Apropos of Nothing v.11

Did you also wear plaid pants or platform shoes? How about a headband?

Oh I remember pettipants. I was in grade school and we use to hang upsidedown on the bars at recess and show them off. The hot pants! Had a freind in Jr. high and we use to dress a like. She was petite and cute, I was 5'8" and how you say big boned. Matching Hot pants not good. Also, had some killer (in my mind)Go Go boots. Use to go to church once a year with my gradmother who was Morman. Had bright red shoes one year. Not what you wear to the Morman church in the 60's in Snohomish on Easter. I thought they where pretty.

A garden question? I have a Euphorbia "Black bird" Very tall with no leaves at base. Should I cut to the ground or will that kill it?

Good memories, Springcolor. I can relate!
I had to look up your Euphorbia, it is very nice. Also, I saw in PF, that our own Rachierabbit has submitted pictures.

My favorite clothing period was bell bottom jeans, and hair to my waist with flowers in it. I also had a killer pair of madras plaid capris that I loved. I don't remember much of what I wore in grade school. Oh so long ago!

Let it go for a bit - I have found Blackbird to be one of the fussier Euphorbias. You can always dig it up & take a look at the roots. Don't assume it has died. Some of them are more tender & I believe this to be true of Blackbird. Mine is ok this year; last year looked pathetic. The same is true for Tasmanian Tiger (name???) - I have 3 that look dead - went through the same thing with another one a few years back & it recovered fine.
I think they perform best in very sandy loam, full sun. Not happy with heavier soil.

Do you remember the elvis look. TIGHT black pants and white tee shirt. I ripped the but out of mine all the time and had to walk around school with my white briefs showing in the back. Though it did match the white socks. LOL

I have it in a large pot on a south side deck in potting soil. The pot is very close to a glass window. They do like sun right?

Elvis look - yes I do remember. the guys stood most of the time - probably because it could be painful to move too quickly, or else experience the same results as you - derriere A.C.

I had a few pairs of navy bells - the kind that had the buttoned front flap - no zipper. Hard to undo in a hurry.
Some of the bellbottoms were seriously belled - there were no "boot cut" bells then. They were much comfier than Levis which were like cardboard denim - they could stand on their own.

FULL SUN! whoops, sorry about that. If you have them planted in a soil-less mix, they may have taken a beating during that very cold spell in December. My guess is they're still alive, but sad. They really prefer warmer temps, and I cannot blame them - I do too!

Thanks! Will hope for the best.

My Euphorbia Tasmanian Tiger and Bonfire both appear to have died sometime in February. All I can figure is the fluctuations in temperature we've had. They were fine up until then; I was actually seeing new growth on the Bonfire and then wham.

I have several things that appear to have rotted late in the winter, including Disporum hookeri, which is a native. Argh! I'm hoping that I'm wrong and that time will cure all . . .

Kate, thank goodness or the two I got from you - they're the only nice red Euphorbias I have right now . . .

Oh my! You are all fashion goddesses! I fear I was doomed to doubleknit, but the green capes were really cute. It was the 'matching outfit' think that i hated. Also the little white hat that hurt my head like crazy. I have a large head. Hats do not do well for me.
Pantyhose are not the same as tights. I do tights. Brown and black. Must have for winter.
Lynn, post all the photos you want of yourself. I have no photos to post! Thank goodness.
I do remember a certain pair of bell bottoms that were navy striped. I was in 9th grade.
Bobby Sherman! I had such a crush on him!

I almost downloaded that new Ian McEwan book from Audible.com for my trip. Now I'll have to go back and look again.

Pix - to me they're all leg-tubes, tights being the more insulatory.

I have to dress nice for work, but I don't mind at all. I still have wayyyy too much "city" in me, so it's no big deal.
When I was designing/sewing for men, I emphasized the importance of being comfortable in whatever you choose to wear, particularly if it's the standard & required, as most men would know (suit/tie). Styles & trends have changed dramatically in the workplace, although looking like you rolled out of the laundry basket does not project well. Comfortable clothing makes all the difference in the world; knits & fibers have improved clothing in general. Nevertheless, ready to wear clothing does not fit most people - no such thing as an "average" body type!
Of course, one alternative would be a burka. For those of us that spend our time out in the garden, this would be a poor choice. Similar to driving a sports car while wearing a hoop-skirt (think "Gone with the Wind").
And just where would one put all that excess fabric?

There was a retirement open house today for a woman in advertising/marketing who has been at Nordstrom since 1975. She started out as a copywriter and wrote the text for many of the catalogs. The slide show started out with some (as you can imagine) great pictures of styles in the mid 70's and some pretty funny (as we look back at them now) captions to go along with them.

I pretty much would kill anybody who tried to get me to wear tights or pantyhose EVER again . . .

Cool garden tour of a woman in Sweden that I happened upon today. Check out her greenhouse. This woman is insanely organized . . .

http://www.fam-bjork.se/monicas-hobbysida/en_my_garden.html

that is one organized woman - but then think of the hours of light she has during the summer, and the hours of indoors during the winter. Go girl.

Thanks for the link, K59. I love the photos of her garden in snow.

I love tights and leggings. With boots. After having to dress up for work everyday, it is so nice to now wear what I want when I want, and to pull on Levis in the morning instead of a suit.

There will be no Easter egg hunts around here tomorrow - it is wet wet wet. My daughter usually has an egg hunt, but instead of eggs she hides beer. I'm going to my first Passover Seder tonight.

The Swedish woman's garden is quite amazing, or I should say she is amazing. I like the bicycle parking idea and the picnic table among the herb garden. While the walls and mowing strip around every garden are neat and efficient, I visually prefer the places where she used natural looking rocks. Their "sweet shed" is cute too. And her cast concrete work is inspiring, very like our own Pixy!

It feels like February here today. I am not a happy camper. I might even become whiney if this keeps up all week. I could be forced (er...inspired) to clean the house instead of weed.

NO NO, do not clean the house - it upsets the equilibrium, and then where will we be? Besides, after a few years, how deep can dust get?

Ooooooh what a great tour! So much to do - so little time.
She has implemented some very practical & artful ideas. If I were to find out that she works full time, I would keel over... =:0o
I think Monica has done exceedingly well with her skills & obvious "can-do" approach. What an inspiration.
I will now snug up in a turtleneck, winter jacket, tights (!), jeans & muck boots & sally forth to.....clean up the garden & weed the creeping ranunculus with a joyful attitude, LOL...

I'm trying to use Monica as inspiration, as well. Clearly all time is productive time for that woman!

After looking at that site I need a nap. Totally envious of her abilities.

In the winter she is covered in snow. But in the summer, she has 22 hours of daylight. Lots of garden time! The woman obviously never sleeps.

This message was edited Apr 3, 2010 10:49 AM

WOW!!! Did you check out the crafts she makes?

I am tired. I started pulling and digging out some dreaded ivy. I remember discussing this awhile ago, but couldn't do it then. I got out the pickaxe too and am into maple tree roots. It is slow going, but I will persevere.

Having done that myself, I know how it is. Hang in there.

Will do. Thanks.

Good luck on the ivy, Jan. I have two areas that I am determined to relieve of it this spring. One is mostly done, have to work a little more on the roots, and the other is a work in progress. That is probably 20 years old and climbing up a cedar tree in my front yard. Some of the "trunks" are as big as my wrist. I consider this an elephant sized project that I tackle a bite at a time. A few years back I ripped out another large bed
(the previous owner did not like to garden) and am pleased to report that the ivy has not come back there. Gives me hope for the future. Keep at it, girl.

That's what mine did also. One time and it never came back.

I just ordered the first six books of the 'Dune' series. I bought the 'Dune: The Butlerian Jihad' at FM's and I have enjoyed it, so thought I would read the whole thing.

I wish I could get interested in fiction but I like certain topics, adventure, sailing, history and never know how to refrence these topics when in a book store.

When I want to personally own (or give a gift of) a book on a particular topic, I research it at the library website or on Amazon, then I go to my local bookstore where they will order a specific title for a discount.

I've had enough of reality. I want to read something I've never heard of before. So I choose fantasy/sci-fi.

I, too, have an ivy project AND an aegipodium (Bishop's weed) project for this summer.

me 3. I went out to an area below my garden today & saw that ivy has taken hold & made its way up several Doug Firs. No smiles on my face for seeing that. It will be a project for the summer - too much to get caught up with.
Started mulching my orchard with shredded paper on the paths; straw under the fruit trees & Blueberries. Now I need manure. Lots.
At least this is good work to warm up with. It's pretty chilly out - 30's tonight.

sofer, can I suggest a novel that I think you will thoroughly enjoy - just try it, honestly, I think it will hit all scores for you (it even gets sailing - albeit in a small, but significant way).

Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall

Mantel is an extraordinary researcher, and this is set in the reign of Henry the 8th and focuses on Thomas Cromwell, a major player who loved to keep himself in the 'humility' of his origins while actually becoming the most influential mover and shaker. It is absolutely fabulous - a whacking 600 pages long it flies by - this woman can write in a way that just transports, and if this doesn't get you eager to read through the biographies of the entire tudor court I would be surprised. Breathtaking piece of work - and literary rumour has it that it the first of a trilogy - my fingers are crossed. I can't bear the idea that it stops here. She is brillant - observant, well researched, and psychologically minded in the most subtle way.

Please, try this book - its just come out in paperback, and its well worth the investment: time and money. Love it.

That book is getting raves over on the book forum. And now with Laurie's recommendation, since she likes Ian McEwan, I guess I need to read it!

Me too, I love historical novels and this sounds like a new look.

Thank you for the book idea it sounds great. I am at the airport and will go looking for it. I have spent very little time on history of England. Been obsessed with American history. Especially the fur trading business so Hudson Bay Co. Plays a big part.

I hope all of you enjoy it as much as I have.

Sofer, just to show fair play, I'm currently reading Issaccson's biography of Benjamin Franklin - interesting man, although I do think Issaccson is too much a journalist for me - completely skips out on depth of thought. But a good chronicler. (Oh, good, I've just written off the one-time editor of Time magazine as a chronicler - apologies).

I find biographies and autobiographies a fascinating way to learn about history,

I wonder what your young students would write if they were asked to do a biography of someone - I can just picture "The Story of my dog Sniffles" - excellent.