WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE MID-ATLANTIC FORUM?????

What a lovely picture. Not a weed in sight. I live on a Christmas Tree Farm and we just completed the worst year we have ever had since we opened for selling four years ago.
Our big tree field was pretty well picked out, so this year we had a Charlie Brown Sale of the trees that were not perfect. We did o.k. and then we brought some already cut trees in Douglas and Fraser Firs, which went well. But we still were down in sales big time. The website is http://www.rob-lynfarm.com if you want to look at it.
Here is my old jeep. I am 82 and go flying around in in this thing. Everyone knows
the old lady in the jeep. LOL If you look at the website, I am the little white haired chubby one in the front row. The rest are all my daughter and her husband's family. They all help during our Sale.
I think one of the things I like best is sharing my plants. I raise mostly tropicals and house plants. I have a neighbor who has a Farmers Market Stand. She studied at Longwood Gardens and has some really neat plants. My greenhouse is so small, but she does not have Jasmine, Gardenias or Christmas Cactus and I do, so we trade cuttings and plants and I really enjoy that. At my age, most of my friends are in nursing homes or dead and I think the younger people keep me going. Sorry to be so chatty. I ramble at times.

JB--

Go ahead and chat all you want....
I don't think I have ever written a short Post either....
Either I have something to say, explain, teach others, or share--or I do not post.
I really do not care for those 3 words kind of posts....like echoing what everyone else
has already said.

Your trees look nice--not a bunch of piled up, 3 month-old trees cut in August sometime.
Don't know if you have seen that I work in a HD. been there almost 13 years.
Our trees come in before Th-Giving. From Canada--I am not sure...

People have returned a few trees as they say that they dried up in a weeks time...
Of course--we take everything back--that is HD's policy. Must keep the customers satisfied.

Our tree prices range from $19.99 (6' Frasier) to $47.97 for the 8'-9' trees of fancier kinds.
We trim, and net the trees for the customer and help them load it on their cars.

I used to work in the garden Dept. but have been a Phone Operator for 7 years now.
In the Summer--I am in outside garden with my table and hold informational clinics on any topics
if a customer asks...I am the most informed garden person in my whole HD.
Nothing machinery or power tools--my mind just shuts down on those.

I love talking to people and giving them off the wall suggestions that I have learned
along the way and that are not your every day, book knowledge.

JB--You look great for 82. Super! see! hard work and dealing with all kinds of people keep one young...
I am almost 74 (March 5th). I have reached the point where i can brag about my age--and see the
surprise in peoples faces....Most think I am in the late 50's to mid 60's.

Here is my table from one of these years.....2009.

I choose a topic every Sunday--and then set-up. No one ever sticks to any topic.
I have a big sign re these Clinics in the vestibule of the main entrance so people know
What is going on.
I started this voluntarily to the 100% gratefulness of my manager. He thinks i walk on water!
I love him to death as well. For 3 years, I have been providing him plants and veggies
that I either grew from seed--rooted cuttings--or dug up something I no longer wanted...

I have all kinds of unusual plants--thanks to trades on DG and seed Swaps.
I have been growing for some years now--and gladly share cuttings, rooted or not,
and seeds. I have about 50 different seeds--most of them from my own garden.

In the "unusual" category--I have:

Brugmansias
Daturas
Red Epis
Ric-Rac cactus
Brazilian Plume Flower
Pregnant Onion
Climbing Onion
A lot of Thanksgiving Cactus
Night Blooming Cereus
Tall, perennial Red and white Hibiscus
Kopper King Hibiscus (Hybrid--does not make seeds)
South Afican Foxglove (new to me last 2 years)
hmmmmm...can't think of any more...

You can look at my trade list--but it seriously needs updating....Not everything is there.
Have to do that before our next Seed Swap end of February.

LOVE your jeep! Looks so neat!

Gita
PS See how Chatty I can get--but then this is a "Chit Chat Post"----


This message was edited Dec 23, 2010 1:57 PM

That is really a neat idea and I bet you are good at what you do. We had a lady come in the other day telling us she bought a tree at Lowes and it was not in her house a week and all the needles fell off. That is so sad. But, to chip from Canada so early is a gamble. I worry about fire when trees get so dry. Do you tell them to put them in water with a little sugar in it? That does help preserve them, but when they are so old you can seldom bring them back once they have dried out.
You have a great list of things on your trade. I must admit, seeds do not grow for me.
They sprout, but die. I usually overwater them I think. I have tried again this year with good seeds and ended up giving them to my neighbor since I could not grow them.
I started Pumpkin on a stick, ornamental egg plant, and out of them I got 4 plants. LOL
I am just not good at that.
I just had a very upsetting thing happen on the Cacti and succulent forum. I ask a question on the one forum and they told me I was off subject and to start my own forum.
Not in those exact words, but very close. Talk about giving you a smack in the head. God, So, I think I will start one for general discussion of Holiday Cacti and see how it goes. I am not sure I know how to start one though. I really have alot to learn and even though I have been doing this for years, there are other things I want to progress to and have questions. I hate rude people @#$$%^^&** yes, I still cuss at my age.
I tried Brugs too and I had about 12 of them and when winter arrived I had no place to put them, so I cut them back, brought them all in the house and babied them until Spring.
I put them out in the field and waited and they never bloomed so I gave them away. What a loser I am when it comes to some plants. At least I try and chalk it up to a learning experience.
This past year I bought one of these sweetshrubs. I am hoping it makes it through the winter. I also bought another a different color. When I was a little girl my grandma used to send me out to pick a shrub for her to put in her hanky to make it smell good.
Talk later and soon I hope. Hugs. JB

Ah Gita, I have a tendency to let discussions wander and never mind when one veers off in a different direction but some people do. Some of these Forums and threads really try to keep the discussions on point. So sorry they upset you.
I have to say that I love my Subaru Outback but we did have an old jeep years ago and it was so much fun to drive. I loved racing down the high way with the doors and top off. Such fun. I have been busy finishing up my Christmas wrapping and cleaning today. Pretty much every thing but the food is done for tomorrow nights get together of family and friends at our house. Christmas dinner will be at Josh's house.

JB--Do not give up on Brugmansia. They need to "Y" before they will ever bloom.
If you are just growing them fro random cuttings--and do not know if they were taken
from below, or above, the "Y"-you will just have to be patient until the stem does "Y".

As soon as it "Y"'s--they will put out bloom buds.
Any growth hence--wil keep on "Y: ing and blooming...

Holly--

I think you misunderstood what I meant. Totally!
I do not mind discussions wandering all over the place---and I am guilty doing it all the time...
I am just so chatty....That is what makes DG so special.
We learn by talking and discussing and--yes--sometimes wandering off topic.
If anyone has a big problem with that--then they have their panties in too big a bunch...

What I meant is that there are people who just have to Post saying---"WOW"...and nothing else....
Or--the 100's of people who reply to some threads by endlessly repeating--"Still praying for you"....

I always try to add something a bit more personal if I post something...
Does this explain things to you?

Gita

Thanks Gita, I appreciate the information but I have no room in the Inn for those babies just now. Hugs. JB

Gita, I have a climbing onion, too & would like to find out how to propagate it. Can you root a piece of the vine in water? Also, just wanted to let everybody know that at our Walmart (and probably the rest of them in the cold states), the manager insisted on unlocking the door to the greenhouse to allow more people in (another entrance) and the cold air really did a bad job on the plants and the majority of them are half price, so anybody get to Walmart, check the plants in their greenhouse. I picked up three today, two of them for $ 1.30 and one for $ 2.50. I can save them cause only a few leaves got frosted. Check it out! I am going back on Sunday when they have the clearance sale and might get more. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to everybody on DG!!!!

Oh Gita, I thought it was because you asked an off topic question and their response upset you. Yes DG is a great place to make friends and talk to our hearts content.

Buttoneer---

Depending on how old your Climbing Onion is--it should, eventualy, split into 2 onions.
You will be able to see it.....

Then--to propagate it--you would, gently, divide the onions and re-pot one in a separate pot...

That is the only way I know how to propagate this "onion"--which is NOT an Onion at all.
If I remember correctly--it is a member of the Hyacinth family. Check PF.

Gita

Good morning folks...just stopped in to say Merry Christmas to you all!

Good morning all, and Merry Christmas. Stopped in to give that wish. One of the best things of course is that when Xmas and New Years are over I can officially start thinking about Gardening again!!!! instead of forcibly denying myself all December.
Hall--that is so pretty, great situation for dogwood and redbud you have, and a reminder we're getting closer to spring!

Really nice picture Button, and Hall, that is a beautiful setting. So cozy looking. I miss Pennsylvania. I was born and raised in Lancaster County and boy it is sure different down here in wild and wooley New Jersey. I am happy here but I miss my old stamping grounds.

Sally, Do you know where Trojan Harbor is in Maryland? I had a houseboat there for years and loved it. Lived on it every weekend I could and much of the summer. No gardening on a boat but I had hanging baskets. LOL

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone. Stay well and warm and remember those who are fighting those wars to keep us safe. JB

Merry Christmas to all my friends in Mid-Atlantic forums.

The best part about where we live (other than the acreage) is we have no neighbors. ;)

Hallchinalady, Do you live in Perry County? (smile) We are close to the North Mountain in Carlisle and have two neighbors (we live down a lane) but get along with them. So glad to move out of Carlisle and out in the country with my DH 32 years ago. My Niece took that pix at the Showers Christmas party on 12/4/10.

JB- I don't kow Trojan Harbor but would think its peaceful on a houseboat, and easy to water the potted plants!!!

Buttoneer,
No, we live in Snyder County...a bit farther north..just the next county....

just stopping by to say hello and Happy Holidays!

(LadyG, luv your Christmas Greetings artwork)

Diana

It's ok by me to just chat about anything. Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays.

All our company just left we all had such a nice time tonight. I'm headed off to bed soon. Jamie and Deb are having problems with their heat so our GS JR is sleeping over. Santa will delever presents to his house and then his parents will bring them over to our house early tomorrow morning. What a nice Christmas morning we will have with a little one opening presents.
Just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas hope you all have a wonderful day.

Buttoneeer, you mentioned Perry County. We had about 150 acres in Perry County and I am trying to think of the little town that was the only town near us. It was a short name like Clay, no, something like that. I need to try very hard to remember. Maybe if I look at a map. Is there an Ickisburg, I think we went thru that to get there. Oh now, that goes back to the WWII days and you all are too young to remember that. I will get back to you on this one.
We lived there during hunting season. No bathroom, only outside toilet....man it was cold.
As a kid I loved it. Now, forget it. LOL. Have a wonderful Christmas everyone. Hugs.

I scanned the skys fore and aft as I went to bed last evening. While homed in on Germany this is what I saw. It's a German Blue Roof Stable built in late 1800's. Note all animals are alert to something happening on the roof. Merry Christmas to all.

Merry Christmas to one and all. I hope that today is extra special for everyone. So good seeing all of you posting here. A special hello to Wind, it has been a while since we have spoken. I hope that you and yours are doing well.

JB and Gita, I too am one who has a difficult time being concise. I know that I am all over the place whenever I post and my entries can become rather lengthy too. To each his own.

Thank you to those posting pictures. They always make things a bit more fun. I hope that everyone has a very enjoyable day.

Ruby

Cute picture Doc .... thanks for sharing.

I am about to leave to visit younger daughter (30 miles away) ... I spent Thanksgiving with her older sister in N Carolina (over 400 miles away).

I hope your day today will be one you will cherish.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all!

MARY

merry, good thing you're leaving today, I am now hearing inches of snow for Sunday all around me -- central MD

I had a wonderful visit witj younger daughter and grandkids today. Received many thoughful presents. Oldest grandchild showed me how to use some of the features on my new cell phone.

I am concern about Gita's return trip .... the forecast is now for blizzard conditions tomorrow afternoon ... and a foot of snow. Now when I left for my daughter's place ...forecast was for only 6 inches and for it to begin tomorrow evening.
So I am going to pray real hard that somehow the forecasts reverts to the one of starting in the evening and not in the morning.

Picture is of the 2 presents granddaughter in N Carolina sent (garden bench/kneeler and a mason bee house). She will begin teaching high school science after the winter break.

Mary

Merrymath, U are going to love that garden bench this spring & summer. I use mine all the time, even for gold panning. It's so great, I got one for my DH Bob but he doesn't use it but with his knees, I am sure he will be using it before long. Here is a pix of me taken this last summer, using the garden bench panning for gold. (remind me NOT to wear tank tops, unless they are made like a girdle. LOL)

This message was edited Dec 25, 2010 11:36 PM

Morning Everyone, Merry, I have one of those benches also and I use mine all the time do do everything. I used to be able to get down on my knees and get up without something to lean on, now I need something to help especially since my rt;. arm is weaker, so I use the bench in the gardening position and it works great. I also have the little carrier on the side full of things I need.

Oh I would love to pan for gold Button, where do you do that?

I have some plants to repot tomorrow but I may not be able to get it done if the snow comes in the depth they say. Wow, 12 inches is expected. To heck with that. I am not a snow bird, yet when I was younger I ice skated and loved to ski, plus sledding and all the winter sports. Funny how when your bones get old, that is no longer an option, so you decide to hate winter. LOL

Have a good day. I need to get busy.

Oh yes Buttoneer, the panning looks like lots of fun. My hubby and I visited a Ruby mine in North Carolina last May and had a blast. It is something that we will definitely try to do again. It was a very pleasurable way to the spend the day but I need to remember the sun screen next time.

JB, what an inspiration you are. What a go getter. Thank you for sharing the website and letting us get to know you a bit better. Always lots of fun for me to hear about the lives that others lead.

Gita, let us know what you decided on traveling. We have what looks like a bit more than an inch of the white stuff here this morning. Not sure the condition of the roads. Thankfully, other than my son going to work later this afternoon, we have no other committments and can stay safely snugged away here on the hillside.

Here is hoping that the upcoming week and the whole new year after that will be all that any of us can wish for.

Ruby

Buttoneer, I never though about the advantage of the bench being so portable because of its folding feature. i am sure others were envious during your gold panning venture... out in the cool water sitting on a nice padded bench.

I did go to the Dollar Tree (about 2 blocks away) about an hour ago. They have fresh bread delivered daily .... and I wanted to stock up on the vanilla capachino envelops ...plus they sell the $1.75 Sunday paper for $1.00.

When I returned home only a few small snow flakes were visible. It seems that areas closer and near the coast will really get hammered. So JB you will probably receive more of the white stuff than I will.

Yesterday, while driving to Maple Shade, NJ ...I noticed that they have apparently preped interstate 295 for this storm. You could see all these lines in the pavement .... apparently some sort of melting agent had been sprayed.

Gita, we want you to YELL real loud when you are back home.

MARY

Everyone--I am back!
No problems.. Easy drive and only one congested place--by the Newark toll booths.
They have a lot of construction going on there...
I have been gone from home since Friday morning.

My sister and I followed all the snow forecasts on TV. It seemed really scary--especially in Long Island and north.
Seems this storm is coming up the coast from the South and it is going to drop all it's vengeance in the upper NE.

Given all that--I got up at 7:30AM today had coffee and breakfast and left from Glen Ridge by 9:35.
Got home at 12: 30'ish. All unpacked and now to just catch up with the mail and DG.
Put about 450 miles on my car--as I drove to one of the get-togethers as well. A 45 min drive.

One thing that was not so great is that I have bronchitis. Don't know exactly when I started having it, but after work
on Wednesday, I decided I better go see a Dr.--as I was getting more and more
hot flashes" (not THAT kind!) and then small chills all over my body. Feelings of a low temp too.

Couldn't reach my Dr. Their office was closed. So I stopped in a "Patient First" on the way home.
They took an X-ray of my lungs--and all was OK. No wheezing either.
The Dr. attending to me prescribed an antibiotic that is especially for lung-type infections (Clarithromyacin)
to take 2 tabs once a day--and also a tiny gel capsule to control the need to cough (Benzonatate).
Well--that has NOT worked!
The prescription was only for a week's worth. SO? Is this supposed to go away after a week????
Today is day #4. Three more to go--and I cannot say I feel any better....It is SOOO tiring to cough all the time!
I am glad I am back home so I can deal with it any way I can--w/o bothering 25 other people.

Coughed my head off the whole time. Much of it "dry" cough until I coud cough something up.
Felt bad--as we visited a couple different daughter's homes. There were so many kids there--and all the daughters and their husbands....Sure hope I wasn't a "Typhoid Mary"......
I kept telling everyone to pleas excuse me--and said I had bronchitis and it is NOT contagious. (Is it?)
Cough---cough---cough--all day and night--it sure has worn me out.

Now--the snow is coming....Luckily, here in Baltimore, they have degraded it as a "warning"--not a fact.
Said we might get 2"-4". I can live with that! Going out in this blustery weather to shovel snow--
with my bronchitis will not be the greatest thing. No one else to do it......
I am still off Monday--then Tues. and Wed. I have to work.

When I upload all my pics--I might show you a few...There's a real good one of ME! So seldom....:o)

A belated Merry Christmas to you all...

Gita
will


I have been caoughing for a month now--so draining to always have to cough. Still going on.

Gits, glad the snow didn't mess you up. I'd say finish the antibiotic as planned (even tho it doesn't seem to have helped) and see when you can see your own Doc hopefully this week. Hope you get to feel better soon!

The snow has arrived and it is blowing sideways and is almost a white out at times. I have no idea how much it has snowed yet because it is blowing like crazy.

I made turkey noodle soup and turkey salad for the kids lunch and they never came home for lunch. Oh well....they did eventually get home and had stopped to eat on the way. McDonalds drive thru. So, they have soup for lunch to take to work and the salad whenever. LOL. They were held up trying to fix a generator at the Emergency Squad Bldg.

I am going to watch some TV and relax for awhile. Then I am going to sweep some snow off the deck so Barney has a path to his yard, which is covered now. Groan.

Stay warm, I think I will put a sweater on. I am getting chilly. Greenhouse is still standing and temp is 61 deg. Yahoo.

Welcome back Gita. So pleased you decided to leave early. It is snowing hard now ... and it is very cold .... I expect very hazardous driving conditions ... most of the roadways will be very icy. I hope a kind neighbor will do the shoveling for you.

I found a site that provides info on bronchitis (a little scary) and 14 home remedies.

http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/natural-medicine/home-remedies/home-remedies-for-bronchitis.htm

We are expecting over a foot of the white stuff .... but I do not have to do any shoveling ... I have a 22 yr old grandson living with me .... he is thrilled over all the forecoming snow ... hoping to make money clearing the snow of others.

I told him when the snow started to fall to move the snow thrower from the shed behind my detach garage to the garage and try to start it. He was not successful in starting it last winter. This summer my daughter's snificant other looked at it and found the only problem was no fuel. So he filled it with the prescribed mixture of gas and oil and after a few attemps got it started .... ran it for a bit ... boy did it smoke a lot a first ... he let it run until it stopped smoking and put it in the garage. I discovered it had a slow fuel leak and had grandson move it to the shed .... it is one with an electric start option. ... I did show grandson this morning where I placed the key to the snow thrower ... I sure hope he can get it started.

Radio just reported a lot of accidents in Newark, NJ area. And many roadways are sheets of ice. Thousands of flights canceled ... Eagles game in Philly postpone until Tue evening.

I took this picture about an hour ago. (view of back of house)

MARY

This message was edited Dec 26, 2010 4:11 PM

My real doc is aggressive with anything affecting my lungs. He hit me with steroids and antibiotics pretty hard. The fourteenth day was this past Tuesday. We both believe I am all cleaned up. I was back into the gym lightly Wednesday and will go lightly again tomorrow. Wednesday I will up the work load a bit. Yea!

Lots of sick people. Please get well soon. Many with bronchitis and it lasts forever. My cleaning lady has had it for three weeks, antibiotics and all and nothing works. She is a smoker.
Here is a picture of my south deck at 6 p.m. Still snowing and blowing sideways.

JB .... radio just announced the storm is in stall mode .... now said 2 feet or more of the white stuff is possible.
I hope you have snow boots for Barney.

I'm concern about my grandson .... he flew the coop ... no idea where he is .... and he has not responded to my text messages.

MARY

Merry--

I looked at the link....Seems I am wrong in thinking that it is not contagious.
My poor relatives and all the kids! I was coughing so often!

Anyway--I wonder why the Dr. gave me antibiotics? How did she deduce whether it was viral or bacterial???
Maybe just from me relating the onset history?

Anyway--a sort of progression....

In mid-October, I got my yearly Flu Shot. Literally, the next morning--I started coughing..`
Since I usually have AM allergies to my house (mildew...mold...dust...) I just thought it was part of that.
This light coughing went on for almost a month.

Then--4 weeks ago--I woke up on a Saturday morning very stuffed up and really sick. Coarse voice,
serious congestion, yukky feeling and a temp of about 100.2*.
I called out to work on that Sunday. A rare thing to do.....

I think this hardenr coughing, light chills and "hot flashes" and low-grade temperature finally
made me think something was wrong. I knew it had to be an infection of some sort--just from my symptoms.

So, I went to the patient First Clinic.....This was only 4 days ago--(last Wednesday) and I, probably, was walking around with beginning bronchitis for close to a month.

I feel somewhat better by now--no chills, no hot flashes....but the cough still persists-even though it is looser..
Funny--(not really), but in the literature that came with my antibiotic prescription,
one of the side effects of the antibiotic I am taking is a stuffy nose.
The other is a change in taste. I take the pills late in the evening--and into the next morning,
I have this awful, bitter taste in my throat.

If this does not clear up by Wednesday--I will call my own Dr. and see what she thinks....

Thank you all for caring...I just feel bad that I was contagious and I said to everyone not to worry--it was not.
I held small kids on my lap, gave hugs coming and leaving, coughed everywhere I was, etc....

Gita

I'm relieved. Grandson is back. Seems he went sledding with friends. Whew!

He and freinds are presently thawing out. He has the entire 2nd floor (2 very large rooms, 1 small room + full bathroom) to himself ... and has turned it into an apartment setting. He has his own refigerator upstairs .. a small freezer in basement ... use my range and oven for cooking.

He apparently lost his cell phone while sledding. He discovered this when I told him I was concern about him because the roadways are so icy and had sent 2 text messages ... then finally called and left voice mail to call me. He is most upset because of all the phone numbers stored on it that are for the most part not stored anywhere else.

I am thankful he is safe.

MARY

JBerger--Holy moly!! The storm completely missed us here but for an inch of powder.

Mary--I can sympathize. "Kids" will take the cell everyhere and don't think to secure it. My own DS lost keys sledding last year. Other son dropped phone in park last week, thankfully no snow just leaves, and we found it. If he finds it and its wet, he might save it by putting it in a container with FLoral Dessicant (silica?) I've rescued two that way!

Gita- stay hydrated. Feel better!