Your Neck of the Woods part5 11/122013

thanks, Sally! I remember reading about this. We definitely need more events like that one.

And sorry to hear about that stink bug--ewww!

You all always make me grin! LOL @ Sally & Roses, especially.

Santa is bringing lots of goodies (most of which I still need to wrap!), including a large DOLL HOUSE. Now, I was never a doll person, still am not, but Joyanna plays with dolls of all sizes, almost nonstop. At 4, she's the perfect age for a "big gift" like that from Santa. :-)

Jim has a batch of spaghetti sauce underway in the Nesco. We freeze it also, so a few years back we started making it 16 quarts at a time! We'll send most of this batch home with his folks, who are visiting this week. Hmm, maybe I should get out the pressure canner instead of freezing this batch? Well, actually, they're pretty used to pulling it out of their freezer, so best not to change things!

Hey, it just started SNOWING!!!

Anybody want to weigh in on whether Feb. 1 or Feb. 15 would be a better choice for the Seed Swap?

Jill, we still have either date open.

Merry Christmas one and all

Holly and I both wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Happy Holidays to all.

Jill--
You are planning the seed swap awfully early this year????.
Don't we usually have it near the end of February?

Got a card from JB today with her picture on it as well as her beloved
dog--"Charle"

Here she be--in case you want to see this wonderful lady.

Happy New Year to you all! Gita

Either date works for me.

I meant "early" in the month of February......NOT like.."lets do it in March!"...

When was it last year??? Feb. what? Just not ready yet for so soon, I guess....:o

I'll take my 10 lashes......G.

Oh.
Feb 1 , we can't make, 15th can do.

I think we've had the seed swap early Feb, mid Feb, and late Feb. I was leaning toward the 15th, myself, unless there were a lot of folks planning Valentine weekend events. ;-)

I havne't really started thinking about it myself, but I know in the past I've had people asking about a date right after Thanksgiving, so when I had the calendar out for something else the other day, I took a look...

Jill, either day is good for me. I am looking forward to seeing everybody!

It has been quite a few years since I winter-sowed anything last time. I am considering doing that this year. Haven't decided what seeds I will use though. Not that I need more plants, hahaha!!

valentines plans...pffft LOL
Oh, of course we do, so we will have the Miller Val-apalooza on the actual day thank you...

Winter sowing is all I'll do this year. I usually have hundreds of seeds in trays and under lights by now. I've been too busy to get this started and I actually do not feel bad about it. I'm enjoying the freedom of being able to leave the house for a few days now and then. Couldn't do this and leave them unattended in the past because all the setting up would have been for naught!!

Jill, Maybe send a blast and see who can't attend on the 15th.

Happy Holidays one and all!

Jill, the 15th sounds like a good date for the seed swap, but I'm ok with any of the weekends in Feb.

I will be having surgery on my foot the end of January so might not make it to the seed swap.

Weather permitting, we can make it. This is like being thrown from a horse for me. I'm getting right back on.

Cat--
What kind of surgery are you having? if you don't mind me asking....

Hope you can wobble to the Swap. The food is very good!

Have you ever seen these scooters that you can put one leg bent
on the "cradle" and push with the good leg? Kind of like a kids scooter
but the bad leg would be up in the "cradle"....

Hope you know what I am talking about.....G.

AHHH--They are called "Leg walkers"---or "Leg support Scooters"
I think one of the sites said you can rent it for $35 per week. Ask your Dr.

https://www.goodbyecrutches.com/all-products/scooters-and-walkers/turning-knee-scooter?gclid=CIysp77r0bsCFYEDOgodHkAA-Q

amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=leg+scooter&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=3135173961&hvpos=1t3&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1471036222130927250&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_3mdr22bmqx_b

Gita

Catbird, it wouldn't be a seed swap if we didn't have someone wearing a foot cast! ;)

Buttoneer, great to hear that you'll be joining us again!

I can't remember if I had my foot surgery right before or right after the seed swap. I do remember too well going to 3 flower shows in a chair or walker. NO fun, especially Philly.

Achtung, Pozor, ¡Atención, Attention!!!!

I just purchased a non-refundable 14" laptop case. (For those of you local to me there is an Office Depot in Laurel off of Route 1 that is closing, cases are 50% off) It seems I misjudged the size of my laptop by an inch or two. If anybody has a 14" laptop and would like a sleeve for it DM me and I'll send you my purchase. It zips up to enclose the laptop to protect it from dust.

I believe it is grey. (will check)

A link to something similar to it.
http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/822867/Case-Logic-14-Laptop-Sleeve-Assorted/

I will edit this post to add more details later today and will delete it when it is has been claimed.

No lap top of any dimension. Good luck Paul.

Aspenhill, found a plant called 'tortoiseshell; ranunculus ficaria
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/2602/

Spent a bit of time yesterday working on a new craft project. A wall hanging for the Grands BR. I got an old window frame from Josh, he put new glass in it for me. Spread some E6000 glue on the glass and spread out some of our beach treasures, all collected from the beaches we have been to. Then sprinkled some beach sand all over it and let it dry over night. Today I dumped off the loose sand brushed it all off and had Ric hang it in the Grands bedroom. Here is a couple of pics.

Love it!!
Do you varnish the shells?
I need to immerse myself in something. Oh, since I found my sewing scissors, I can make the baby bibs I started to do last week.
I spent some time putting stuff in donation boxes. I am slowly weeding out stuff. the ever ongoing management of stuff...

I sprayed the shells with a gloss sealer and the frame, driftwood and star fish with a matt sealer.

Holly--

That is so beautiful! What a treasure of memories....Great idea to do this...

I have a small crate full of Conch shells--big ones and smaller ones--
from Acetigue(sp?) island when we were there in late fall, 1964.
I remember the date as I was 4 months pregnant with Aina--she is 48 now...
We picked up all these shells on the beach. And--here they sit! In boxes.
I had thoughts of making some night-lights out of the bigger ones.
I think I did one--but forget who I gave that one to.

I used to bring home rocks from our early trips....have several small boxes
with them. From Stevens Pass in WA, from Homer, Alaska (my Sister's town),
such beautiful, smooth, rocks from Bishops Beach there--all water polished like mirrors..
Our 1st trip--she took us up some Mt. pass to an old, abandoned gold mine.
My DH even pulled out a rusty nail from the railroad tracks.

Was planning to make some kind of desk weights/decorative things from all these--
HA!! never did.
From the last trip the three of us (sisters) went to Latviain 2008, I collected different
pieces of driftwood from all the beaches we went to. Was going to make a wall hanging
with some accent pieces i also bought. Also--got small pieces of Amber to hang from
the driftwood pieces.....all hung with fish line..I thought thy would represent our tears--

NOTHING has ever been made! I hate this about myself.....I plan--I KNOW what
I will do--and then never do anything. It is like I am mired in quicksand....

OK! I ventured off again. Good night all! Gita

Coleup, I like the tortoiseshell. Keep the ideas coming for my turtle garden! For Christmas, Mike gave me a granite bench and a bird bath with two turtles in the bowl.

Holly, cool project. Looks great.

Teri, did you take pics yet?

Ric, no pictures yet. Mike had to work on Sat, and it was raining too hard on Sun to move the bench and bird bath down to the garden. Will try to do it this weekend and get some pictures then.

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply, Do It Now, just wanted to share the event. LOL

You are too funny. I didn't take it that way. In my mind I was anxious to get the new presents down to the turtle garden to see how it will look, and calculating when Mike would be able to help me - which is usually much longer than I want LOL.

you guys----: ^D

Went this morning to get a trailer load of coal. We were getting down to about a weeks worth and with possible bad weather coming in it was best done today. Going down to unload now. Have I mentioned how much I hate heating with coal!!!!!!! LOL
Edited:
Things to be thankful for:
I have enough $$ to pay for fuel for my home.
No matter what the weather brings my home will be warm and I will have a way to heat food and water.
Physical exercise is both good for mind and body and I am physically capable of unloading a ton of coal.

This message was edited Dec 31, 2013 12:59 PM

See why she's my sunshine?

Definitely apparent!!

Holly, you go girl! I need to motivate and get more wood over to the basement door for the wood stove. A nice toasty fire sounds good to me right about now.

she's a peach that
Holly