Accessible Gardening thread # 11(?)

Carrie have a bushell of fun!!
Sheri, I knew better than to say pot plants. I've been kidded about that before. It's just so much easier to type potplants than container plants that i digress sometimes. LOL
Yvonne did'nt go to counseler(She was sick) She did manage to borrow my car and go grocery shopping last night.
I'm not making another appointment together. I think our counselor will shut her off from any counceling. I've had it with the whole family.
That dadgum bank still has a hold on my account. They told me maybe tomorrow, Have i mentioned i'm changing banks when this mess is straightened out. I was so depressed i did'nt do anything useful yesterday. Maybe tomorrow. I'm going to Ozark the 4th. I wanted to spend the night at a motel but they were all booked up.The closest motel was in my local town.LOL
Von is using the car tomorrow to take a sick kitten to the vet.
Vickie

Good Morning everybody, I just popped in to say hi and Thanks for the Prayers. My ear is still swollen shut but not pounding as bad. I do not know what kind of bacteria got in there but it must be a humdinger. I have never had earaches before. My poor DD has always had them. I will take her to the DR at first mention from now on because I would never wish this on anyone. I have been wondering if fibromyalgia makes every illness worse. I feel like a baby whining over an earache but it has pounded for days. It has been worse than any tooth ache I ever had and I had alot of those.
Yard work and flowers have been forgotten during this so as you may guess my yard looks awful. My bro cut grass but there are things I do not trust them to do such as deadheading and pruning or weeding. They are all weds to these guys. Of course, I have been known to plant weeds as long as they have pretty flowers.
So, that is the jest of what is happening here in my world. It will be a long weekend because everyone will be working or gone. I just made a pitcher of tea and head for the backporch where I will watch the birds, bees, and the butterflies. That is all I feel like doing. Love and Prayers, scraps

Mornin Scraps,

This is Sarge Happy 4th Of July Many Prayers My Troop Unit is Here With me this Weekens 212 of them 42 States . we are All prayen for the Folks on DG that Need Prayers Yep I do Have a Big Screen with My Laptop Hooked up so we Can talk to the folks that did not make it home yet it is Awesome and we are having a Good time .

You take Care Scraps

Much Love From

The Sarge

Sarge, you guys make us all proud. Have a GREAT weekend!

Debra

There are a few shots of the group on the porch thread in the parking lot fourm . i'll have a few mor as we git them voted on for posten . thank you for all the support that all the DG folks Give the US Troops .

Sarge & Troops Hooah




Our Hero's Wear's Boots

Hello everyone, I am much better Thanks for the Prayers. I can hear again out of my left ear. It was a bad round for me. I never had anything like it before. I hope you all had a great fourth of July.

Sarge, Thanks for the Prayers and it sounds like you had a great time. I just took it easy because the hubs had to work and I took the day to be a lazy kind of holiday.

gotta check on supper. scraps

good to see you up and about Scraps ,





last night date bad did not set the camra

You had some beautiful pictures Sarge.
Glad your earache is better scraps. I weedeated a couple feet of yard today. Now it'll rain a couple of days. Which is good.
I bet Carrie is having a great time. I can cash checks again. What a beautiful feeling.
Have agreat day tomorrow.
Vickie

thank you Vickie,

i hope to have a better camra by next year one that is faster recovery on photos so I can git some better shots we are looking at bringing in son 6 & 8 inch canons to shoot off firworks and 2 - 10" big ones it should be quite a show . in addtion to all the rest we had this year.

Sarge

Got the results back from the medical test the VA did. They say surgery would not help. There is too much stenosis. Narrowing of the spinal canal.
Carrie, I don’t know if it is applicable in your case, but stenosis can cause your legs to feel hot (or cold) It might explain the odd symptoms you’ve been experiencing.
So, I’m just going to have to learn to deal with the pain long term. I’m back on all the painkillers and muscle relaxers. I was just too much of a grump without them. Can’t afford to alienate the folks who are acting as my strong back and legs.
The VA offered me physical therapy, but I would have to make a 2-hour drive (one way) to go to the sessions. Think I will decline their kind offer. I think having to drive that distance would nullify any benefits of the therapy.
Glad you are feeling better, Scraps. Ear aches are the worst!
Sounds like you had a fine Independence Day weekend, Sarge. Expecting a twenty-something live-in guest in a few days so I’m enjoying the peace and quiet while I can. :-)
Vickie, I wish there were an island we could send all our dysfunctional relatives to so we didn’t have to do damage control. Or, an island we could escape to?
Hope you are doing okay, Katie. (Jim)

Jim- the VA offered me the same PT bargain (the one that involves a 2hr drive each way). I explained the same feeling that you expresssed - that the 4hr drive would surely negate any possible benefit from any therapy session. My wonderfully compassionate Dr said to me. "So I'll have to put that you are refusing therapy".
That's just the tip of the iceburg of why I have the oppinion I do of the VA. Yep, I'm unfortunately thinking those blue words that I wish I didn't know.

Sheri

Carrie, hope you are back soon. :-) I registered with patientslikeme. Guess the login? yup, limited imagination, that's me. it is, of course, lovemyhouse

Debra

I'm baaaaaaaack!

Welcome back, Carrie.

We are getting the plants that I brought back in the ground. It is a little cooler than usual this year; so far I haven't had the air conditioning on. The new bouganvillas are taking off. We have abour four new ones to get in. We do a stack of tires, fill them with dirt and put a bouganvilla in the top to make our non-fence. the stacks are about four feet high and will be filled in in front with dead palms, seaweed, and other goodies hauled in my new-to-me trailer (when it's not too hot). The tires are backed with scrap wood and the arroyo drops off so it will provide a good block against trespassers

Tony is, as always, very helpful. His father is failing. In spite of having numerous brothers and sister, most of the care of their aging parents comes to Tony.

I'm still catching up from my trip north. It always takes a couple of weeks.

hugs all around, katie

So glad Carrie and Katie are back. Carrie i hear your climate has turned into the tropics this year. Like Katie, We're having cooler than normal temps so far. I had hoped to get off camping today but it's raining so hard will probably have to wait again. If it quits raining i should pick plums anyway.
Katie, Where do you get the tires? I think it'd be easier to make a rock filled tire stack for us. I'm sorry about Tonys father. Hope he's not in a lot of pain.
Sheri, You're doctor is a jack#ss.
Jim, Sorry about your pain prognosis too. No one seems to be doing any research on it either.
Have you heard that postage is supposed to go up another 2 cents in January? Bummer!!!
Sarge, You have an in with some army bigwigs. Help the vets out with medical care. Am just kidding, Know it's a political thing.
Have a great weekend all.
Love you guys,
Vickie

Vickie,

D- Mail Mail Me I'll See what i can do to help you out !

Sarge

Sarge, It's not for me but the rest of our vets here. I don't qualify. I was just the cheerleader.

Vickie, we could use cheerleaders. I'll see if I can find you some red, white and blue pom-poms and a camouflage cheerleader outfit. :-)
What kind of rooster is that, Sarge? I once asked a lady what her pet chicken's name was and she very sweetly told me Sunday Dinner.
Welcome back Carrie and Katie. Hope you both recover soon. (Jim)

.

His name is Peeper he is a Silkie

Sarge

I have some camouflage material. Don't tempt me.
Katie, Hows that arroya coming. If you could water them would Daylillys grow there. Do you get mail there or in San Diago?
It's still raining here. but supposed to quit next week.
Did i ask if everyone has any walking onions. I'm ashamed to say i packed some up for someone and today found i had'nt mailed them. I really thought i had.
Plums still are'nt ripe enough. Maybe tomorrow. I'll pit and boil and freeze them and make jelly later.
Jim have you built that swimming pool for Kay yet?

Hi Everybody,

It's heating up here. Soon I will hibernate in a room with air conditioning. I am grateful I haven't had to do this yet. Usually, I'm lucky to make it to June 1 without turng it on.

Tires are obtained in the open dumps which we still have here. I think I'm known locally as the crazy American who goes to the dump to pick stuff up. Often lots of blue bottles there.

Vickie, I have a spot where daylilies might make it but it's not ready for plants yet. Maybe in the fall. I love them.

Got a couple extra hours of sleep last night. I'm still recovering from the trip.

My van wouldn't start yesterday so Tony dropped me at my friend Saul's store and Saul gave me a ride home with my groceries.I gave him the grand tour, including my apple tree which has one apple on it (the second one fell off and is in my kitchen).

I'll probably work in my outdoor plant room today if I ever wake up. Lots of seeds to plant and little lants to pot up.

katie

Blue bottles! I love blue bottles!

hello everyone, I am sorry but have been down with a sinus headache for days now. Carrie, welcome back hope you had fun. Glad you had a safe trip.
Jim, I am so sorry to hear the news but I am in the same boat buddy. Here we say up the creek without a paddle. That is the story of my life. I also have the fibro which makes the pain worse. So I will be your biggest cheerleader. If you find something that actually helps with the backpain pass it on and I will do the same. Have you ever read up on reflexology. I have a book called Foot Reflexology I think it is by Mildred Carter(a neighboor borrowed it ) and my hubs can massage deep on the inside arch of my foot and it really helps. It is just getting him to take the time to do it. If you can get your foot in your lap you can do it yourself but I am to stiff these days.
Katie, I am glad to hear you had a safe trip and I will be praying for tony's dad.
Sarge, Glad you had a great time with your buddies. I know that is meaningful after all you have been through together in the service.

My biggest worries now is getting rid of hornworms on my tomatoes. Any ideas?
Have a goodweekend everyone, scraps

I am convinced that my Trigger point massage therapist has the cure for fibro. Well, God and her. The sessions are not inexpensive by any means. But the end result, for me is sure worth it and continuing with her is going to be a priority in my recovery and renewal (or strengthening) plan.
LOL...TY Vickie for your confirmation on my VA Dr's status or personality.

hugs all around,
Sheri

My DH has no insurance right now and is going to try to reactivate his VA status for medical care - is this a bad idea? How long do you think it will take?

Carrie, I'm no VA expert, but I think some insurance is better than none?

Debra

I would recommend that any Veteran looking into disability thru the VA contact their local AMVETS office. Also there is a veterans benefit booklet that explains all the different categories in which veterans are placed for priority of care. It is available by calling any veteraans Administration office.

Vickie, virtually any small company that sells and replaces tires is happy to let you take what you need from the stacks of old tires they have lying around. They must pay to have them hauled away so you benefit them as well as yourself by cutting the number down. I talked to the owner the first couple of times I did a pick up. These days permission consists of a smile and a wave in the direction of the tire stacks. One day, I’m going to surprise him by actually buying new tires from him. LoL. The last time I picked up a truckload, the young men who did the work of changing the tires loaded them for me. (LOL. Can’t guarantee you’ll get that lucky.) The stacks of old tires inevitably collect rain water and can create a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The work bay was open so the poor guys were getting bit while they worked. That is an excellent reason not to take more in a single load than you can process in a timely manner. After the tires have been filled with earth, mosquitoes and other creepy-crawlies aren’t an issue. You can process them down all sorts of ways or just fill them and use them for erosion control. When you and Tony finish the arroyo, Katiebear, could you send him up this way? LOL. I need to find a Tony! It is a lot of work, but it is one of those everybody wins things so there is something satisfying about it.
Carrie, from what I've seen, anything associated with VA is S-L-O-W. But, with the high cost of medical care, I don't know what we would do without it. The VA offers a 2-week residential program to teach chronic pain management. I'm encouraging Jim to try that. Certainly can't hurt.
Blessings to all. (Kay*
Photo: Flipped tire painted yellow. Planted with ferns and caladiums.

Uh...scuze me, but there is no 2 week chronic pain management program available in any NC VA facility. My best guess is that The larger VA hospitals may offer this but the VA per say does not, at least I could not locate any or obtain confirmaton of any from the VA.

At Jim’s last yearly assessment with the VA hospital in Montgomery, the doctor who did the psychological portion of the assessment tried to talk Jim into going through a 2-week program at a pain clinic in Tuskeegee. Jim didn’t bother learning the details at the time. He was entirely focused on the possibility of surgical correction.. I will get the details at his next appointment and pass the info along. The way the doctor was talking made it sound like it was something his VA benefits covered. I hope recent budget cuts haven’t killed the program. Kay*

Hello everyone, I had a busy day but wanted to pass on a comment my nephew made today just to make you all see why I struggle to have a flowerbed of anykind. It is hard for me but I love the flowers and kids do not get to see them much anymore. Busy parents do good to have shrubs these days. Anyway my nephew seems to love flowers despite his dad's dislike of them.
He said, " Aunt sesame, you got sum purdy flowers that make me shiver they so purdy. I am so glad you got a place for the butterflies to play." He was commenting on some cleome that he thought was just fantastic. He shakes when he is excited. He looked like he was freezing he shivered so bad with excitement. It made my day. He always comments on them when he sees some blooming but he was just wild about the cleome and all of it's little small seed pods. There were bees and butterflies all around it and he thought I was so great for making a place for them to play. I will try to save some seed for many more next year. It was well worth it for me to see that smile. I just wanted to share my joy with you guys.

Kay, How hard is it to flip a tire wrongside out like that? Is it a female friendly type chore or a big man kind?
goodnight all, scraps

Good question, Steph, and how much soil does it take to fill it and what kind of paint does one use?

http://www.wuvie.net/tireplanter.htm
Steph and Carrie, the above is a link on how the make old tires into plant pots. It was written by a 40-something woman. The only suggestions I would add to this link is to go for well worn ATV or riding lawn mower tires with that “sweet spot” she mentions. (An especially thin and pliable spot) They are low pressured tires which make them easier to manipulate and the size is more manageable. You develop a feel for COAXING the tire into turning inside out with a minimum of force after you’ve done a few. She recommends using a knife for the whole job, but I use a utility knife only to make an initial piercing large enough to insert the blade of an electric jigsaw. I’ve used the spray paints as she suggest. But, I’ve also just used outdoor house paint. That is only because, if you do many, it is more economical and, I use a LOT of old tires here. If you’re just doing one or two containers, the spray paint is probably the way to go. How much soil they contain varies wildly according to the size and shape of the tire. I would say the smaller ones I’ve done contain about two gallons.
Jim had a frustrating day. He spent the morning searching Lowes, HomeDepot, Sears and several other places looking for a replacement for the special tool needed to change blades on his table saw. One of the special sized wrenches you need to change blades came with the saw, but it appears if it gets lost or broken, you are out of luck. They could only suggest he buy an entirely new saw. No one had a replacement. That didn’t sit well with him so he ended up grinding down one of his good wrenches to make it fit. LOL. They do say “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” He replaced the blade and got the saw working and finished all the carpentry work in the den. I suppose I should be nice and make him a special meal. Gee, if I had known in advance this being a very nice person stuff would be so much work I might have remained a cantankerous old hermit. LOL. Too late now. Kay*

Give Jim a hug from me. Now send me one .... my MS has been recategorized. DH said this has been true for years but all I heard was the STABLE part and not the CHRONIC PROGRESSIVE part. So now, apparently, I don't have relapsing-remitting MS with no remissions, I have STABLE chronic progressive MS. R-R is the most common type, I guess, It's the "normal" type. Chronic progressive is the bad kind, except mine is stable and it's NOT MINE. Anybody hear a little denial?

If stable, what is the practical difference between the two. Is it expected to progress eventually or do "they" think it will remain stable?

????? I don't think anyone dares make predictions with MS. It's just kind of scary. I guess it means it's stable (for now) but if it ever got UN stable, it wouldn't go back to politely having a relapse every few years, it would PROGRESS.

Carrie, here is an ENORMOUS bear hug that is totally pain free. That’s the best thing about cyber-hugs. They can be both. (Jim)

Carrie, it is deeply frightening. Mine is supposed to be R-R with a permanently level impairment, but, after the symptom changes and increases this year, my new internist said it will progress. Just might be years and years between progressions. I think that is the hardest part, the not knowing. Echo hug...

Debra

Carrie, I would be worried about you if you WEREN’T a little scared. Only the very stupid and the stark raving mad don’t feel fear of the unknown. I would be more than a little cranky And nootterribly apologetic about it for a while.
I would also be worried if you didn’t feel angry. The situation life has dumped on you ISN’T fair! Fortunately, we aren’t required to accept such things. Just
Acknowledge their existence and cope with as much grace and humor as we can muster.
It’s true the world has never been fair to anyone. No one gets out alive and scaved. But, the fact so many of us still strive to make it so is a big part of what makes us human. Who knows, it may even be possible we will succeed one day. But, you don’t have to believe that to believe victory is possible. Having victory over the world’s unfairness doesn’t mean you have to make life play fair. Victory is achieved simply by not letting what the world does to you change you into a person you don’t really like or respect. You are a likable, respectable person so it looks to me like you are succeeding Does that make any sense? Jim says he gets it. But, he has heard me give this sermon many times in many forms.
That concludes today’s sermon. Go in peace. (Kay)

Sorry, windows did a major update today and caused us all kinds of gremlins in both computers LOL.

This message was edited Jul 14, 2010 8:25 PM