent been here much before today DH has been off work and requires more attention than a 2 year old.. Thank goodness there cranking the mill back up today in Crossett where he works, but the one just up the road there closing permanently so there will be lots of families left without jobs...When you go to the store to buy paper products think "Angel Soft Tissue and Sparkle Paper Towels"...thats what keeps my family fed...


I have to go for a while I lost a dear friend to cancer yesterday.. she was 46 y/o with 2 sons one 14 and one 11(special needs kid) my heart goes out to him so much because he was such a Moma's boy..3 years ago she noticed a small growth in her navel...went downhill from there so keep her family in your prayers.. talk later

Hi Hunnybunch, praying for your friends and hubbys job. So many lay offs and such around here too. So many places closing and it's hard to feed families. You take care and hope the rain goes down soon.

So sorry to hear of your friends passing. Will pray for the sons and you too.
Bless you all.

LEMON REFRIGERATOR COOKIES

1/2 CUP BUTTER OR MARGARINE, SOFTENED
1/2 CUP SUGAR
1/2 CUP PACKED BROWN SUGAR
1 EGG
1 TEASPOON VANILLA EXTRACT
1 TEASPOON LEMON EXTRACT
1 3/4 CUPS ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
1/2 TEASPOON BAKING SODA
1/4 TEASPOON SALT
1/2 CUP FINELY CHOPPED PECANS

iN A MIXING BOWL CREAM BUTTER AND SUGARS . BEAT IN THE EGG AND EXTRACTS. COMBINE FLOUR, BAKING SODA AND SALT, GRADUALLY ADD TO THE CREAMED MIXTURE. STIR IN PECANS. SHAPE INTO TWO 9 INCH ROLLS. WRAP EACH ROLL IN PLASTIC WRAP. REFRIGERATE FOR 2 HOURS OR UNTIL FIRM. UNWRAP AND CUT INTO 1/8 INCH SLICES. PLACE 1 INCH APART ON UNGREASED BAKING SHEET. BAKE AT 250* FOR 21 - 22 MINUTES OR UNTIL EDGES ARE GOLDEN BROWN. REMOVE TO WIRE RACKS TO COOL. YIELD ABOUT 8 DOZEN.

NOTES OVEN TEMPERATURE IS CORRECT.
I DON'T ADD PECANS TO MINE BECAUSE i DON'T LIKE NUTS IN
ANYTHING EXCEPT ICE CREAM

OH Mindy those sound good! Gonna try some this weekend. Thanks.

Hey you guys, I just harvested a bunch of begonia seeds if anyone wants some. Seeds came off this one but also have seeds from another one.

Here is the other one. They look a little rugged but they are in the greenhouse now and was around the pond where creetsters got at them.

Couldn't find the sugar cookie recipe I promised but here's the one I like to use.

SUGAR COOKIES

3 CUPS ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
1/2 TEASPOON BAKING SODA
1 CUP BUTTER OR MARGARINE, SOFTENED
1 CUP SUGAR
1 TEASPOON VANILLA
1 EGG
COLORED SUGAR OR DECORATIONS OF YOUR CHOICE

COMBINE FLOUR AND BAKING SODA, SET ASIDE
IN MIXING BOWL WITH ELECTRIC MIXER AT MEDIUM SPEED, COMBINE BUTTER, SUGAR AND VANILLA, UNTIL CREAMY ABOUT 5 MINUTES. BEAT IN EGG UNTIL LIGHT AND FLUFFY. GRADUALLY BLEND IN FLOUR MIXTURE. DIVIDE DOUGH IN HALF AND WRAP IN PLASTIC WRAP. CHILL 1 HOUR.

ON FLOURED SURFACE ROLL HALF OF DOUGH TO 1/8 INCH THICKNESS. WITH FLOURED COOKIE CUTTERS CUT OUT COOKIES. REPEAT WITH OTHER HALF OF DOUGH. RE-ROLL SCRAPS AS NECESSARY. PLACE ON UNGREASED BAKING SHEET. SPRINKLE WITH SUGAR OR OTHER DECORATIONS. BAKE AT 375* FOR 8 TO 10 MINUTES OR UNTIL LIGHT GOLDEN BROWN. REMOVE TO WIRE RACKS TO COOL. STORE IN AIR TIGHT CONTAINER. YIELD 4 1/2 DOZEN MORE OR LESS DEPENDING ON SIZE OF COOKIE CUTTERS.

Thank you Mekos. I'd like to try some of your seed please

Hi Huney
So sorry to hear about your friend's passing also. Prayers are sent for her family and to you also. So sad. That is just way way too young. Understand that lay off thing, as that is happening here also. Hubby works in the woods as a logger, and we never know when and if he will have a job. Only one sawmill left here now, as all the rest have closed. This one was closed last year for about 6 months, but then was bought out locally, so was reopened. We are still trying to catch up on things, after no income for 6 months. Hate to imagine how hard it would be for young families.

I know Skellogg, where my husband works they laid off half the place and fired all the salary employees and got new ones and the ones they kept on had their hours cut in half. My husband was one who got to stay but cut hours and for the past year it has been rough. He is still not back to 40 hours yet. and off for 3 weeks for Christmas, last year got 3 months off for Christmas. Wheww. We barely made it. They say it is picking up but my pocketbook can't tell it.

Thanks Mindy! Woohoo!! Baking cookies tonight and tomorrow! Those sound so yummy, both of them! Love lemon, and good lemon cookies are hard to find. Can't wait to try them. Gotta finish my eggnog smoothie first, (had some egg nog left and some vanilla ice cream, so had to try making an egg nog shake, so to speak). Very good!! Now for a big bowl of chili with lots of shredded cheese on top and some homemade biscuits. No wonder we gain weight all winter! LOL

Skellogg, have you ever tried making french fries and cover in chilli and cover with cheddar cheese?Om man, make you slap your granny.

Yummm!! Mekos, I love that! Only I use colby cheese and pepper jack cheese, just cuz we like those better than cheddar. That will be lunch tomorrow! I'm sure we will have plenty of chili left. LOL

Too many goodfoods for folks to be skinny. I am fluffy myself.
Mekos do you just toss them on the starting soil.
They must be tiny. i don't think I have grown them .
Coleus need light to germinate, so maybe begonias do too.
Thanks for the Cookie Recipes Mindy. Think I may try using Self-rising flour, leave out the
sat and soda.

Now you got me wanting it too. I got to stick to flowers, I'm gaining weight.

Sorry RRM, you posted as I was typing. The begonia seeds - just toss on soil in pot and lightly cover and water and watch out. They are not small at all. I'll be glad to share if ya want some. With the new year stuff, it will be Monday before I go back to the post office probably but can mail some then. I'm out of stamps right now till then.

Want me to send you some?