Coffee and...Part 7 :-D

Just in case you want to get an idea of what we talk about, should you be a new visitor at our table.
Here's the link to our last session: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/482866/

"Our door is *always* open to anyone who cares to drop in and sit a spell, If you have any special goodies to share, just put 'em on the counter with the rest of our absolutely, positively, NO-cal supply! We'd Love to taste them! :-)" To that quote from the last thread I add, Talk to us!


It looks like we need to make this thread new once a week. LOL

~julie~

Hello again. Ah good, a new thread that loads quickly, thanks for turning the page for us. Yep, as you said last week, we are a yackity bunch. Julie, I thought I heard singing a while ago, and now I know it was you because the new little greenhouse is on it's way. What a nice thing to have arrive on Valentines day. I bet it won't be in that box very long.

Yesterday I was listening to a couple of ads on the radio for Valentine's day gifts and just had to laugh. If my hubby ever bought me longere' or jewelry I would think he had me mixed up with somebody else. He has gotten me practical things for gardening which is just the kind of stuff I want. No frillies here unless they are leaves or flowers. Usually he gives me a nice card and takes me out to dinner, and since I would rather not cook that is just perfect.

I'll have some tea, thanks. Oh and look at the cinnamon rolls, Jo's dessert and now cookies! You are all more ambitious than I am when it comes to cooking. I have to have a little sample of everything.

Today I need to be cutting some weeds that should have been cut down last fall. Dock weed, ugh! It's in the orchard pasture and I can't turn the horses in there with those weeds or the burrs will be tangled in manes and tails. These big ole weeds will be cut off with the loppers and taken to the burn pile, hopefully not loosing too many seeds. For the past few years I have cut these things down faithfully when they start to make seed heads and every year there have been fewer to deal with and now I blew it and will probably see an increase this year. Win some, loose some.

Back later. Thanks for the goodies.

Looks like darius' sister has really put her to work.

Afternoon everyone. Coffee please! and cinnamon rolls. Love them! I printed Jo's recipe, sounds yummy to me. I think I'll make it for an uncle's birthday party next Sat. I'll make some sugar-free jello too. He's in the Good Sam. Home and that's always appreciated.

We won't see any or at least very little of darius here 'til she makes the return trip to her home. She said she's only spending 10-15 min. on DG, that's a day, not an hour. As we all know, that's 'bout the same as no time, right? lol

Another day in the 50s. I put mulch on my tulip bed, don't want those rascals getting confused. It's wonderful to be able to walk outside in a sweatshirt. Mon. is supposed to be back in the 20s.

DGD test went well on Thurs. Doesn't show any backwash so that's good. Don't know what else the doc will recommend. She was hilarious - they gave her a sedative to relax her and said kids either get loopy or crabby. She was loopy! Her first drunk!! I took along my camera to help entertain her and she's trying to take my picture, but the camera is doing circles about a food in diameter. We laughed so hard and she just giggled along with us. I tried to get a drunk picture of her but she hardly sat still at all. Constantly weaving and bobbing. :)

Mary, my DH has *never* bought me those "romantic" kinds of things either. In fact, unless he's shamed into it, I'm lucky to get the card. :-D But this year, something's different. He actually talked about taking me out for dinner...but. alas, there's no place around that serves lobster (*my* favorite...yummmmmmmmmm). LOL That's ok with me. Those mini-greenhouses will last a whole lot longer than any lobster dinner.

Yep, Betty, I was thinking the same thing about Darius. I just hope her health is holding up. That was a pretty long trip for her to drive alone...and I'll bet just a little stressful whether she'd admit it or not.

I spent the morning down in teh basement cleaning off my benches, making room for seed flats. I finally decided to toss a few of the large pots I tried to overwinter even though some of them looked like they were trying to grow. I guess that's the choices that have to be made.

Has anyone here tried the Gardener's Supply "APS" seed starting systems? I got several of them in my order and opened one this morning. Looks pretty interesting. I think I'll like not having to keep such a close eye on the moisture level of the seedlings with the capillary mats.

What kind of garden mags are you guys reading? Has anyone gotten the March issue of Garden Gate yet? I'm really looking forward to something new to read.
:-D

Time to fix some supper...or I should say "Offer to help DH in the kitchen." hehehe I love the way he cooks! :-D

~julie~

Julie, scroll up. I 'talked' to darius yesterday. :)

Still reading seed catalogs here. Or rather, devouring and dreaming! I think I might order those 2 hostas offered in the Bare-root Perennials Coop. A person can never have too many hostas, right?

Nope, never tried the Gardener's Supply system. When I get a greenhouse, I hope to get a better system. I've got a $20. kit from Menard's, that's all. Dreams, dreams......... :)

Well it's just barely enuff time to check in and say she's still among the living. LOL

And cutie pie pic of GD's first 'loopy drunk' - glad it was good news as far as it went.

Mary, me also, on the gift selections. One of my all time favorite 'gifts' was a folding saw to carry backpacking. And I have a hula hoe that my kids call the 'Mother's Day tool' cause that's what I asked for and got on that day one year. lol

Going out now and take some pictures of 'Spin's garden if the weather will hold off for another few minutes. BRB ~Blooms

Just popping in.
Kooger-great photo; what a cutie.
Note: I used to buy some fancy lingerie-that lace scratches!! Jewelry for presents is/was nice-but you can't garden in it-Now that Japanese digging Knife-that was Great!!!!
Gardeners Supply starter-my housemate uses hers to start veggies and some flowers early-she gets very good results.
Running late again- Serious Word Thief game soon
Great breakfast with friend this AM-baked apple pancake (read wonderful apple dessert yummy cinnamon/brown sugar/fresh baked apple slices...and not a calorie there!!
Hugs to all

Kooger...I really *do* have to start going back into the thread after I reply...just to see if YOU posted at the same time. LOL That's the second time I've/we've done that. That is the cutest pic of you dgd...I started giggling as soon as it opened. I think I remember being there a time or two myself. :-D (In the hospital, that is...drunk? Well, that's another story and a *very* short one to boot. hehehe)

Blooms those the kinds of Mother's Day gifts my DH gave *himself*. LOL He always buys himself something any time there's a reason to buy something for the other person. (It's a standing joke around this house.)

Marcia...hugs right back atcha. And I wish I could get that 'little guy' to work here on DG...it would be a great mascot for THIS thread. hehehe I'm thinking that if those ASP strater units work as well as they're supposed to...and the WS system works as well as *it's* supposed to...I'll be havin gmy own roundup here in Muscoda.
:-D

Have a good evening...

~julie~

Got my valentine gift early - edging for around a flower bed (some huge pieces of lumber - installed by DH when the unground freezes) Couldn't be happier. Told him NOT to get me any candy (trying to diet again...) and we went out for dinner with son and DIL. Had a great time - now I have to think of something nice to do for him on Mon!!

Beautiful weather here- 46 deg yesterday, but drat the weatherman said a storm is forcasted for next weekend.

GS called and asked me to come to his valentine party at school (in 2nd grade) Should be a fun time, except sitting in those tiny chairs about does me in. I can hardly get up from them!! Hope he behaves - he loves to show off when I visit!!

It's almost 2am in the morning and I can't get to sleep - trying to get off the diet coke stuff and drink only water. It is almost as bad as smoking!!! Had two really bad headaches last week when I quit cold turkey (diet coke that is, not smoking!!!)

Well, still didn't make those cinnamon rolls. They are supposed to sit out overnight, but I didn't make it to the store to get the frozen bread - oh woe is me....I have such good intentions!!!

SSSSH...just sneaking in with my cup of tea...my guests are still sleeping here.

Today we do the TOURIST stuff...Coronado National Memorial...Copper pit in Bisbee...and of course a visit to Tombstone, the town to tough to die.

While they go to the OK Corral show, which I've seen many times, I'll go next dodor and visit with Tombstonejan....she manages an art gallery there. Besides I have a nice big gourd to deliver to her for her next art project. She does beautiful gourds!!

Kooger....that DGD is precious! (aren't all grandkids??)....

Well, it's been nice visiting with all of you....will check in later. Ta-ta...Jo

Just popped in for a minute, going out for breakfast, so no goodies for me. Just sent for one of those nifty collapsable green houses, fortunately they still had them in stock. DH thought it was great, then went on to talk about building a little gh on the back of the garage.....I knew he'd fall for it. LOL Back later, save me some coffee.

Good morning. I'll have some tea, thank you. Is this chair taken?

Sarv, I hope you did get some sleep. I have some sleepless times too, but not caused from the same problem. If it is only one night it isn't too bad. Breaking habits is hard and I sure do wish you success with that. I don't think I'm hooked on anything except Davesgarden! Could you take your own folding chair to the classroom?

My hubby came home early from his trip, he wasn't feeling good. Cities have so much pollution, noise, traffic, it is always a strain for a small towner to go to the city. Not to mention staying up until 2 am visiting when he is used to going to bed about 9pm. You can believe he went to bed early last night.

After cutting and stacking those weeds I took a horse and went riding out in the hills. It was a warm day for Feb, clear up to about 45. The ground is firm in some places and muddy in others, and of course we still have patches of snow. The horse I rode is one that I raised to be an endurance horse, so he will be going to work this year. Today I was going to ride another one but rain moved in overnight and now it is snowing. Yes, I could ride anyhow, but I prefer not to ride in wet weather. Sometimes when I am at an event I get into bad weather conditions and that is enough without choosing to do it at home too. We old hens don't like getting wet.

Jo, have fun today, say hello to Tombstonejan for me. See you all later.

Good Morning, GOB's!

I'm taking a small break from our working 15 hours a day to drop by for a cup of tea and say Hello. :) I really miss being here, and even though I've been at my sister's 5 days already, I haven't even checked my watched threads, except this one.

This small break is good for me as things are tense here right now. My sister's DD is 17 and beligerant. Friday night she missed her curfew by 2-1/2 hours and has been fighting with her mother ever since. The kid has until 6pm today to decide to shape up or ship out. Last night she got her bedroom door taken off the hinges and stored in the garage so she can no longer slam the door in her mother's face and lock her out. I knew there was a reason I never had kids.

Y'all have a great day... it's sunny here and warm and I hope to get outside for a bit.

Darius,

So glad to hear from you. I've been watching for all words. I wish you didn't have to work so hard. We have cool weather down here (by our standards anyway) but the sun is shining. I am in today with a cold I picked up this past Wednesday. Got that chicken soup back out of the freezer and have been eating it everyday. I need to get better for next Saturday and I think it will be a great getaway for you too for the day. I'll bet this sunny warm air is doing wonders for how you are feeling?

I had to do the door thing with my son back when he was 12. He would lock the door and sneak out the window. He was already grounded, stereo and tv taken away and all I had left to take was his privacy. Sometimes, nothing works. (what a thought, sorry)

We miss you here a lot D.

Molly
:^)))

Morning GOBs and all,
Coffee and Cinnamon rolls sounds great thanks. Glad to see you around again Darius, you have been missed! Tales of your neice take me back to when my two were arond that age - tell your sister things will improve - might take a while though before she and her DD settle down. I think mine were around 25 before they behaved like the reasonable adults they expected to be treated like!
Hope you have a great day Roadrunner, and that the weather is kind to your guests!
All those greenhouse stories have me wondering if I should drop the odd hint - it'll take until christmas to sink in that I'm hinting, so perhaps I should start now!
Dh is planning on starting to get the fence ready for my climbers tomorrow, bet the weather chips in again. Need to do the wood before we put the wires up, and it needs to be calm and warm for that otherwise it'll go everywhere. He started in the fall but 'found' a hornets nest behind one of the uprights the hard way. Jumped back and kicked the can of stain over. Fortunately it was on the soil so we didn't get coloured grass, but we lost all the stain and had to buy again. Its taken a while for him to think the weather might be right again!
Catch y'all later.

kOOGER, that is a dumpling for sure, tipsy or not!! I'm so envious of GDs, have 5 GSs, testosterone all over the place. Glad her tests came out well. Darius, I don't envy you being in the middle of a family squabble, teens are at their worst stage of life. I tell my girls they are lucky I let them live, because they really got under my skin.....in fact, one of them still does and she's 45....lol. Glad you've got sunshine, we've got gray skies again with the threat of rain, and snow later tonight.

Stopped at the garden center yesterday and bought a big bag of dirt. Asked the clerk to get one of the "boys" to get it off the stack of bags, and put it in my trunk because I knew it would be frozen solid and I didn't feel like wrestling with it. It's still thawing in the garage!

My Christmas cactus is confused, and blooming like mad again. I hope this doesn't mean that winter is starting all over again...just shoot me now!!

Had a super breakfast with GS and his wife, and her aunt and uncle who are visiting from the Yosemite area...they have green grass already growing there. Very enjoyable visit, lovely down to earth people, so glad they were able to get together with us. Met her mother two years ago, and liked her very much too. Had eggs benedict.....no lunch for me today.....dinner out tonight, ... boy I'm going to pay for all this pigging out. Since I'm already in trouble , pass me one of those cinnamon buns............LOL

Hi all...don't have time right now to reply to everyone, but I will be back. I just couldn't resist stopping long enough to say "Hi" to Darius and to tell her that I thought MY mother was the originator of the 'door off it's hinges' routine! I will NEVER forget when I went to my room and reached for the door to slam it...and it *wasn't* there!! :-D LOL :-D (Strangely enough she had my boyfriend do it...he later became DH. ROTFL I hope sis's DD gets the picture as quickly as *I* did. (Still LOL)

~julie~

Loved the door off the hinges thing - sure brought back memories (not all of them good however) Sure glad I am done with the teenage stuff. I have often thought about foster parenting some kids (since I love them), but the thoughts of going thru all that nonsense again changed my mind!!

Tell your sister to hang tough....I wouldn't want to be in the midst of the turmoil however??? How long are you staying there Darius??? Forever???

Gathering up all the info for taxes - that always gives me a migraine and sleepless nights (like last night...) How come I am responsible for all of this kind of stuff - DH has never lifted a finger with the paper work that it takes to run a house. In fact he doesn't even know how much we have in the bank!! (he never spends a penny either!) He is a repairman and a sweetheart, but I sometimes get resentful around this time of the year. My friends tell me not to worry - that I know about everything $$ wise, and should I survive him, I will not be in the pickle so many other females are. If I go first however = man is it gonna be an eye opener for him!!! LOL

Just stuck an old grungie white tee shirt in a bucket of bleach water - low and behold it came out sparkling white - good for another summer season!! I am so proud of myself!! I was ready to toss it into the rag bag!!

Had blueberry pancakes for breakfast - ate two huge ones - so I am hoping that I don't get into any more food until tonight. Have some boneless chops in the crock pot and will whip up some mashed potatoes at dinner time= yum.

Hmm - maybe I will whip up a batch of biscotti - easier than those cinnamon rolls!!

Me again. Hubby is napping he loves naps and is one of those people who can lay back, close his eyes and be asleep in about 2 minutes. Me? well, I have to be about half dead before I can sleep in the middle of the day. We went to have breakfast with our son and DIL, then got a tour of the job he is on, building a rather large church for a small town. The target date for occupancy is April, well, that isn't gonna happen but probably sometime in the summer, still lots of work for a small crew to do. There were a lot of delays early in the project and so they just won't catch up, it seems hard to find enough help around here that knows one end of the hammer from the other.

Darius, I hope things don't get too stormy there. Family feudes are no fun. If this girl stays is she going to be living with you and your sis, or will she be 18 and out of the house by then?

Sarv, I would be one of those spouses without a clue, shudder, I don't even want to think about it. I do write a check now and then but my hubby is so much better at record keeping than I am so I let him take it over about 30 years ago and haven't looked back since. Any day now he will start sorting reciepts and compiling the info for taxes. He is one of those people who loves to organize things, and I am a little more, uh, well, uh, relaxed shall we say!

Meezers, I have a cactus that looks just like yours, it bloomed before Thanksgiving and a produced few more blooms about a month ago. 3 of my Christmas cactus (the bright pink ones) are blooming now in the greenhouse. I just figure they do what they want when they want and I enjoy whatever I get. 2 of mine were dumpster rescues. We were walking through an alley and I saw 3 healthy looking segments of leaf sticking out of the dumpster, so of course I raised the lid and there was a whole plant about 15 inches wide, pot and all. Lifted that one out and there was another below it. They got transplanted and are now saying thank you. Hubby tries to keep me in the middle of that alley now so I can't reach the dumpsters on either side. If I manage to run ahead of him when he hasn't thought about it he just walks past like he doesn't know me. Maybe I should find out when the college kids go home for the summer, that is a great time to find treasures.

The snow and rain quit, sun came out and I'm going to go see what trouble I can get into outside. We need to get the tractor going and move the dog's house to his new clean spot, that's first on the list. He got hooked up to an overhead cable between 2 trees and has more room and some grass underfoot. We put him and his house in a sheltered area for the blizzard season but didn't have much of one this year. With last night's rain it is a muddy mess there. Back later.

Julie... At least you had a door to slam......we lived in a little bitty house, and my bedroom doorway had a CURTAIN. Try slamming that. LOL

Yep that cactus seems to bloom whenever it feels like it. Those geraniums I dug up and potted are starting to bloom too. They'll go back outside when the weather warms up. I'm surprised they are surviving indoors at all let alone producing flowers!

My DH does the taxes too but I do all the household expenses and record keeping. My poor stepmother didn't even know how to write a check when my dad passed away. Her checkbook was just a mess, so I had to straighten it out for her, until she messed it up again. Dad did everything...shopping, planning trips, what they ate. .... It was terribly hard on her to do it all alone. Mary, you better sit down with your DH at least once and find out where everything is, banks, insurance, etc. otherwise you are at the mercy of friends and family in an emergency. It's not that you don't trust them, but they don't need to know all your personal stuff.

Raining like I should start building an ark. Guess that will take care of the last of the snow until we get some more....tonight. Crazy weather. Dh is napping and so are all the cats. Verrrry quiet in here. I can fall asleep watching tv, but if I go lie down, forget it....! What's that about???

Ok...I'm back. :-)
I cleaned up my plant shelves, planted several batches of really early IBLF seeds (IBLF indoors before last frost), made up a schedule of when to plant what, then sat and dreamed about what it's going to be like when spring gets here. (Maybe that was a nightmare and I just don't know it yet! LOL)

Darius...I'm so glad that our kitchen is one of the places you visit when you get online. It's nice to know that you miss us as much as we miss you.

Molly...I'm sorry to hear you're feeling poorly. The chicken soup will fix it! (I can't believe that I just realized when reading about the soup that I forgot my lunch! Dang it! I was going to have chili...shoot!)

Carol...those little portable mini's are going to be just the thing for me this spring. A little hint *never* hurts. LOL And your story about the stain incident brings back last spring for me. I spent a LOT of time staining the railings on our decks and porches. I wish *I* had thought about spilling it! hehehe Nah...that wouldn't have worked. DH would just have bought me another can.

M5...those remarks about your kids ...I was LOL all over the place. Man alive can I ever relate. hehehe
~Aren't there several varieties of the "Christmas Cactus"? I know I've read about one that blooms at Easter time...and another at Thanksgiving. I think they just do their own thing and bloom when they *have* to. :-D
~mmmmmmmm Eggs Benedict (yummy)
~LOL I can still feel the 'slamless' invisible door...and I can still hear Mama and Eric laughing their butts off in the kitchen. What come down! (My DGD has the 'curtain' thingy now... she's 16 and tends to be a door slammer too. hehehehehe

Sarv...My DH mentioned the 'foster kid' thing a couple of days ago...kidding of course. I nearly KILLED him! LOL I've had ALL I can take...and living so close to my kids and grands, I'm *still* in the loop enough *not* to miss 'kids'.
:-D
~How about making that biscotti...it's time for new stuff in this table. (Oooo make something that would go with hot 'Peach tea', ok? That might help me forget that I'm the one who does our taxes, check book, bills, etc., etc., etc. Good grief, DH wouldn't know where to start if something happened to me. He says he'd just wait to get the "past due" notices and pay them then. LOL

Mary...When you write about the goings on with your family (including your moving the dog house) I get such a kick out of reading it. I really feel like I'm getting to know you here at the kitchen table. And everytime I spritz my seedlings with chamomile, I think "MaryE gave these instructions...ain't she great!" :-) (I just hope it works! :-D)

Sounds like supper is ready...better go now...
see ya later,
~julie~

Well, I am "self-banished" to the 'computer room' while Mother & Daughter have a heart-to-talk and decide the immediate future. Frankly I think it would be better if the kid really left home and got a taste of the 'real world' because I don't see that she will change any attitudes if she stays. Her mother is now going on 3 years of fights with the kid, all abusive on the kid's part, and several incidents with the Police and Juvenile Hall.

I push all the kid's buttons because I demand RESPECT towards her mother, AND insist that she contribues towards the work of the household instead of endless TV. She hates me, but that's okay because her hatred is really against some discipline in her life and not against me personally even though she doesn't "get" that yet.

Gosh, Gals, I hate that I'm "dumping" my stuff on you but there's no other place I feel I can just vent, so I'm appreciative of the space to do so.

My sister and I finally got through all the remaining boxes of our mother's stuff that's here in the garage (I have many more in my storage in NC). Amazing how much pure junk, mostly kitchen. Our trash pile is actually larger than the garage sale pile. Unfortunately some of the nicer plates/platters that were old family pieces were broken in the boxes. Sigh.

It will probably be another 3 weeks before I can really stop by and visit and bring a treat. In the interin, all of you sustain me. Thanks!

I wondered what you were actually work ON. Is this in preparation to get the house ready for sale?
My daughter has the same problem with her step-daughter. Very rebellious, sleeps a lot (apparent drug use) playing her Dad and Mom against each other, involving the lenient other grandmother, playing head games.
She's exhausting and headed for a ruined life. She's in Job Corps; I hope that helps. She thinks she's going into the Air Force when she's 18, but she has a juvenile record now and I doubt she'd make it thorugh the first week of Basic Training. I wish there was a way to make them understand that you spend so many years raising them, and you are not their enemy in the last few years at home...

Darius...I'm SO glad you stopped in. And don't give a second thought to "venting". It's necessary if we want to stay sane (or at least appear that way. LOL) You sound so very much like me with your attitude for 'respect' from the kids for their parents. I lived for nearly 5 years with my son, his wife and their combined 5 kids. I swear, my father would have slapped me through to next week if I'd even *thought* of saying some of the things these kids say. You know, it's funny, my Mom used to slap me just for the *look* on my face...I never could understand how she knew what I was thinking. LOL I know now! (It didn't take long after becoming a mother to get that one.)

Betty, you're absolutely right about wishing the kids could/would understand that we're *not* their enemy. Man, life would have been so much easier on me if they just would have listened to everyone else's mistakes without having to make them ALL for themselves. ;-)

~julie~

Ohmigoodness, it's so late - I read the posts and they didn't really stay in my head. Lots of fresh air today and full tummy must be time almost for a lay-down an a book. Love to read myself to sleep. ~Blooms

Well, the kids say we don't understand them, but in truth, they don't understand us.
Blooms, is 3:47 a.m. late enough for you? I have a lot of insomnia, to say the least, but it is mostly due to stomach problems. I wish I never had to eat again...

Wood - NEVER eat again??? Man, I lay awake thinking of what I am going to eat the next day - I absolutely LOVE food! And you wonder why I am dieting??? LOL On a good note, I am down the lowest I have been in ages - didn't change the food I am eating, but did completely give up diet coke (Darius would be proud of me). Can't believe that is the reason, but decided I just had to give it up - I was drinking it all the time - morning til night and up during the night taking swigs. Made it thru the awful headachy stuff that results from no caffeine, so I think I will be ok now.

Just finished a big bowl of real oatmeal - still some on the stove - anybody want some?? It's good with brownsugar and milk.

I need to go to the store and get some Valentine candy for DH - gonna surprise him. He is not much on celebrating things, but he loves candy!!

Darius - glad your sister is having the "talk" with her daughter - some kids just need to be knocked side the head!! My mom always said that if they didn't rebel when they were teenagers, they did it later in life. Might as well get it over now!! I think she was right!

Both of mine were stinkers from 8th grade until they graduated. In fact one is still a little bit of stinker - likes to party still. The other one is the finest young man a mom could want.

Well, need to hit the shower...

Ahhh, yes, those teenage years....hard enough to get through with your own, let alone someone else's who come with their own personal problems and usually lots of baggage. My Ex thought it was a wonderful idea to foster two of his sister's kids who were getting thrown out of their house. Didn't think to consult me before making the offer, and I wasn't up for an extended squabble with him because he was relentless, so, in they came.

Unbelievable problems. The niece had mental problems that years later developed into and was diagnosed as schizophrenia, which made her unmanagable and her personal hygiene was nonexistant. The nephew was a juvenile delinquent, who stole and skipped school, drank, lied, the list goes on and on. I put up with it for almost a year, then I called their social worker and said get them out of here!! I had to put my kids first, at that point. Naturally, all of the problems landed in my lap, in spite of the fact that I was working full time....and that all leads to why I'm not married to THAT fool any more....LOL

Good idea to remove yourself from the picture, Darius, it's hard to be objective when it's family, but I agree with you fully about the lack of respect. I would have been flung across the room if I had ever lipped off at my dad. I always told my kids they were entitled to their opinion but they needed to voice it properly, not in a screaming match. A touch of the real world sometimes is the best thing for kids that get out of hand like that. I wish you all the best, and hope your sister can use some cold hard logic in dealing with her daughter.

Funny story...when my oldest daughter was 16 and pushing her curfew every time she went out, I got sick of getting the phone calls, asking for time extensions, making excuses (Yeah, I know, at least she called!!) etc. So, one night, I sat her down and said, "You know I'm the one who has to nag and pester you to get out of bed in the morning before I go to work, and I'm not enjoying this one bit. So, from now on you have NO curfew. BUT, you have to get yourself out of bed in the morning, and get to school on time, and I'm not writing tardy excuses for you. If you get suspended, it's your problem. Not mine. Good Luck."

From that point on, she got herself home at a reasonable hour, got herself up for school, etc. She said later she was so scared of being late or suspended, she knew she had to get herself to bed early enough....... Might not work for every kid but it sure did for her. My other daughter would not have responded that way. She would follow the same life pattern that she does now, let it all just happen and deal with the wreckage, just like her father did. Some things you can't change.

Well, GOBs if we can't vent here, where could we? This is like an extended family, sharing all the daily goods and bads, and seeing how much alike and different our lives are. There is a theory that the reason women live longer is because they have the support of other women and do just what we do here. Vent, share, laugh, worry, eat (high on my list of favorites) so keep it coming. It's what keeps us plugging along!!

Well, when I said I wish I never had to eat again, it's because when I do I overeat and then snack too much. Those habits are harder to kick than many addictive substances, because you have to moderate the food, and with other substances, you can quit altogether and still live.
I don't understand this craving shortly after a big supper...

Well, the kid has decided she'd better stay, comply with doing chores (Ha, we'll see how long that lasts!) and finish school. Her mother has agreed with the kid that I am not to give the kid directions except through her, nor touch the kid. I promised I WOULD touch the kid anyway if she becomes so ugly again to her mother, and this time do more than simply turn her face to look me in the eye.

Woodspirit, you asked WHAT we are working on... It will be at least another week before we can even GET to the interior repairs I came to help do. Right now we are sorting the piles in every room into Garage Sale, Trash and re-packing properly what she wants to keep and move, and clean-up to get the house ready to list for sale by April 1st.

So far, garage sale and trash are the biggest piles. Lots of broken dishes and glassware from poor packing, including some really old family pieces, and much clothing that was packed damp. I estimate we have done about 30 loads of laundry so far and have not done half. Imagine having to launder virtually ALL the clothing and linens in your house at one time!

When the roof was damaged in the first hurricane, my sister got boxes and with the help of friends, hurriedly packed up the stuff from the damaged rooms and put it in the garage. Then the next hurricane damaged the garage and the rest of the roof so virtually all the contents of the house were hurriedly put in storage. Some of what we are sorting is also the stuff from our mother's house from when I moved mother to Assisted Living in NC, most of it going into the trash. I'm not sure the 2 car garage will even hold all the yard sale stuff but fortunately the trash pickup is twice a week. The Homeowner's Assoc. will not allow garbage to be put out except on trash day so half the garage is trash.

Then there's all the left-over rebuilding debris. This house now has a new roof, new siding, new carpet and ceramic tile, new kitchen cabinets (still without knobs), half-finished receptacles, switches and receptacles painted over, some vary BAD drywall seams and overall drywall finishing (there is all new drywall over new insulation where the old got wet), porch needs all new screening, and the yard needs planting for some curb appeal.

The more I can help do, the more money we'll have towards a new place. Whew.

Happy Valentine's Day all! The tea is gone so I guess I better get working on something constructive. :)

Wow, darius, you sure got a lot of work done already! And a lot to do yet!! Hope the brat co-operates, at least for a little while. They have such short memories at that age! I remember my mom asking me, not too many years before she died, "Did I yell at you kids all the time in high school?" I said I sure didn't remember that. She figured she yelled at us every day. Goes to show how much teens listen. In one ear and out the other!!!!!!! lol

I have a Christmas cactus blooming also. First time it's bloomed. The Houseplant teacher at our Master Gard. course explained the differences between the 3 types of zygo (sp?) cactus. If anyone's interested, I'll look it up later.

Sure am enjoying the coffee 'kletze' here. :)

Mornong GOBs, another bright and sunny day here, the temp got up to 75 yesterday so I'm definitely feeling brighter! I might just have Orenge Juice this morning if thats OK.
Door slaming kids reminds me of days when I was young! DS was a door slammer, but he never gave you time to get really mad and take retribution - he'd slam out of the room, then 2 minutes later he'd be back. He'd appologise for being so rude very nicely and explain that I just didn't understand him and it made him mad, then he'd retreat closing the door extra gently on his way - nearly as irritating as slamming but not a thing you can say about that!! I thought he'd grow up to be a diplomat, but he didn't. Did turn into a lovely young man though!
The girls didn't slam just sulked wouldn't speak and wouldn't help out either, but thats girls for you. They both turned out fine in the end too, so don't despair.
Well I'm itching to get outside in the sunshine so I'll catch y'all later.
Carol

Good morning. My goodness, was I the only perfect kid? Call that selective memory.

Daruis, that is one tense situation. Good thing you can always escape to the mountains of stuff to be sorted or to the computer when you need to disappear for a bit. Some parents go so far as to write up a contract and both the kid and the parent sign it and each gets a copy. It helps if the kid can go back and read what they agreed to. Did you expect this hornets nest when you went there? The ongoing sorting, laundering, hauling trash out to be collected, etc sounds like a huge messy project. How is your health holding up with all the mold and dust? I hope you wear one of those masks when you are working.


Kooger, I would be interested in the info on the zygo cactus. I think I do have 3 types, Christmas, crab and something that is upright and grows more like a fan. I would like to find the crab type that has Orange blooms saw one for sale a couple of years ago and didn't buy it, darn! Not many places around here sell houseplants.

Sarv, yes, real oatmeal, the old fashioned kind that takes 10 minutes to cook. The quick stuff gets slimey~! (that ~ was a shudder) I don't put sugar on mine, butter instead, not many people do that but I don't put sugar on any cereal. Except Granola, I make my own and put far less sugar in it than any other that I have tasted. I give some to my sister every year at Christmas and she adds quite a bit of sugar per bowl.

Woodspirit, I wonder if some of your cravings could be caused because you are deficient in some vitamins and minerals? For instance, my friend craved potatoes and it turned out that she was very deficient in potassium. When she started getting a supplement every day she quit craving potatoes. She also lost about 40 pounds over the next few months. A couple of bottles of good vitamins are cheaper than Jenny Craig or Weightwatchers. Of course there is the hand to mouth habit, and there is where things like celery and carrots come in handy. We probably don't help with your battle either because we talk a lot on here about yummies.

Got to go get some work done that I've been avoiding all morning. See you later.

I'll look it up later today. Gotta run right now.

Blooms...I can identify with that lack of absorption. LOL It's due to the fact that our 'sponges' are all filled up with other stuff. I just like it that you come in to say 'HI'...

Betty, I've been there and done that with stomach problems and wishing I didn't have to bother to eat at all. For a while there eating got very painful, not to mention what went in came back out in less than an hour. They tested me for Chrones (sp) disease but didn't find the lesions associated with that. One doctor finally put me on some "yellow powder" which controlled the speed at which the food went through...but my GP doc put me on Insulin. So it seems that my problem was based on the fact I couldn't tolerate the diabetes meds. It sure feel good to be able to travel 15 mins without worrying where the bathrooms are. LOL Just hang in there...they'll figure it out mone of these days, then you'll be able to sleep.

Sarv...they tell us that oatmeal is *good* for us. But I'm gonna pass on the offer, I've hated oatmeal since I was a kid. Mom wasn't too good at making that either. (Reference to the PB&J made with mayo :p)

M5...LOL "Entitled to their opinion?" You were good mom! Me? Weeeeel...I was so used to my kids "making up stories" that I really wasn't interested in their "opinion". I suppose that came from my not being entitled to my own thoughts...especially if they showed on my face. LOL And as for those 'combined' families (I'm imcluding my own experience here) I have to wonder if they *ever* work well. My son and his wife act like there are two seperate families living in that house, with each parent "playing favorites" with their own kids. That is *very* hard to watch, trust me. You must have had your hands full.

Darius...it's nice to know that most of us GOBs understand what respect and discipline are all about. I can't helo but wonder what *our* grandparents thought of our generation...it would be great to know. :-D
~Wow! You guys have really got your work cut out for you with all that sorting and repair work. Don't tire yourself out, though. Just remember to *rest* occasionally, ok? ;-)

Kooger...I'm glad you're enjoying our 'coffee kletze' (I'd call it something like that but can't ever remember how to spell it! LOL) I'm enjoying every single one of my new friends here and hope we continue to 'GOB-gab' for a long time.

Well...I've started this reply three or four times now and been interupted by one thing or another. I've cut and pasted this reply just as many times so I could refresh to see who else had visited in between. LOL

This time it's Carol and Mary who share the spotlight in my newcomers replies. But I'm not sure I'll get to the individual comments.

I GOT MY GREEN HOUSES!!! And they're even BETTER than I expected them to be! WHOOOOPEEEE!! DH set one up in the basement so I could see what we'd bought...and I sat there ooo'ing and ahhh'ing for a good 15 minutes.

Uh Oh..I hear footsteps on the stairs, I'll have to finish later...

~julie~

HI, Agree with aboe -work cut out for you. I was a foster kid (in the same home with one of my sisters. Would have never thought to raise voice or do that kind of talking back. That started 50 years ago though ( I am going on 56) I would not have the patience to deal with kids-make a great aunt though!
Fun at the expo-"rescued" 3 double primroses. They will bring that breath of spring, until it gets here and they go outside.
Round-up in WI.. ALRIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I eat oatmeal every AM. 1/2 cup of regular oatmeat-1 cup of water 4 1/2 minutes in microwave on high. Then serve with chopped dates and walnuts and Splenda--Dessert in the AM!!
Darius-what a job-good luck.
Hugs to all.

Marcia! I would never have thought *you* were the "talk back" kinda a kid! LOL

I was going to ask you if you went to the Expo this weekend. Did you take any pictures? I saw the ads on PBS for it...DH even asked if I'd like to go. But U declined on the basis that I can't do much walking around without reprecussions of one sort or another. (Yep! Primroses fit the bill. I bought 6 or 8 little plants the other day and they're just just what the Dr. ordered. Sure make me anxious for the daffo's to start coming up tho. ;-))

~julie~

I take a lot of vitamins but not potassium. I don't take blood pressure medicine so I don't think I'm low in it. But I'll eat some more bananas just in case. I take B vitamins, E, A&D, gingko, C, folic acid and calcium. Also Synthroid.

Good morning. It's c-o-l-d out there this morning, 14 degrees but thankfully not windy. A big mug of tea makes a good handwarmer.

Woodspirit, my friend had been deficient in potassium for at least 20 years before she realized it was a problem. She is German and keeps everything, so had kept the results of blood tests from years ago in Switzerland when she had surgery. (I never would have thought about keeping those things but she did because she is trained as a metalurgist and worked in that field for 20 years or more and her mind just works that way.) Anyhow, she got some new blood tests and compared the results with the old one and saw that even way back then when her doctor in Europe had prescribed the batablocker for her fluttering heart that her potassium level had been just barely above what was considered normal. Of course there was nothing on the test results to tell her that, so she asked the cardiologist what normal levels of potassium are after he had done tests and found that she has no heart problem. She had been eating a lot of bananas and a lot of potatoes but still not getting enough until she took a supplement. Normal levels of minerals are just averages and not necessarily what you need for proper function. I hope that made some sense.

Today when I go to town I'll check for primroses and panseys, those are always the first live plants that show up on the racks. I want to see some color out there! The snow in the yard has all melted and nothing is green. I just see mulch and dead looking yellow/brownish grass. A nice little patch of color by the door would be nice, and also something I could see when I look out the living room window. Have to check my lucky number at the store and see if I won anything, it's been months since I did and then it was plastic garbage bags, but the time before that it was a box of candy, and before that a jar of jam. And I will get to have Chineese lunch with my hubby!

See you later, thanks for the tea.