Sistah's Reunion at Cookies in Ohio #2

I love pedicures, too. Unfortunately, that is one of the very first things to go when funds are limited!!

Tink, I agree about the sanitary issue and that is why Kim and I drive completely across town for ours. They keep all equipment clean. Will not do a person until the tub has been completely sanitized and disinfected--slows them up but the people who go there appreciate their concerns.

Cookie, that is why we only go once a month if the budget allows--believe me I know about limited funds. Kim is taking a 3% paycut next year plus losing the extra stipends as Department head so our monthly trips may disappear too.

Every place I've been to in both Modesto and here scrub their foot tubs out with bleach after each use. When you walk into a place you can tell if it's sanitary or not, I got my fingernails done and pedicures for over 10 years in a row and I've never had anything bad happen, even moving across the country to a place I had never been to, I walk in, if I don't like what I see, I walk out! LOL It doesn't seem to be a problem. That's completely correct Joyce, that's why I haven't got one yet this year.

Oh How neat Joyce, you got rocks from Wisconsin!
LOL, your going to get another one from my gardens there, granite! And a stone from the gardens here I'm giving to Jaye for you.
LOL, going to bring paint so she can put her palm print on it, already got it picked, lol I collect stone too, so I'll have to try and remember where that one is from...

Oh, i have never had a pedicure, sounds like a nice thing to do, especially since i got a great pair of sandals, this year...Maybe it will be nice treat tomorrow for Saturdays big "Surprise" party! It's the 25th Anniversary...Julia planned the whole thing, with the kids...All we knew was not to make plans, and the other night she said we have to leave the house. So, We are cleaning like mad, and yard work is getting done, Wow...I actually got some help, but it still has a ways to go, and i am glad too since next year Sistah Reunion is at my house(S)
LOL, we'll talk about that later, for now...Getting ready for Joyces, got my list going.

Which by the way, whats your pleasure for omelletts??
I like mushrooms, cheese and ham in mine, so tell me what you like, taking orders.

OK, got to run and start my list now. See ya.

oh yeah, Also what size are you, S, M, L, etc...you d-mail me with that info, otherwise i'll take a guess. Smile, smile.


This message was edited Jun 10, 2010 10:05 AM

Now, now.. don't be disappointed if I wear socks at ALL times.
Don't want to gross anyone out.

Omellettes?? Mushrooms and onions pretty please!!
Thank you sistah Judy!! I can bring along a can of paint with me!!

Judy what in the world are you up to? lol lol lol lol

Well, I like peppers in mine as well as all the other stuff already mentioned! As far as size goes....depends on the article of clothing.. Most times I say XL, just to be on the safe side....gives me some wiggle room if ya know what I mean!

I'm having a hard time getting a hold of Joan to set a definite time to tour her garden. I know she's a nurse, but I don't know what hours she works. Maybe she's on vacation, cause I've called 3 times and she hasn't returned my calls yet. I don't think that sounds like her, so hopefully she'll call soon. I'll be really disappointed if we don't get to see her garden together...it's amazing. Just ask Taynors and Bonjon.

Jaye, darlin, when are you coming? Bonjon asked me if you were driving or flying and I said since Kel wasn't coming I was pretty sure you were flying..I'm still trying to get her to come back for the reunion. I think Marion could pick her up, don't you? Well, anyway, I'm supposed to tell Maid M that she has a bed and a couch in Raleigh for them if they want to use that as their stopover place on the way. So Marion...consider yourself told!!

I was going to finish my red mulch today and we went to get the last of it at the place we got the first two yards....dang...all GONE. So I ended up getting bagged stuff. Got 8 bags and I still need 4 more. Sigh....always something! That doesn't even count the path in the shade garden that gets red also.

I'm so glad you all are bringing rocks....it's going to be so fun!

Now let's see, first I go to Bessemer to pick up Kathy, cut across to Raleigh to get Bonnie then back to Ohio. Piece of cake!!

I am so sorry, Cookie. My system - or DG - is still acting up. Every other post I've tried to make tonight disappeared when I hit send. and it's trying to edit for me instead of letting me make changes. did they change a bunch of stuff on here recently? Y'all, I tried to post on here yesterday just after I got home, so Cookie would know I was safe at home. She ended up calling me today. No small wonder, as the drive home from OH was nasty raining and foggy all day over the Appalachians.

anyway, I didn't see where Cookie requested rock hostess gifts~ but I sometimes remember the darnest things. While sitting on the swing that 2nd night there, I heard her say the pond wasn't finished and with them watching pennies she wasn't going to be buying rocks.

As we drove to this one tour garden, we passed an incredible series of "huge rock" retaining walls. Just incredible rocks. I asked our bus captain, and she replied that they had a lot of quarries nearby, especially up near her. She had bought a pickup load's worth of crushed limestone for $5. Hearing that, I hatched the idea of taking rocks to Cookie!

After talking about it several more times, Karen brought me a yellow pages the next tour day, but none were open on Sunday after the conference. When bus captain Karen Johnson heard that, she offered to let me stay overnight with her so I could go Monday morning. I ended up taking her up on it, making a new dear iris friend, and having a blast in general with her. When she heard I wanted to give rocks away to Cookie, she gave me half the rocks I took to Cookie! She'd dug them up from her own garden and didn't really like them. One she called the ugly rock. She said I didn't want that one, I said "oh yes I do!" so she helped me load them. My hand is still messed up, so she helped. Cookie and I both agree, that "ugly" rock was really cool!

Well, that much went through, so I'll keep going. Karen lives at Menanomee Falls WI. She warned me I didn't need to go to the quarry, as we'd put in about all the rocks my truck could manage. But I went anyway, and found wonderful rocks! They had flat flagstones in different colors, and I took two, cut rocks in flat grey, I grabbed a broken bit. rounded "river" type rocks in many sizes, in shades of white, pink, rose, and orange, some with black flecks - granite maybe? They had rip rap, some of which had some cool black - I found one that was sparkly black. The guy there picked out a rock with a lot of white and black marbling, which I took just to make him happy and Cookie really liked that one.

But I didn't dare take much of anything, especially as I drove once between rock piles and the pickup acted like a drunken sailor was driving a tank off its skids! I just wish I'd taken MORE. The guy said he wanted $3 for them. but I had a pretty good idea they cost more. One of the heaviest cost 18 cents a lb., and I couldn't lift it. I can lift 50 lbs when my hand is good. I don't think he wanted to do the math, as they were all different prices! I told him I'd give him $5, he said, ok.

A mile or so away, I pulled over and put half the rocks on the floorboards inside the cab, trying to equalize the weight on the axles. It worked and the truck drove normally. So I really wish I'd taken her MORE rocks.

Y'all are just going to love it at Cookie's home. Her home and gardens are just lovely! She gave me this huge bedroom - imagine with all of you someone's going to be sharing it. it never had the windows closed, and the breeze always coming through had sweet air just right. never slept better anywhere. The bathroom she gave me to use was very prettily decorated, as is her kitchen! It's just a simple country home with a fantastic porch and a feeling throughout the home of sheer friendliness and love there. It's a place for relaxing and having a beer and a chat with friends. Cayenne the pup and all the cats (forgot their names) are all very nice, very friendly after a few minutes.

And I've never eaten better in any restaurant anywhere! She doesn't let you go hungry, that's for certain! I can just picture all y'all there in the evenings, drinking a beer on the swing by the pond and shelling peas. That's what Cookie was doing today

FYI: it's easy to find, not far at all from an Interstate interchange.

Bertie's home is nearby and her garden is also to die for!


Oh, and, Marion? My house has a very FINE, long sofa that sleeps better than my bed, and a guest room with a nice comfy single bed, if y'all want to stop here on your way to Cookie's!!!! I don't cook as well as she does, but you won't go hungry here either! You just say the word, and I'll get them made up for you for on your trip up and back. [I explained to Cookie that I'd give y'all our king bed....but DH won't budge, he likes his bed, and I didn't think y'all would like that! LOL]

from here, the roads are fairly good, fairly easy, all the way to Cookie's. It's about 9.5 hours of driving from here, so a long day if you make as many stops as I did. I have to stop frequently to walk a wee bit, to keep the circulation going in my legs.

oh darn it all, Cookie. I just googled the driving directions from Marions to your place, to see how far off her route I would be. She's almost directly DUE South of your place. I'm a whole LONG state out of her way. Drat!

oh double drat! just re-read Marion's post. and even though Raleigh is due north of Bessemer FL, there's this pesky little OCEAN of water in the way. Georgia's and South Carolina's coasts concave inward. Google still routes Marion's trip on the western side of the Appalachians.

so if they can walk....or drive....on water, they can easily pick me up! ROTFL

from Cookie's place, I'm a solid 9.5 hour drive. From Marion's, it's only around 12.5 hours all due north. From Bessemer, it's 18.5 hours, NNW. That's a long drive just to Bessemer, Marion!

From Bessemer to here is 12.5 hours - because of the coastline, it takes the same amount of time to get to here from Bessemer as it is from Havana to Cookie's!

Crissy and Auntie M-glad you found good places-I just have issues;)

Judy-I like Ham, mush, onions, peppers and cheese. I am kinda particular about my omelets though....I am a weirdo!!LOL And for a shirt probably a 2X for me-need some room. Mom is having computer issues and I think she is a 3X, but will dbl check with her as I am probably going to see her tomorrow.

Holy posts Bonnie-LOL Glad you made it home safe and sounds like you were working for the Flinstones with all the rocks!!;)

Well, we did in fact have a wonderful time together. She is a true sistah!

Last I heard, Michael is planning on coming with Kathy and they will be driving. So maybe Marion will be able to do that 12.5 hour drive with Kim on Wednesday, or Thursday! :o) ^_^

Morning everyone!!! I feel like going back to bed, sleeping for an hour, getting back up and trying this again. LOL!!

I'll be flying in. I can't do long drives as I have problems with my feet.
Me think of being there Thursday/Friday and leaving on a Tuesday or Wednesday.

BBL.

Okay, come early stay late, that's my motto and I'm sticking to it!

WISH I WAS THERE RIGHT NOW - A/C is frozen up and it's 97 in the shade. oy vay

new hosta babies are getting trial by fire introduction to the south!

Bon, I would love to have been able to get you and thanks so much for the sweet offer of the sofa and bed--might surprise you one of these days. BTW, I too am putting in baby hosta and the weather is scorching these last few days. I do have plenty of shade to and a little cool form being on the lake.

What? Michael is coming with Kathy now? I haven't been in touch lately,bad, bad me ;-(, guess I should find out as it won't be long now before we come. Cookie, Kim and I won't do the drive all in one day as she has to be at school Monday until noonish Wednesday. Plans were to leave and drive as far as we could then come in on Thursday. Are you sure that isn't to early?

Going to check a few more threads and off to bed. Went to Gainesville and back for a funeral today and now I am bushed!!!!

No not too early. You may have to weed....or go to the grocery with me. But hey, what are sisters for?

----weeding----
Errr... I'll be there Friday :D

Weeding--okay, groceries--ok but I will know more the later part of this week about her schedule. The school has found some lost (?) money to install the language lab that was cut last year so she is required to be there to oversee that it is done the way she wants it to be.

she doesn't have that many weeds, sistahs! not like the jungle I have now.

I put down pre-emergant. maybe I put it down late, or not enough, but it didn't "take" and I've got jungles started everywhere!

Bonnie, know how you feel. I put some Roundup down to kill some trash vines and I they look like I fertilized them instead. Not a happy camper!!

Marion it takes about 2 days for the roundup to start killing the weeds, Dave uses Roundup and it drives me nuts because I want instant results! LOL

Crissy, kills more than weeds though...

Crissy it has been over a week and they are healthier than ever!! I took an old paint brush and painted them as I didn't want any overspray to get to my other plants--fat chance now it will do anything.

did y'all know that roundup has to be fresh to work? once it's about a year old or so, it starts chemically breaking down and doesn't work worth spit. the concentrate is better - it holds its strength longer. once it's diluted, you need to use it within a few months. and that goes for the already diluted, ready to use kind, too.

editted to add -

and if you're killing strong vines, Marion, like poison ivy, you use the concentrate and mix it at a 30% ratio. If that doesn't start killing them, then you mix it stronger, maybe 40%. I've killed the trees, using the regular roundup, that poison ivy was growing on and still not killed the ivy!

ever since Hurricane Fran came during the time when the poison ivy seeds were ready to disperse, and it downed a lot of trees, making more sunlight in places that had been densely treed and shady, NC has had a huge bumper crop of poison ivy.

This message was edited Jun 12, 2010 4:53 PM

Did not know that. Might be why mine did nothing. Learn something every day, thanks Bon.

Remember Jaye, you called Supervisor a long time ago. Your job is to sit on the swing and point....there's one....there's one...oh don't forget that one......

LOL - now THAT I can see....

too hot to do anything at all, and muggy as all get out. A/C is on the fritz, so we're just sitting next to the fans.

Bon I did not know that either! Dave buys the kind you have to mix yourself and he's out spraying something all the time, so ours never sits around, maybe just a few months in the winter when everything's dormant. There are lots and lots of poison ivy here too, I'm always having to pull it up in my front flowerbed and we keep it cleared from the property, but there's a whole bunch of it all around us. I don't think I'm allergic to it but Dave is big time. I hope you get your AC fixed soon, if it's as hot there as it is here be sure to get plenty of water, we're supposed to have a heat index of 105 today, it's already 96 at 10am!

It's hot AND sticky today. We got a heavy downpour last night. We had A/C problems when we first moved here, so have lots of fans. House is shaded in afternoon, t oo.

The folks that installed the new furnace system included a service contract. Turns out, no extra charge for Sunday service. In past, it was something simple Dad could handle in 5 minutes - he did A/C repair as a retirement career. He was able to diagnose by phone it is more serious this time. The service man is on the way already! oh yeah!

Crissy, just make sure Dave is mixing it strong enough for the poison ivy - 30 or 40%. regular strength is useless on the ivy.

I just spoke to Joan about the tour at her house. She said she charges garden clubs $75.00 but she gives a talk and then does garden plant identification and question and answers. I'm hoping you sisters won't mind chipping in for that. I also thought I'd invite the ORVG (Ohio River Valley Gardeners from DG) to come if they want. The more there, the less price per person. She also said that plants and treasures would be available for purchase that day, too. She suggested we get our lunch from Pannera which is just down the street and we could eat at her picnic table and she'd serve us iced tea. I think that's a great idea! Then she mentioned a great plant place about a half hour away, so you get your choice of Jungle Jim's or the plants. We may have to take a vote!

Jaye, why don't you think you could do the tour? Cause if it's the standing or walking thingy, I got ya covered on that!

Chipping in and chirping too!!! Now throw in a quilting shop for some of us later and you will definitely win the title of "Hostess of the Year". LOL
Whatcha say Jaye?

y'all, there's a LOT to see at Joan's, and a guided tour, with her there to tell ya what is what, would be well worth it. Throw in some iced tea and a table to sit at, and a few plants to sell, and whooppeeee!

Joyce, if shes' got any more columbines of interesting colors? That's the only plant that didn't make it here alive, her columbine I bought. Columbine not common around here, but my light rose pink ones sure proliferate!

hey y'all, I just got a warning notice from "paypal" about a "foreign entity" trying to access my paypal account. I sent it on to Randall.

he used his expertise and programming skill to check where it went to if responded to: straight to Hong Kong! Glad I asked him first, because this one looked really really legit.

Looking forward to seeing the gardens..might get some ideas..can't bring plants/shrubs back with me but I can enjoy seeing them..

I can't bring them back either, but I can take notes and oooo and aaahhh! LOL Getting even more excited here!