Coffee and...part 10! :-D

Hi and WELCOME (and/or Welcome BACK!)

Here's my usual message...
"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! :-)"

Here's the link to our last session:
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/489225

Maybe in this session we'll see the end of the snow...it's for certain we'll see the First Day of Spring!
LOL

~julie~

I made Maria's kuchen recipe. It's really good (with apples, not apricots) but really quite different than MIL's recipe. DH had it warm with icecream - he pronounced it very good!! :)

have a safe trip, darius!

Happy you like it, Laura
Maria

Good Morning all....SE Wisconsin escaped all that snow. When I looked out yesterday morning, it was just wet out there. Then I did a long post, with a picture, and it went POOOOOFFFF into cyberspace......and then we got busy. Had to go pick up the newly painted "spare" commuter car that DH bought last month, looks really good. Has a lot of miles but with his TLC it will have more. The truck he fell in love with gets about 9 to 10 mpg......so it's costing about $200 a month to go to work. Imagine having all these cars and nothing to drive to work ...typical car guy.

Then it was off to breakfast, (my chauffeuring reward) and then to watch GS participate in an Askiemo (sp.?) tournament which involved sitting on hard bleachers for about three hours watching padded and helmeted combatants hit each other with sticks. The littlest kids were hysterical to watch because they closed in on each other and just kept bopping each other on the head...and dropping their "weapons". The older ones moved around more, but it was poorly organized and there was lots of waiting for the next event. Mind and butt numbing three hours..never again.

Julie did you say Iowa RG?? I've never been to one. I'd love to go, but we'd need to talk more about it.

Darius, we'll be happy to have you safe at home, we miss you. The walk with the birds sounds fantastic. Years ago when we were living in Denver the butterflies were migrating, and I could stand in the back yard with my arms outstretched and they would land on my hands. My kids thought I was magic!! It's such a thrill to have a wild creature touch you.

You all know this, having a mess in your house almost guarantees visitors. It kind of runs along the same lines as making a quick trip to the market in your ripped and/or dirty clothes (gardeners have lots of them) and running into a coworker or a snooty acquaintance. ...isn't that one of Murphy's laws? Same like when you are in a hurry, everybody is driving waaaaay too slow?

I'd better get busy, birthday dinner to fix for DS, who is 49 this year, and he's requested the same thing for the past 40+ years, spaghetti and chocolate cake with butter cream frosting...the frosting is a pain in the patoot to make as it requires more patience than I usually can muster, but it is delicious........and why not, it's got mucho butter and egg yolks in it... I had called DIL so she could ask him what he wanted and when she called me back I said I already knew, .....She said how did I know.........!! Like that was a big stretch!!!
Need to go chase dustbunnies too..................LOL

Ooops, short term memory going to pot...curse of the elders....Julie and Kooger , I meant to put this in the prior post, there's an on line game site where I play backgammon ( a wonderful way to avoid housework) which is free, has great graphics and so forth, it's pogo.com, you just sign up with a screen name, (fill out your profile if you want to-it's not required) and has euchre on the board and card game portion. Maybe you are already using Pogo, but if not, you might want to try it. You can also pay for a club membership but that's silly if you can play for free. Not too many popups, and you have to allow cookies BUT they don't sell your email addy to others so it doesn't create an opportunity for spam. Check it out.

GOOD Morning all you fellow GOB-ers! The snow is melting and underneath it all are my crocus bulbs just chomping at the bit to show me their faces! (Now how's THAT for optimism? LOL)

M5...I have to get the details on the when and where for RU (I hope I said RU in my last post...the 'RG' confused me. hehehe) It would be great fun to go one, but I'm not any good at traveling...especially by myself. Besides, I hate to admit it but I have that socially unesceptible and dreaded "nicotiana syndrome" too...and I'm not talking about the ornamental kind I put in the garden. LOL We really *do* need to talk about a trip!

Oh...and thanks for the POGO tip. The Euchre game that I play (and the one I think Kooger is using too) has an online site where we can play without charge and, so far (after about 2 years) I haven't noticed that they've sold my email addy. And I hadn't noticed until you mentioned it, but they don't have *any* popup ads or messages on that site. (Gee...that is *odd* isn't it?! :-D)

Today, I'm planning on writing a little tutorial for my group of people in the Annuals forum on making great Coleus cuttings. So I have to go do a little image prep on the pics I've taken and write the instructions. I'm sure I'll be back later.

In the meantime...pass the coffee...there's a few peanut butter cookies in the jar, feel free to help yourself. They're really good (melt in your mouth, so much butter!)

~julie~

Mmmmmmmmmmmm peanut butter cookies, to heck with breakfast! CHOMP!

See...I told you they were scrumpt-te-ous! LOL

~julie~

Shucks, gonna have to have a PB cookie later, already had some of Maria's kuchen. Will check out the POGO too. I'm playing euchre on the one julie posted but my free trials ran out so I can only play one game a day now. Doesn't satisfy the competitive itch at all!! lol

Time for shower and church, later all.

Kooger...we used to play at the office by using the network type connection. We only had to know our IP address...If I can find out how to do that over the internet, we'll wouldn't have to go to the actual site at all. Maybe we could get a few others to play with us. I know we can use the 'robots' (computer characters in the game) as opponents. That could be FUN!! :-)

~julie~

Oops...nope! That's only for LAN users. Dang! I was hoping to get a game going. :-D

~julie~

Good Morning Everyone!!! Still gloomy in old Michigan - haven't seen the sun for days - is there still one up there?? Nasty, cold rain yesterday - but still tons of snow on the ground.

Went to friends for homemade pizza last night- the hostess is a former home-ec teacher and makes the most lucious stuff! Just throws things together and they come out looking delicious!! DS was there too (the one that is mad at me re a birthday dinner - long story) He spoke, but barely. Oh well, he'll get over it- kids....

I was hoping we'd get asked out for Easter dinner, but alas, so far no invites. I'm getting tired doing all the holidays(small whine here)...we did go out to DS last Easter and Thanksgiving, so I really shouldn't complain - just don't want to do it all anymore. I have always had Christmas tho. Oldest DS has never had us over - he is not married to the girl he is living with, but wedding is this summer. They have an old house that they are redoing and an 8 yr old son. Years ago I would never have told anyone about their circumstances, but seems like in this day and age - anything goes!! He's a good egg, just made some crazy choices!! Actually the real reason I don't want to host another gala, is my kitchen is a MESS with potting soil and brugs all over the family room and I will have to relocate all that junk!! Now the truth comes out!! LOL

Oh, peanut butter cookies- yummmm they are my absolute favorite. I am back drinking my diet cokes (shame on me) I was limiting myself to one on Saturday, then all heck fell apart and I am totally out of control. Had one or two everyday last week and yesterday had 3! Oh my.... They are as bad as ciggies I think...

Julie - I overwintered a ton of coleus. Took cuttings in the fall and popped them in cups of water. But I left them in too long and the roots major intertwined!! Took them out of water and potted them up. Just took some cuttings of my cuttings and put them in soil and bagged them up - much easier - and so far so good. I think I will probably do it this way again as it skips a step. There was a show on Rebecca's garden of a gal who grew tons of coleus. Good show too.

I'd love to play some cards - come on over- I have a left over bag of BBQ chips that I'll share and a case of diet coke!! DH has some brew and I'll even share some of those!!!

LOL, good of you to share hubby's brews.. heehee
I'd have some of those BBQ chips tho, would like something with a bit of snap to it to wake up my taste buds.

We HAD a gentle all night rain last night and a bit into the morning. HURRAH... took two weeks of predicting it and postponing it but at last we have precip. I feel like Katherine Hepburn in 'the Rainmaker' [with Burt Lancaster?] *RAIN* at last. Our ground is so dry you can here it slurping at the little moisture that has fallen.... am hoping it keeps it up all day.

Sarv...it sounds to me like you're pretty good with those Coleus cuttings. They are my absolute favorite! They are SO easy to propagate so I don't have to spend a fortune to have MORE than I need. hehehe Maybe you and I could swap a few cuttings when the weather gets warm enough to send them, what do you think?

Blooms...reading your description of the soil there reminded me so much of when I was a kid in Oklahoma. It seemed that we could always count on the ground to get deep cracks it...and even after it rained it seemed that the water went down the cracks instead of wetting everything down. Hope you get all you need and not a drop more. (Hey...I'm used to living with floods, what can I say? :-D)

~julie~

Julie - I always visit my favorite greenhouse early and pick up coleus, then come home and take starts from them -I am real cheap!!! I wish I knew the names of what I have (doesn't really matter tho- I just like them!!)

I got a little HF greenhouse last fall. Today DH went to get shelves for it. He is going to make them. The shelves cost as much as the greenhouse!! He always makes things so darn heavy and sturdy - almost overkill, but I try and keep my trap shut. As long as he will do it, I'll be quiet.

Right now he's making a pot of spaghetti - there's always plenty, so pull up a chair and pass your plate.

Oh, Good, was waiting for someone to invite me to supper.
What kinda bread?
I ould bring some garlic buttered italian
...oh that was a different thought ;-) - hee hee

You'd remember him if you'd met him... nevermind.
~Blooms

LOL & LOL Sarv...that remark about your DH building things "sturdy"...maybe he's related my DH! Good grief, the plant stand that he gave me are made from angle iron...and no way on earth could I ever move them! :-D

I'm going to pass on the pasta tonight...just finished with great steak and au gratin potatoes....yum. Sorry...I ate it ALL! :-D But there's brownies in the oven...plenty for everyone!

Blooms...? about that "nevermind"....uh? Maybe an explanation is in order? Or, uh, maybe not? LOL

~julie~ (julie thinks she's missing something...maybe a brain cell or three? :-D)

Hi...
Just peeked out the window...The baby is on her way...can't finish what I started.

~julie~

This will be my third try at posting this! Julie, you did say RU, I belong to another organization that uses RG (Regional Gathering) for their annual get together, and my fingers bypassed my brain......I'm sending you an email, we need to talk about this adventure.

That pogo site by the way lets you create a "friends" list so when you sign on, you can see if they are playing and the room/table they are at....handy for the players! (They don't pay me to tell about this....!)

I'm passing on the goodies, I stuffed myself last night so I'm in remorse mode...I'm putting the rest of the cake on the counter so that you all can save me from myself...we did quite a number on it.....Note Oskar sitting over on the other counter begging a treat from Souky's dish. He's such an optimist.

Hi M5...that's one luscious looking cake...I don't blame you for going overboard with it. (I did the same thing with my brownies last night. I ate a whole serving and I shouldn't do that. hehehe)

Got up late this morning...only a few minutes before Angel and her daddy got here. She has a bit of a cold so it's a little different than usual today...more attention necessary. :-)

Not much else to talk about at the moment...but did want to check in and wish everyone a GOOD Day!

~julie~

Cake - yummmm anything chocolate!!! I'll take a huge piece please - with a diet coke of course!!

Just got back from the store - loaded up on groceries. Bought myself 2 new watches too. I always get cheepies because I find myself dunking the in the dish water or they get covered with dirt. But I absolutely have to wear a watch at all times - it's the last thing I take off before hopping in bed!!

I'm eating lunch as I type - Cameo apple (the best!!) chopped up in a bowl, topped with a container of yogurt- today its peach yogurt - man is it all refreshing!! Plus filling. Need to think of something for dinner - got any ideas??

MIL called this morning and said "you have to take me for a blood test" (she needs to go monthly for one) - I HAVE to take her??? (she has 9 kids) hmmm I'm the DIL!!! She's getting old and crotchity - told her I'd pick her up at 1 tomorrow!! Think of me tomorrow and pray that I can keep my lips sealed!!

Went to the garden store to find some 'prairie sunrise' conflower seeds. The ones I collected arent' sprouting - tried two batches. They are absolutely the best flower- very bloomy and long lived. However, they didn't have any seed. Grrrr - there is one more place I am gonna try tomorrow. Drats that makes me mad!!

Well, the sun isn't shining here, but it is almost spring-like (only 42 deg, but NO snow coming down!!)

take care everyone..

Oh dear, now I'm worrying about the hollyhock and datura seeds I collected and shared. I do hope they sprout for everybody i sent them to.

I don't know much about either plant. They happily sprout here and there on their own so I assumed they would wherever they might land. ;>) ?

I swear I posted that chocolate cake was my favorite Poof ate it?? said somethng mor no doubt but it was early and coffee only just now kicking in.

Our lovely rain has fizzled for the day, oh well, maybe tomorrow. predictions are such a waste ? gives them something to say?

got all mixed up posted on the one before this, wonder why it came up first
Maria

Good Morning, everyone...

Sarv, You'll be fine...but I know it won't be easy. Been there and done that.

Blooms...you should worry about those seeds. I'll bet the ones you sent out are fresher than the ones we buy at the store...and so far everything is working for me. (I can't wait to see what happens to my winter sowing containers.)

Oh...and I collected quite a few seeds from my own stuff last season. Some of it has been sown in WS method and some IBLF. I checked yesterday and the nicotiana seed I collected has alread germinated (3 days!) and is turning green. I'm actually having better germ rates from collected seeds than some I've purchased.

Maria...I saw your post in the other thread...and I'm sure Darius saw it too.

Maybe Darius will be on the way home today. And by the end of the week maybe she'll be back with us full time.

Kooger...did you start your job yesterday?

I wonder how Mary's doing...and Marcia...and ....and....well everyone we haven't seen in a while.

It's getting really close now...spring, that is. It supposedly arrived sometime yesterday...but the snow is still on the ground around here. :-D I got a shipping confirmation this morning! Yea!!! It was for that Weeping Pussy Willow I ordered several months ago. I think I'll need to plant it in a pot for a while since the soil is a bit to FROZEN to dig it a hole just yet. LOL

Say...I forgot to mention it...if any of you guys are interested in Coleus as a topic, Happy_1 has put up a thread bringing it to Dave's attention that a new forum might be in order. If you *are* interested...why not leave a note in the thread. Here's the link:
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/492241/

Dh did me another "favor (?)" yesterday. ;-) He went grocery shopping and to pick up a prescription for the baby but came back with MORE plant roots and bulbs. hehehe He brought back a pack of 3 clematis (Polish Spirit (purple)) a pack of dbl Hollyhocks (6), a pack of 10 mixed daylilies, and a bag of onion sets. The "?" was for "Where the heck does he figure I going to plant them!?!" He's SO funny (for a no-nonsense old f@rt!) You'd have to know him to understand that statement. :-D :-D

Well...y'all have great day. I have about an hour and a half to get my chores done before Angel gets here...and I want to spend a little time with my garden notes while I can still think.

So....I'll check in later...keep the coffee hot!

~julie~

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to work I go............ Yup, started yesterday - I'm gonna love this job! Sure is lots for this old brain to learn! Two others in training class, one in her mid 30s, the other is 20. Yikes!! Hope I can keep up. gotta go....... have a good day all....... we didn't get predicted snow yesterday.... last weeks snow is melting. later............

Good morning every one, don't have any goodies to eat, hope some one else has ???
Maria

good luck Kooger on that new job - you'll do better than those young ones- you have more experience!!

Went to the huff and puff, then met two friends at the local coffee shop - I was so hot that I ordered a smoothie - really bad for ya (coconut milk etc) but ohhhh so good! Now I am downing a sub - first had half, then decided that I was still hungry, so here goes the 2nd part!!

Sun is out and it is a gorgeous day - but still chilly. Just listening to the news and they are saying 'snow' for Easter!! Oh my....

Julie- I checked out the site you ordered coleus from - wow - what a collection., I only have 5 of the common ones. I need to get some they have there- didn't realize there were soooo many of them! I've had much better luck keeping mine in pots rather than in the ground. How about you?

Well, almost time to pick up MIL for her blood work. I am gonna ask if she would like to visit one of my favorite gardening shops - she better!!!!

Kooger...I'm not worried about you "keeping up" with those 'kids' in training...it's the ones in training *pants* I'd be worried about! LOL (With my DGD in tow, how do you think I know about that one? :-D (You're going to do FINE!)

Maria...about all that's left in my kitchen since the grands hit this morning is a couple of cold hot dogs. :-D If you want something nice and hot, you'll have to wait until the roast and potatoes is out of the oven...OH I forgot! There *is* a cherry pie on top of the stove. And it looks yummy.

Sarv...aren't those coleus something else? I just love coleus...so many different shapes and sizes and growth habits...they just fill the bill anywhere you need something.

Obviously, the baby and the babysitter's helper are sleeping...otherwise there is no way I could be sitting here. LOL

Be back later...
~julie~

Busy day so far....any one hear from Marcia? Maybe she escaped to a warmer climate....and we know Mary is lambing nightly......but where is everyone else. Our baked goodies are going to dry out sitting on that counter. Aria, finish off that chocolate cake so I can wash the plate.

Speaking of sitting on the counter....this was this morning's vigil, waiting for water. (If Max gets at water too soon after he gets fed, his breakfast ends up on the carpet, so they all have to wait at least a half hour) They don't look too happy do they??

What beautiful cats!! finished the cake, meezer, now I am waiting for a piece of cherry pie LOL
Maria

yeah, how could a cherry pie be a *oh Yeah* in anyone's house? I'm not doing anything worth reporting.attacking first one area of the yard and then another. Just as it catches my eye, not necessariyl with ryhme or reason.

I've a dreadful feeling of 'it's all just too much and beyond my ever catching up' Always feel that way in the spring and the past two years have proved the accuracy of the feelings.

Mayhap I'll let it all go hang and just go traveling.
Heck with all of it. Too much work.

Blooms, why do you think I am leaving ? HA HA HA
Maria

Definitely the right idea - kept musing on it while pulling the sand burr weeds with the little bitty innocent looking purple flowers.

Gas prices are up, but they are probably gonna stay that way... so that's not really a factor. The only thing is the 'willingness' to let the yard die. Or hire someone to water... hmmm mmm
How long am I gonna be young enuff to travel as I want?

Blooms, gardening has always been one of the joys of my life for almost 60 years and even before that when spending time with my grandmother on her farm i was her shadow all summer, I still can taste that warm tomatoe she picked and handed to me, how good it tasted!, or the sweet scent of her phlox she grw in her kitchen garden
Now I like to see places i never been too especially since I lost my husband I need to be some where else for a time and the gardening just has to wait, so here world I come!
Maria

Love those cats on the counter- Mine never gets on the counter during the day, but I've seen evidence in the morning that she's been up there!! I always wipe them down first thing.

I would love to travel, but have done little in my lifetime. Drove to NYC one summer and have been to Fla several times when the kids were young. DH is not a traveler at all and if we want to go, I have to plan all of it and drive. Just not worth it... I do drive to Indiana every year to spend a week or so with my sister, but even that drive is getting too long to do it solo. We've been doing girl trips to Chicago every winter- some years amtrack and others take a limo. This is always a fun trip!! We do camp in the summer with a group of 30 or so. Enjoy that too. Oh well, maybe in another lifetime I will be a world traveler!!

Took my MIL to the hospital yesterday for her monthly blood work . She was so weak that I had to hang onto her arm. So no stopping at my favorite garden center - she just couldn't do it.

Just heard from my mom/dad in Fla - they are both sick and will not be able to head back to Mich when they had wanted to. I love having them go and be in the warm weather, but worry so about them driving that long distance. We've offered to drive them, but that's a NO GO with them yet.

Another cloudy and windy and would you believe snowy day. Did get invited over to DS house for Easter - they are having it on Sat, but that's ok - just going to their house is fun.

Seems like everyone is getting the second round of the crud up here - I take alkaseltzer cold every night - does the trick! Take care everyone!! (no food to share here- need to get baking...)

Morning everyone,
I would not go anywhere either if I had to travel in a car, Sarv, too exhausting always watching what the other guy might do or looking at maps and get lost anyway, so only trans and planes are for me.

Have nothing any thing special to offer either just going to have toeast but later I'll make some sweet Irish soda bread.
Maria

Cats on the counter....good thing we never eat at that stupid snack bar....I spend way too much time wiping down counter tops. I've been pretty successful at the "no more sleeping on the sofa" using the spritzer on them, but I'm quite sure they make a bee line for it as soon as I step out the door. It's pretty funny though, I don't even have to pick up the spritzer any more, I just point at them and go PSSSSSST, and they make a mad dash to escape!

Went out to see if anything green was showing in the garden beds, LOOK!! There's hope. Even though it may not seem like it when I look outside today, murky gray clouds and a cold wind. COME ON SPRING!!!

I don't see darius posting; she must be on the road. I hope all is well in her apartment when she arrives.
I'm going to a baby shower at work today. It's a girl and I have a beautiful white dress for her but it is for some time ahead. I have a personal policy of buying things for the baby that can be used later and not right at birth like layettes. I think this is about a size 2X.
There is going to be a serious problem about this baby. The mom is a beautiful and sweet young woman with a 4-year-old girl. Her husband is in prison. He knows she is pregnant (not his) and claims to be all right with it. But experience tells me that he'd have to be an angel to accept and love this child and obviously since he's incarcerated, he's no angel. I hope the child doesn't go through hell before the mom finally leaves.
I almost decided not to go to work at all today. My feet and legs swelled so much yesterday that once I got home and took my shoes off, I couldn't get them back on. Things are better now, but I don't understand what's causing this. Perhaps too much sitting at a desk? Just a few months and I'll retire, thank goodness.

OK gals - I need your help with something kinda personal:

My son got a girl pregnant while she was in HS - Her mother left her and she had to quit HS - did finally finish. And has a good job now - but many bad years before she got this far. She has had a bum life for all her life (no dad in the picture and a real crazy, undependable mom and rotten sister). Their whole family has a love-hate relationship.

Anyhow, to shorten things - they are getting married (have an 8 yr old precious son). They have worked thru their rotten beginnings and are doing well - both have settled down and grown up. They are having a family only wedding and a reception at a local park

Here's the problem: Her mother just called and asked if I was giving her a shower!! NOOO, hadn't planned on it. She told me it wasn't proper for the mother to do it, but the mother-in-law could. (I'm the MIL) Hmmm - never heard that rule before!! So she is having no showers as her sister who offered to do one, suddenly decided NOT to. When my younger son got married last year, my new sister in law had one for that bride , but the situation was entirely different ( no children etc) The sister-in-law is a very nice person, but I am not close to her and do not feel that I could ask her (she volunteer for the other son)

Now I feel just awful that no one is having a shower for her - she has had a shi**y life and it seems that the glorious times she wanted still won't come true for her. I mentioned it to my other DIL (who just got married), but they have absolutely no money... Our family just doesn't do the 'shower' thing!!!

She is so emotional and I know that she will be absolutely crushed!!! What should I do??? Please give me some direction!!! I even called my 81 yr old mom to ask her opinion. She is so great, she told me to have it at her house, but that she couldn't do any of the cooking!!!

Ohhhh, what to do???? Guess I am an emotional person too as I don't want anyone to be unhappy. I just feel so bad for her. (as an after thought - I wouldn't even have a reception given the circumanstances, but that is just me - I don't like fall=da=rall) Any thoughts???

I hate rules as to who does what or when .

I think one should go by what is best for the recipient and what is best in ones heart , especially in that case where she seems to be alone, sort of. ...My MIL gave me a shower bcause I was new to this country and knew no one.
Maria