Coffee and...Part 7 :-D

kooger, what kind of job did you get?

woodspirit, all her appliances died in the hurricanes. She does have a new microwave, a crock pot and a toaster so we are not totally without food.

woods- daycare work. It'll be fun but the pay won't be great. That's not the end of the world. It's always easier to move up when you're working than when you're unemployed, I think. I had a Licensed Home Daycare for 12 years so that really cinched the job for me, the gal said. She was going to let me know on Fri., but she decided right after I left the interview that she wanted me. That was nice to hear. Also, they have a big red book to right conflicts in so I can still make MIL's appointments and take care of my responsibilites with her. That was important to me too. My SIL is such a ditz, she screws everything up and there is no one else.

darius- no fancy cooking at your 'house'! It sure is a pain to not have a stove. Mine was out for 3-4 weeks in Oct. Sure was glad to move in the new one. It was only sitting in the box in the laundry room for 2 yrs. and 9 months!!!! He's handy, but he's not fast!

So sorry poof is helping you out today, Marcia. grrrrr!

Diane - did you get any snow? (watch out for those trees!)

Since WS has decided I "ain't quite right", I guess I'll just be quiet today. Later.

I hope you know I was just kidding. I think you're really funny.

MMMMMM!! coffee smells so good this morning! Had my favorite cereal this morning - Red River Cereal. Boy, that's good stuff! Of course I add the brown sugar.... :) Also have Chocolate Chip Cheesecake I made yesterday. Any takers? I'm passing, too rich for me. Made it for DH.

I think I'd be safe in saying the majority of the GOBs 'ain't quite right' - lol

Intek guy just arrived...repairing the plaster on the laundry room walls. Then DH has to put on the trim boards and it's all fixed. On the plus side, I have a cleaned out laundry room and fruit room and furnace room, plus clean carpet! On the down side, what a royal PAIN IN THE NECK! lol Still waiting for 2-3 people that requested some of the canning jars I listed on freecycle. Maybe I have to send a reminder.

Have to take MIL back to doc this am. She's having a growth removed from her forehead. It's grown a lot the past 2 months, so it's time to do something about it. Doc is just taking off a corner of it. Then he'll send it up and find out what kind it is. He doesn't think it's cancer because it's not open or red. Just kind of like a bunch of warts grown together.

later, all.

Good Morning!

I'm late stopping by for coffee because I got to sleep in... and probobly slept too much because I'm dragging... maybe coffee will help. I'll pass on the Chocolate Chip Cheesecake, too rich for me too.

I'm playing electrician today, changing out all the switches and receptacles in the master bed/bath with white shiny new ones. I've already done the cable and telephone in there and installed a whole new telephone jack/box on the other end of the house where we made a computer room/office out of the smallest bedroom a couple of days ago. Of course, the wire is just running along the ground outside for the moment but I'll get to it when we make another hardware run and get cable clips.

Need to get to work, BBL. :)

Are you having to wear oxygen during all this work? It looks like it would REALLY be in the way.
Darius, I have applied for a grant through the planning department to have some rehab work done to my house. It's based on income and the rehabibility of the house. The inspectors came and said it looked "very rehabible." There were 40 applications, narrowing it down to 20 soon, and then end up with about 12. They can spend as much as $60,000 per house! I need a new roof badly and ceilings replaced. My windows are old and very drafty, too. I have 2 walls in each room covered with cheap paneling and if they replace them, they will add some outlets as I only have one on each wall. I also need my kitchen countertop replaced. Lots of stuff, lol. I hope I get it. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Here's hoping you get it!

If any of you need a chuckle, ya gotta read this thread--- http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/485197/

PASS THE CHEESECAKE!!!!

Just got back from lunch with the retired girls - tuna melt and FRIES!! The fries were to die for.... Brought half the huge tuna melt home - lunch tomorrow!! All week I have been ahead one day. I thought today was Friday! Don't know why I want the weekend to get here - I have nothing planned.

Windy and snowy here today - good day to stay inside. I have a good book I need to finish. Plus am finishing upstairs curtains.

Think I will wander upstairs to my jigsaw puzzle - just can't leave it alone - pull up a seat if you want to help!

Woohoo!!!! talk about fast shipping, got my greenhouse today! Gonna go put it up in the living room just to to see how it sets up..... no! I'm not starting seedlings!! Bet the cats will like it. Especially if I put it in a sunny spot where it will really heat up inside! Julie, have you ever gone to jigzone on the net? They have a huge assortment of puzzles, ranging from easy to drive-you-nuts....every once in a while I get lured in there and can't escape. DD turned me on to it.


OK going to open the box.

P.S. Ain't quite right? I'm so far off "right", if I turn around too fast I'll meet myself leaving.

HJello all....nothing for me but a BIG class of cold water!!

I just got home from our monthly Happy Achers pot luck luncheon at Church....Why do I think I have to honor each cook by trying something she brought??

Since I didnf't know what to bring I took a big can of Bush's Baked Beans....sliced up a thing of Kalabasa and put it al over the top and baked it a wee bit. Every bit of it was gone by the time my table got up to serve themselves!! I guess I will make a larger dish next time!!

Our entertainment was a 4 girl combo....they played the "Recorders"...the Alto one looks like one of the toy flutes the kids have...but they were good.....sounded a lot like chamber music though.

M5 now that you have that greenhouse you'll just be itching for spring!!

WEll...all that food has pulled the blood from my head to my stomach...I guess a nap is in order...LOL

SHHHH....*snore* Jo

Hello again. Tea and a small piece of the cheesecake, great combo, thanks. I'll tiptoe and keep my voice down because Jo is napping. Happy Achers, great name! The beans and kalabasa sounds good. Sometimes those last minute things are the best, and why take a lot of time when something simple will make everyone just as happy? One of my quickies is shredded cabbage, chopped apples, grated carrots, chopped celery, nuts and raisins all mixed with just enough mayo to stick it together. There is seldom any to bring home.

It's 35, windy and sunny at my house. Pretty chilly to be out in but I am going to go for a ride and try to keep my ears warm today. Yesterday I rode for about 2 hours and got quite cold because I was wearing the wrong hat, a stocking cap that is ok for calm days but it doesn't keep my ears warm enough in the wind. By the time I realized it I had gone too far to come home just to change hats so I tried to ride along with one hand over whichever ear was getting the most uncomfortable. With one hand on the reins and one over an ear that left no hands for my jacket pocket. On the way home I always walk the horse for the last mile to cool him off, but Patch didn't want to walk without tossing his head, so every time he did it we turned around and went back up the hill away from home. After a few times he quit tossing his head and I could see him start to do it and stop halfway, so I knew he was getting the message. As soon as home was in sight he forgot and did it one more time, woops, back up hill again, not far but enough to make him think. He did just fine the rest of the way home. Easier to train than say a kid who always leaves the door open.......

My neighbor came over this morning and we looked at seed catalogs and garden books, and spent some time in the greenhouse. She signed up as a DG member and was asking me today about being a subscriber. You know it averages out to between 4 and 5 cents a day! What a deal. I think she is going to do it, but might have to wait until payday since I think her credit card is just for emergencies!

Back later, time to get out there and ride.

OK...where's julie been for the last two days????

You really don't want to know. You remember that futon matress cover that "should only take a couple of hours"??? Well...it probably *would* have taken just a little while to make it...IF I hadn't left the )(!*@&$^$^!&@^ BATTERIES in the machine for the past three years! (I didn't even know the dangdable thing HAD batteries! ) Of course, they had exploded in the compartment. DH got that cleaned out and put new ones in. Shoulda worked, right?

WRONG! I'm sick! The machine I'm talking about is my Pfaff 7570...computerized, electronic, marvel. Does embroidery, etc (DID, I should say.) Somehow, one of the main 'buttons' got stuck and now the machine has to go to the hopperbital. :-( I wish you guys could have seen me yesterday. I pulled out the BabyLock, tried to figure out how to thread it...THEN I have to remember how to change it from embroidery (which is the *only* thing * ever did on it) over to regular sewing. NOT a pretty sight, let me tell ya.

So, today, I got my fabric together, threaded up the 8-thread serger (I cheated...only used THREE! LOL) and started putting the cover together. I'm really TOO old for sewing anymore.

I have to admit, it felt good to hear the BabyLock running. But it was all could do to even look at at the Pfaff. :-(

Geez! What is it about me getting on the DG? My son just called and invited us over for dinner...*NOW*. Well, peoples...I'll try to get back before I fall asleep tonight.

One more...HI --- BYE!!! :-D

~julie~

Yes, I did wonder where you were. :) I have to get downstairs and do some sewing too. Curtains and a slip cover for the loveseat. I got 7-8 yards of fabric at Saver's for under $10 - figured it'd work good for the loveseat. I cleaned up all the mess from the water leak on Mon. with Samantha so actually have room to sew again down there.

Two more catalogs in the mail today. Yippee! Fun to dream!!

Also have a miserable cold - sinuses must be full, head is achy and nose is drippy. Blech!

Planted 4 irises that have been in their boxes from Menards since fall. Stuck them in icecream buckets. Amazing, I think they're all still alive. Got them really cheap.

Hey, did you guys see Sioux Falls on the news tonight? Some crazy woman hijacked a bus (big commercial one) on the way to Sioux Falls. She cut the driver with a knife. Cops shut down I-90, laid tire strips down and got it stopped. And the next story was the truck out east that got hit by an Amtrak train. She's from Canton, SD, 8 miles west of us. Wow, things are happening around here!!

Gotta run, nose is too, need more kleenex..... :)

*yawn*....what a nap!! I must have needed it...now I will probably be up all night...I guess I can always go over and talk with the Nightowls!

May...I think i'll get you to train my Tessa....she is so hard headed!! BTW...during this time of year you should stick that "wind hat" in the saddle bags so you will have it if needed.

OHH I know how you feel about your machines Julie.....My Kenmore is so old that the parts are no longer available....the shop in town has a good "fixer-man" that made me a part, and for the little rubber thing on the bobbin winder, I had to get one of the O-rings out of my DD's plumbing box. Works fine.

Kooger...I'll set this box of tissues here on the table for you...would you like some lemon and honey tea??


M5 must still be playing with her green house! Oh well...I guess it is exciting. Jo

Trying again-I think this machine doesn't want me to load photo of my upholstery tries. Anyway, just a short note (lost the other one-again!!!!!)
to say hi to everyone.
Kooger-honey and tea sounds good for you. Also, you might want to try those sinus rinse things (distilled water with a saline solution-modern form of neti pot. No more $225 wortho of anti-biotics for me since I started to use them daily :)
Going to try my hand at fancy wall painting-on the closet wall; figured that I have little to loose-need to cover that wallboard anyway.
You all take care-I am off to the warmth of the upstairs.

Julie, you're too old to sew? Does the name julie88 mean you're 88 years old? You don't sound too old to do anything.

Nah...Betty...the 88 in my screen name isn't my age (yet!) but I sure feel like it should be. And for that part about not sounding too old to do anything...thanks for that 'vote of confidence' ...LOL...I sure got *you* fooled :-D. (BTW the 88 stands for August 8th...that's when I turn 60).

Marcia...I think DG is rebelling about me trying to see or *do* anything that concerns sewing! :-D So, you got your stuff finished.eh? GOOD for you! (And if you want to, you could send me pics email...maybe THAT would work. hehehe)

Jo...I had a Kenmore machine many, many years ago. I bought in a hurry to finish up draperies so we could put our house on the market. I'd literally worn out a Singer Touch and Sew making upholstery, draperies and curtains. (I really put THAT machine through its paces, trust me.) I didn't expect the Kenmore to hold up under the punishment that I would put it through, but that one was a real sweetie. Lasted a good twenty years, then I got caught up in the fancy decorative stitches (which I *did* use) and then into the embroidery machines. Over the years, with what I spent for sewing machines, I could have bought a pretty nice car. hehehe

Obviously, I'm pretty well stuck on thinking about sewing at the moment. But all it will take is a quick walk past my plant stands to bring me back to reality. ~grin~

Speaking of which...I could NOT believe that my Hens & Chicks and another packet of sempervivums germinated in THREE *days* instead of 3 *weeks*! Has anyone grown Hens & Chicks from seeds? I swear every single seed of the 500 in the pack germinated! I'm thrilled! (Of course, I spritzed them with chamomile tea in the hopes that they won't get 'damp off' fungus. (Thanks again, Mary!)

Well...we had dinner at DS's last night and stayed there watching T.V for a couple of hours afterward. I was *very* ready to leave after watching the 'teens' do their "thing" with mom & dad. I really wanted to 'pop' a couple of them (one of his...one of hers! I don't play favorites as you can see. hehehe)

When I got home, I played a few hands of Euchre to relax and then went to bed and watched 'Rebecca's Garden'. I barely made it to the end before I slipped into a really nice deep sleep (with the help of Tylenol PM). Didn't wake up until 7 this morning...nearly 9 hours...and that's a LONG time for me to sleep.

I think I'll try to finish up the Futon cover this morning and then get back to planting seeds. (Someone tell me that spring is just around the corner, please!) I'm just dying to get outside. (Hmmmm...Blooms and Darius just 'whooshed' through my mind. :-))

Later peoples...maybe it's time for some lemon bars. They always bring sunshine to the table.

~julie~

morning julie - I was browsing DG and was just about to come here and tell everyone to wake up, it's 9 am! But you're here and I see the coffee's on! Whew! So glad for a cuppa this am. I feel tired and groggy - sure it's just the cold in the head thing. I'll pass on the bars - sound good tho.

Not sure what's on the agenda today yet. I have to fix (hand stitching) 2nd DS's coat - sick of it laying around, waiting for me to get it done. He ripped the hood loose on one side - bit of a pain to get at. Just the thread let loose, thankfully.

Laura

Morning! I have time for a cup of coffee this morning, and later maybe time for the lemon bars Julie hints she will make! :)

School holiday today for the kid so they have gone off to do some shopping before some of her male friends come at noon to move her bedroom furniture to the master bedroom we got almost totally finished yesterday. Still need to caulk the new baseboards and clean the windows and get the rest of the wire shelving put up in the walk-in closet.

Tomorrow I plan to play! The South Florida Roundup tomorrow is about 90 miles south/southeast from here and although two of the people I really wanted to meet (pattischell and cyberageous) will not be there afterall, there are many DG'ers I haven't met either who will be. Plus, I haven't been outside much except to go to the hardware stores and it's warm enough here to wear shorts today. My sister will go with me, and drive her car which gets much better gas mileage than my 1992 Nissan pickup.

That's really wonderful! So glad you're taking a day OFF! And a DG day besides, that's really a thrill! I can't wait till the next IA RU. There were so many people I wasn't able to visit with and I'd love to visit with them all again!

Hi Darius! Glad you got some playtime...you know the old saying "All work and no play". :-D

I found a cutie on the web this morning...I think it really fits the "GOB's" among us...and maybe some of the apprentices as well.
Take a peek. hehehe
http://wandascountryhome.com/grandma/index.html
(Check out the name of the author! Could it be....? Nah, she wouldn't be *this* grandma, would she? :-D)

~julie~

Nah, she's not a grandma, yet! Sure is a cute poem tho. Enjoyed it thoroughly - definitely a GOB moment.

Have a bag of Dove chocolates here- I've already had two - I'll pass them around to others..

Did the huff and puff thing this morning, then stopped off for my weekly visit with my MIL - she was in good spirits today - no slamming my DH at all. His sisters tell me she always was mean to him. Out of nine kids, guess she needed to pick on one of them. Crazy family (two brothers and one sister have mental problems)

Puttered around the garden room and picked dead leaves off my cuttings . Gosh, I wish warm weather would hurry up (do I sound like a broken record??)

Wish I was going to Fla to go to the roundup - maybe next year.

Have nothing planned for fun this weekend - should do some cleaning that I never got done during the week. Expecting a snow/ice storm on Sunday - whoa is me - what else is new - this is Michigan

Trying to find some pink verbena seeds - anybody have any??? My ususal seed store only got in a few burpee seeds and no pink. Drat - I didn't get a Parks catalog either....

Six male cardinals and 5 females at the feeder- gorgeous birds. Take care all.

You're lucky Sarv, all I had this morning were three big fat crows, and I do mean big. The wing spread must have been at least 24", tip to tip. By the time I got the camera, they were roosting in the trees.

Kooger you are doing a lot of work after your clean up!! I upholstered one chair, years ago and swore I'd never tackle that job again. At that time I still had my old Kenmore which was one of the last models they made that had metal gears. After that they used plastic or nylon. That machine lasted from the early 60s until '93, when the rubber belt that turns the wheel gave out. The replacement was made of neoprene and never worked right as it slipped and couldn't be tightened. Eventually I replaced it with a cheap Kenmore which has actually served me well. Julie, your threading episode made me laugh, went to use my daughter's serger and she had to go look it up!!

I did play with the greenhouse....cats found it quite interesting and I got one picture of Mini sitting inside but when I tried to send it here, the whole thing disappeared into cyberspace. So I'm retyping my babble but not trying to send the pic. I'll try it separately. Gimme a lemonsquare, I've been very very good today!! Hope Darius is having a great day! Hope we have a roundup somewhere near me this year. I'd love to meet more folks face to face.

Later

Trying. After Mini got out, the rest took turns exploring, one by one..

That thing looks a lot bigger than it did in the catalog! Looks like they're worth the money!

I'll say, DH was very surprised at the size! This was an incredible bargain, and the fact that you can fold it up when you don't need it is wonderful. Let me edit that, SOME people can fold it up, but apparently not me! Had to enlist help.....or leave it up for the cats to enjoy.

Hi! No time for coffee... I'm off to the South FL DGRU. Y'all have a great day!

M5, I'dsay you got a bargain. And doncha ya love how cats have to investigate?

Have a ball, darius!!

Come on over for breakfast- french toast, sausage, eggs and oj. Delish!!! Now I'm drinking coffee with amaretto flavoring in it - it's ok - I'm really not a coffee drinker tho.

Listening to a gardening program on the radio as I type. Program is on every Sat and I seldom miss it.

They are talking about the need to repot in March - I reallyyyyy need to to that this year. I have a ton of african violets that aren't doing diddly - they really need some new dirt. Last year I repotted some I was keeping over the winter for my mom. They looked pretty pitiful, but after repotting they took off!!! Full and gorgeous and flowering by the time she came to pick them up. Just a messy job to do.

They are saying the peak for the flu is over here in Mich - whew - avoided it so far!!

No birds at the feeder now - must be that stinkin hawk is nearby.

Have fun at the RU Darius, can't wait to here all the fun things that happen.

Hi all GOBs,
I've been out and about for a day or so, but the weather has me back at our 'table' today. I brought some gingerbread if anyone would like a slice?
I have to eat spicy today because I can't taste much. The grandchildren are back to bright eyed and bushey tailed but poor ol' grandma, (thats me), now has their stinker of a cold bug!!
I loved the grandma site - thats a GOB if I ever saw one!! Silver Surfers thats me and DH for sure.
Have fun at the RU Darius, its good to get out and escape every once in a while.
Carol

Well, the RU was fun even though we only stayed about an hour and a half. My sis was not feeling well, and our 90 mile one-way drive turned into 3+ hours because of construction. (We took a different route home.)

What was fun was meeting so many new DG'ers, and what a terrific bunch of women (well, mostly women as members)!

We were lucky enough to find a new HD on the way home and got almost everything on our hardware list painlessly. Clean store, friendly help, and well stocked. Made the Kissimmee HD here look like a pile of dog poop.

We had planned to do some work yet tonight but instead we're going to kick back and watch The Green Mile on TV in a few minutes as my sis has never seen it.

darius, I know you got my e-mail, but did you see where i posted here about Madison county also?

HI all,
Darius-so glad that you got to go to RU-
Okus-hope that you are feeling better
Sarv-can identify with the hawk thing. Even though my feeders are set up under tree canopy-the hawk (sharp-shinned or marsh) can fly under and feed. It has hit the window a couple of time doing the swoop thing-sure is interesting to see up close as it shakes off the hit.
julie-good luck on the sewing -those fancy machines looked So interesting in the store-would have to have lots of classes though before I took the jump.
Kind of tired tonight-the cleaning bug hit yesterday-a bit early for spring-but I am so far behind in sorting etc.-I hope that bug stays with me awhile longer.
I am going to close this and then open another and try to post pic again-don't want to lose another note!!

Let's see if this works!
It took Forever to load to preview-so I will send and go change the laundry etc.
This is a bit of hit/miss, especially in the chair-but looks a whole lot better than it did. Suggest that folks use tape to measure rather than finger widths and eyeballing the length!!:)

Marcia, LOVE the colors!

Betty, yes I saw your post about Madison Co. Thanks. My sis has a break for a week at the end of March and she hopes to come to NC (assuming I'm through here and home by then) and we'll start checking out places as possibilities.

Sounds great, darius. I wish you luck. Madison and Polk counties look like your best bets.

Hi peoples! :-)
Just pass the coffee...hot and black, please. That breakfast sounds great, but I think I'll pass. Not much for eating when I first get up. ;-)

M5...love the pic with the kitty in the greenhouse. Now that I have a cat in the house I know exactly what they mean by "Curiousity killed the cat, *satisfaction* brought it back" LOL That's the best definition of catitude I've ever heard. Boy, am I glad you're happy with your "starter house" (as they call them in the catalog) Did you see the bigger one and that you can zip several together? If I ever see those at Sportsman's I wont' hesitate to buy 4 of them! LOL

Marcia...your project turned out super! And I really had to laugh with the 'finger lengths and eyeballing". Yesterday I finished up my futon cover...it took me the biggest part of three days because I was trying to match patterns and keep my box edge straight. Getting the zipper wrapped around the curved corners while making sure it was centered nearly drove me nuts! :-D

Yep...those 'fancy' machines do take quite a bit in terms of a learning curve, but I've certainly enjoyed mine.over the years. I'm just mighty glad I had a job and "disposable" income while I was 'into' sewing and embroidery. Otherwise, I would have mortgaged our Social Security. LOL I'm not sure I have the will power to resist (even now hehehe).

Guess what! I rambled out of bed this morning and went to reach for the coffee pot. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a bird on the feeder outside the kitchen window. I remember thinking "That's one heck of big sap suc....WHAT THE HE!! is THAT??" I stood there with my mouth open for the langest time. It was a Pileated woodpecker!!! It was feeding on the suet cakes! Of course I went to grab the camera and he stayed on the feeder until I got back. BUT he must have seen a reflection from my lens and I didn't get even a *bad* shot off before he was gone. :-(

That thing was SO big that half his body was visible on one side of the feeder and his tail was wrapped completely around to the other side.

Now, for me, *that* was one heck of an experience! :-D

I'll be heading back downstairs to work with my plants and seeds today. I can't believe how fast everything is germinating down there. It's been many years since I tried starting seeds indoors. I had no idea that it would actually *work*! LOL Now I have Impatiens, hens & chicks, basil, ornamental blue mound fescue, coleus up...and even the lisianthus is germinating (slowly and eratically but they're there!). I think I'm beginning to understand why people move south when they retire. They can garden year round...and that's important when you don't have *that* many years to wait for stuff to grow to maturity. hehehehe

Y'all have a great day...and like Rebecca says "Keep those hands DIRTY!" :-D

~julie~