Thoughts for MaVie

Don't Wingnut and Kenny live in Texas, too?

MVR -- you guys will have a great time at that roundup, and by the time it happens maybe you'll be all moved into your new place and feeling more settled.

Man, that's really a shame about Meiyu -- please tell her I said "hi," and that I'm thinking about her and praying for successful surgery and for all-around good health to be hers.

Am, of course, continuing to pray for you and wish you all the best in your move and your total life, my friend.

Aimée... am sure there is more, am a wee bit tired from cleaning the house. i just got back the 1st time i responded tonight. am sure Eyes knew most of them. btw Brugnanny is also in Austin. am not too familiar with the area, so i will leave all the planning to u Ladies. more than likely, i might hang around for two weeks if not more or less... dependent on how airlines schedules are and how things get settled in the new house.

Bonnie, it really is a darn shame how things are happening to Meiyu these days. i feel bad for her, but she is too far aways to reach. she told me there was a time, she was in so much pain, she had to result to taking her medication that made her sleep most of the time. one day, she woke up late in the day, her housekeeper did not show up, she and her mom were so hungry, she has to result to calling her friends to bring them something to eat. well, i guess that part has been solve for a while. i gave her some easy to do recipes that practically cook by themselves in a crockpot. wish i could do more, but am praying that things are much better for Meiyu and her family.

It's great to hear that your house things are coming on MaVie.

Your new place looks lovely, and I can imagine you going nuts with plants all over the place.

I hope your phone gets fixed up soon, so you can get your eBay kicking again.

All the best

Well,after these days' toss,MaVieRose,
you,a poor lonely bird,
have finally found a nest to perch in.
Cheer up,dear! ):

Oh MVR that place so perfect for you wow so nice house and yard so when you move in so please email me to send me your new addy ok. =) I would like to send you something. :) Thanks for show us the photos so beautiful look like peace and quiet place.

MaVie, do you have any concrete dreams yet for what you would like to grow in the spring? Please keep us updated on how we can help contribute to your housewarming (by mail, if not in person :)

UPDATE: Dec. 24th, rcvd email confirmation dsl will be installed Friday, Dec. 27th... that means we should be out of the apartment completely by Sunday Dec. 29th. Monday, we should be completely settled in the new house.

the post office box we keep, as a permanent address. we are only moving physically from location of abode, not the snail mail addy.

each day we visit the new place, i sneak in some plants on the van... so literally all the brugs and tropical plants are now resident to the enclosed back patio. most of the succulents and geranium are in the front patio.

as for plans where and what the physical plan for spring is still beyond me, as i am too bushed each day goes by. temporarily there is a gate on the other side of the front lawn... where i do intend to make rows of brug trees. then on the ground i will planting low growing perinneals like gazania, snap dragons to hold the moisture in for the brugs. at the back, immediately infront of the barn, i will be planting the daffodils and other bulb plants. to the east of the house... where it will be partly sun and shade, i will be planting gingers, cannas and other shade loving plants. along the fences on the east side.. will be morning glories. on west side of the barn, there is already an established grape vine. along the fence on the other side of the grape vine i will be planting some passiflora. in between these two fences will be the veggies garden for the summer.

on the west side of the back porch is a westeria tree that has its own trellis. below the trellis is where the herb garden will be. these are thought forming in my head each time i visit the new place.

i am physically and emotionally ran down, but my spirits are high cause i know next week i will be a peace once and for all! then from there i will start working on how the new spring garde will appear.

thanks for thinking of me. although am physically beat up, i know my DG family is here for always to treasure with me this new found haven. belated Merry Christmas everyone, there is no holiday for me as i wanted this move to be over and done with... it's too emotionally and physically straining.

I'm so glad you will be moving soon, Ma Vie. There is still plenty of time to build your garden. You've already begun building it in your mind. Meanwhile, rest your body and soul, once you're into the new house. I think this is a good thing, and once the mental & emotional strain is past you, the phyical labor outdoors will be welcome.

This is certainly good news. You must be exhausted! Keep thinking of a date three months from now, when you'll be all settled in and starting to plant again.

Hoping that the move goes smoothly and that you can get some rest. Your ability to arrange plantings in your mind, I envy. My yard looks like a garden gnome ran amuck.
Please take care and have a peaceful New Year in your new home.

MVR, I share your fatigue! Although we are doing things we want and need to do, it surely takes a lot of energy. You rest and don't get run down, because we don't recover as rapidly as we did just a few years ago. Wouldn't want you to fall victim to some opportunistic bug and lose a lot of time. If I can slow down, you can, too, and I definitely have slowed down. It's so exciting to take this journey with you!

MaVieRose,

New Home
New Hope

Courage,I warrant
You C A N do it!

Mavie, today you should be in your new home. What fun and exxcitement await you. Let us know how the move went.

We need to have a cyber house-warming for MaVie. I will bring some punch and some Idaho potato salad.

Oh, great idea! I will bring barbecued pork ribs and some of my special baked beans. And seeds for wildflowers from Texas, as well as caesalpinia pulcherima.

I will bring some double purple Datura seeds that rootdoctor shared with me. And a start of several hosta's too that she can plant in the shade of her trees there.

Our MVR loves fine food, and she knows how to make some of the best, so let's bring her one of those fancy barbecue pits with ovens on each side. And I think she will appreciate a bit of good wine if someone has an opportunity to pick up a few bottles.

I have a wonderful winery nearby that I can get some award winning wine from. The bar-b-que pit sounds great as long as we buy two of them. One for me too. LOL

we are finally moved! unfortunately, no dsl service yet. verizon did not comply as promised. lines were connected, but not functioning, which is why i am not online. the old place we are keeping until the 7th of Jan. as an office for the ebay business. i am not here most of the time, i am mostly in the new house, getting organized.

u are all welcome to come over, mi casa es su casa. apart from the big playground for planting, the new place has it's advantages and disadvantages: let's talk disadvantage 1st, the house must have been built in the latter 40's. it is not insulated, there fore very cold in the bedrooms. the electrical outlets are antiquated, we have to call an electrician to update the outlets. no garbage disposal in the kitchen. water pipes are too small, coming in and sewer pipes going out are too small too. all these disadvantage i can ignore, cause i can fill my heart's desire to have all the plants i have imagined to grow. at the moment green house is of less priority cause the front and back porch have covers on them. another advantage is... most of the sprinkler system is set on timer on different areas of the property. there are faucet and hose on all existing planting area.

although all in pains: my right knees are hurting so bad, i must have pulled a legament, and limping like an old lady :). my right wrist hurt so bad, not even ace bandage or absorbine jr. relieves the pain. i am organizing the house slowly to best that my capacity will allow me. it maybe slow, but am getting there.

i could hardly wait for Spring. i have plans of contacting some local nurseries to find out who can deliver at least a truck load each of compost and steer manure. i need to rent a roto tiller to dig up areas i have in mind for the bulb plants, tropical plant area and brugmansia.

am not complaining, just keeping u nice folks about the updates and facts on the move. am far happier and at peace now :)!

am also proud to share with you, i got a nice x-mas present, a slighly brand new pair of washer and dryer. my son gave me a Kitchen Aid Mixer and some more cooking gadgets to go along with the mixer, numerous bottles of wine he got from Napa Valley. ok Gang, we ready to celebrate the New Year and New Life for me. let's party and rock & roll!!!

A very Prosperous Happy New Year to Everyone!!!!

MaVie,What wonderful news!!! I am so happy for you.This New Year will bring you much happiness and peace of mind. Congratulations on your new home!!!!!!!

That is good news and I know you are ready to celebrate! Early spring, when the ground is ready, I will send some goodies for your yard.
Hapy New Year!

Am so happy for you, MVR. I know that you're too tired (and frustrated with Verizon) at this point to feel as much relief and happiness as you will later on, but you're THERE! Finally in your new home. Those Christmas presents sound great, too. Happy New Year to you!

MaVie, how wonderful! Your house sounds a lot like mine, built way back when and never updated, or not enough. Mine had been sheetrocked, carpeted, painted, all the cosmetic stuff, but none of the much needed technical stuff like safe wiring and working plumbing. But I do love old houses. And the grounds more than make up for the primitive status of the dwelling. Odd, isn't it, that they put in irrigation outside, but never thought to make the pipes in the house adequate? So now we can share old house stories. But for the present, break out a bottle of that wine and let's drink a toast to the new home, the new year and the new mood! Happy New Year, dear!

MaVie, congratulations!!!!! The challenges in getting your new home in better condition will make you love it that much more when it is all done: it is 'yours' in a way that just isn't possible with a house that is already 'perfect'.

For the cyber housewarming, how about I bring some brined turkey? I made another one for Christmas, and got a whole lot of compliments on it. I will be happy to provide a 25-lber for us ;D That ought to provide plenty of sandwiches!

I'm in line for some dark meat!!! And I brought some home made bread and butter pickles, some corn relish and a bit of Hill Country Chutney. Got this stuff at the annual Jr. League fundraiser in Austin, Christmas Affair. (Don't anyone tell my doctor, because she thought I was still in that hospital bed, and I snuck out through a back stairway for a quick trip.)

Two lashes with a wet petunia seed for you, Aimee.

So happy that you will finally be in your home, MaVie. Such a relief to get moved and when your DSL is in that will be all the better. I surely wish we could get that here but I am too far in the stick for that so far.

Congrats on you're new paridise MaVie,hope you can garden there to your hearts contentment!

Happy New Year to Everyone! and thank you for the kind thoughts. i maybe weary, but spirits still running high!! it is the 1st time in years, i was not able to stay up at midnight to say goodbye to the old, and Welcome the New Year. nevertheless, am still up and going strong, regardless of circumstances i am dealing with.

last night, i had champaign chilling and glasses ready to celebrate. i was really too tired, didn't even had time to have dinner. maybe i can still pop open the bottle and share and drink with everyone. Happy New Year Y' All!!!!

Thank you for the champagne, MaVie. I didn't stay awake til midnight either (unless I lived in Europe) but I had a wonderful evening, chatting with friends all over. I saved a little of the mead for this party. Enjoy :)

KATHY,

in the Phils., the Christmas Holiday extends to Jan. 7th.,we still got time to celebrate. i have 4 chicken soaking in brine, that we can either roast or barbeque. i can make pancit [stir fried noodles] on the side :). Mike, my son sent a case of Gamay Rosé wine. it is not hassle either to make chop suey [stir fried Chinese vegetables]... so let's party and enjoy what the New Year has to bring! i know for sure things will be much better for me.

when i got back to the house, i was already thinking of transferring some of the daffodils, you, Susan and Meiyu shared with me. i have started them all in pots. what held me back from planting was i needed some steer manure and compost. maybe sometime next week, when things settle down a bit i can start the Spring garden. i hope my right wrist heals some cause i could hardly wait to start planting.

Happy New Year... let the party begin! hehehehe. come on everyone come and join in, it going to be a blast! i got the stereo set up and some good music going on.

Ohhhh traditional chop suey. How I love that stuff!!!!!! I am on my way.

Congradulations on finally getting moved Ma Vie. I emagine you feel a great weight off your shoulders and your mind. Wait for me, Pond. I hope she make a lot of it. I wonder if she also makes Adobo Chicken? or maybe Lumpia? The extended holidy idea is great, why didn't we think of that? Ma Vie's new house and grounds look very nice, roomy enough to hold the DG cyber crowd.

Lani, i do make nice chop suey, the veggies are chunchy, not soggy. i use the genuine oyster sauce, to flavor the dish. i use thin slices of chicken and lots of shrimps to go along with the veggies. am sure u are familiar with the traditional way of how Chinese folks cooked them.

yes Mary, i do make all varieties of lumpia: fresh, fried, and the regular Chinese eggrolls... to die for. always crunchy. Chicken Adobo, or any adobo i cook, i marinate the night before in vinegar, bay leaf and lots of fresh garlic. the next day i fry them before i simmer with the sauce. adobo i make is not soupy, but has lots of thick sauce. am sure u will love it, it is not tangy either.

oh yes, definitely the whole place can hold everyone. perhaps some folks would like to set up tents for them to sleep in. there is plenty of room. the photo does not really show the real size of the area. but there is plenty of room for everyone. i used to be in the catering business, so there is no problem in cooking big batches of food. when i was in the old house i left behind, my house is like a restaurant during every weekend. my friends would call ahead of time and let me know what they will bring so i can plan the meal. my kitchen is always equipt with all kinds of herbs and spices and other condiments.

whenever each member of my family have a special party, they always ask me if they could celebrate in my house. of course i always do the cooking. i can single handed cook for 500 people in one shot. so come on over and we will party Lol!!!

Woooooooeeeeeee! Ma Vie, when you have time would you post your chicken adobo recipie on the recipie forum? I was thinking the other day about eating chicken adobo at a neighbor's house many years ago. She taught me how to make Lumpia (crunchy!!) but I lost the Adobo recipie.
Looks like a big DG cyber party in the making. I will bring some more chickens if you will make adobo. Where's my tent? I'll have to locate the sprinkler system so I don't get wet. I'll bring gloves and a few hand tools so I can keep busy cleaning flower beds. Anybody want to join me? That will make spring planting easier for you.

Mary,

check the DG cookbook, i think if not mistaken i did add it to the collection for the cookbook. my book is in the house. we do not dsl or modem connection as yet. if not, i will have to post it in the recipe section. here u go... http://davesgarden.com/t/133657/ u can either mix chicken and pork or chicken alone if u wish.

do not worry about the sprinkler system; right now they are turned off, since we have been having rain lately. when functioning it is set in the daytime. the control is inside the house, can be easily turn on or off.

when things settle down, i will be renting a tiller. i am going to rearrange the present garden... everything is done wishy washy way. i would like to create theme gardens, if possible... i.e. one for bulbs which i will create the lasagna style. that way as each batch of bulbs finished blooming, the next batch will be blooming... so the area will not be bare of barren. i did this style ones from my house in Los Angeles.

i would like to have a rose garden all to their own. a tropical garden and rows of brugmansia. so many plans i wish i could accomplished it all LOL!

Hey Mary, Wait for meeeee. I will share the tent with you and I have found mine so we can take it. I also have a nice pad and don't forget your nice mattress from your camper and we will both sleep in style. Can we use your truck though since mine has a phantom problem that rears its ugly head about a mile away from the mechanic and NEVER with that mechanic. LOL

MaVie, I will bring you some of my favorite roses to plant and some water garden plants if you want them. I will also bring my trowel and shovel to help make your beds clean and make new ones too. I will love your chop suey, I am sure. Oh and real Chinese egg rolls will be devine. I will also bring you some real homegrown organic pork roasts that you can use any way you want.

Oh this is going to be such a treat!!!! :)

Thank you MaVie, I have the cookbook, I just hadn't looked carefully. I also went to the recipie forum (you did post the recipie there) and read your comments about Asian cooking and living. My husband said when he was in the south Pacific (in the 50's) he noticed that everybody was eating small amounts all day long, and nobody was overweight. However, I emagine that has changed with fast food being available all over the world for the past 20 or more years.
Here I come Ponditis. We might be able to tour some gardens on the way so it's hard to say when we will actually get to MaVie's. I was thinking what fun MaVie could have with tents on her lawn and the sprinkler system control in the house! WAKE UP, it's morning!! No, she is too nice to do that.

LOLOLOL but I could do it to you after I am up. That would be fun, Mary. I wonder how fast you can run?

The garden tours sound great we better get started now so that we could be there by this time next year. I KNOW how we can yak and gawk at all the pretty plants in gardens and nurseries.

For me,'fraid not have the chance now.
You gentleladies can hold such a rally.
Luckily,Sledder gotten a motor sledge.
Think she will pick up you all there.):

OOOO, tell you what Pond, lets go go High Country Gardens on our way, it's just a few hundred miles zig out of our way, and then we can zag back and find something else new. High Country is in N. Mex. and has lots of stuff for our climate there and they have beautiful display gardens.