Coffee and... Part 15! : )

I cannot duplicate Julie88's Welcome, so let me ADD my own... EVERYONE is welcome to stop by and be here, have a bite of whatever goodies may be on the table (or bring some), drop your troubles here, or just CHAT!

This message was edited May 10, 2005 5:48 PM

Too tired to cook tonight so I'll treat myself to an evening out, a modest one of course. Had thought about going to a movie but can't think of one that sounds good, perhaps an old video or dvd. Managed to tear out the sliding glass door in the sun-room, reframe it and hang the new door. Put up some plywood to keep the bears and elefinks out and will sheet it and order the new window in the morning. The glass man is supposed to come Wed. to replace the big front window with a smaller one, then I can shingle the remaining front wall and trim it out. Lots to do and get the place spick and span again before my sweetie comes back Saturday. It certainly is a blessing having things to do, and the ability to do them. Took my bandsaw over to friend John's this morning and while chatting over a cup of coffee he lapsed into a state of hysteria, dementia, or just plain insanity. He had actually told me that I should start one project and see it through to completion before starting another one!! I've rarely heard of anything so absurd, and he's as bad as I am about having multiple projects going all at once. I think its a guy-thing, and probably not contagious. DW did call while I was outside to say they were having a grand time, and eating better than me I'm sure. That pretzel melange sounds pretty good. Think I should make a pumpkin pie, I seem to have been missing my beta-carotene. Won't bore you any longer with my assorted inane ramblings and wish one and all a very pleasant evening.

Balvenie and GOBs,

No rambling is too inane
to distract me from my pain
after a rambunctious day in the jardin

Is my brain working, or what? The rest of me sure isn't. Oh, we have been having those days in May where the light is golden and the sun and breezes are doing what they s'posed to. I just wish my joints would do what they're s'posed to.

MD was beautiful - phone calls to relatives far away and bouquets to friends close by with birthdays. DH and I walked a nearby woodland trail with Stinkender Storksnabel (wild cranesbill) just coming into bloom in long abandoned fieldstone walls.

A friend of mine who speaks German fluently insists there are no other flower names so much fun as this one, but surely any language that could come up with this one must have some more. Evidently, the seed pod of this hardy geranium is shaped like a stork's bill and stinks! It was quite a day for the nose - walking through fern fiddleheads just unfurling, the sun released their ferny aromas. Spring beauties still spangled the ground all around.

Blooms, housecleaning and cooking have the same priority in this house, too. This is not to say that you and Sarv have relieved me of all anxiety about what I don't do in those departments, but I'm feeling a little less Victorian about moots lately. Thank you.

DH wants to clean the ponds tomorrow with ye buckets - oh to be a young buckeroo again! And then, he thinks we're going to rip out juniper around them and make an herb garden so we don't have to climb the hill to get to the basil in the dark - we shall see. If you don't hear from me for a while, I'm recuperating.

Hugs to you all.

Balvenie, surely you jest about the multiple unfinished projects. My whole life has been like that. Start a few things, finish one, work on others, start something else... Variety keeps it interesting and when I get tired of one project I can just do something totally different for a while and get some different sore muscles! What are the plants in the large pots on the left of the picture? and is that an old church pew on the right? Oh, and your "inane ramblings" sound ok to me. Pie sounds good too.

Wonderful progress Balvenie!! Such a handy man you are indeed!! You've been working so hard,I'm sure your honey will be pleased as punch. Next time you're searching for a movie, I just saw a charming British offering "Millions" which was pleasantly amusing and well done. Two young boys find LOTS of money, just as the Euro was coming to the UK....won't say more,but it was a nice movie, no cussing, no naked people romping around, and a happy ending. Sounds smarmy but I liked it.

Drenching rains today, DH was going to golf after work but came home instead, and got leftovers for dinner. Garden needs the moisture, but couldn't it just rain at night? If I thought about how much there was to do yet, I'd have to lie down and rest for a while.

Nice to see you back again Marcia. I suspect we are all going to be busy for the next several weeks. I try to check in daily, even if I don't post, but today I caught up on domestic chores, *ugh*, and did DH's laundry which he usually does himself but he worked outside all weekend, so I did it.

The news is on, it must be bedtime, I've been yawning since 8:00.....

Mary,the near tub is a brugmansia and the farther one is a fig. The sofa is a rebuilt oak piece that had seen better days before being reupholstered.
Meezer, the English movie sounds interesting.I like them more than the violent foul language junk coming out of Hollywood. Especially like the mysteries.
The rains came so I kept indoors and supped on Campbell's Chicken Noodle soup.Not fancy, but filling.

Pass the pumpkin pie - it's one of my favorites!! Can ya tell that I just love food!!

Went to a gardening class last night that was one of the best I've seen. It was on
'color for all seasons'.. Lecturer photographed her own garden and put on a power point presentation with a handout so you could follow along. Everything was labeled so you knew what it was. Intermession half way thru (never had this before) with tons of FOOD and gifts for everyone (a first too) I won a beautiful african violet pot - since I have tons of violets, I will put it to good use.

Man, who doens't have a zillion projects going at one time - multi tasking I call it! I planted so much yesterday that I had to ice my hand down - oh man did it hurt... I must have bent my toes at a weird angle because they were so sore I could hardly take a step - I looked like an oldddd lady waddling down the aisle at the class. All I could think of is, gosh I wish I was in a tub of warm water, but by the time I got home, I was just too tired to run a bath. Maybe tonight.

Our power went out for several hours- they were forcasting a nasty storm, so I unplugged the computer fearing a power serge. Would you believe it didn't rain a single drop!!! Haul out the hoses again today.

Oh, interersting. Speaker last night said she NEVER fertilizes her perennials, only her annuals. She does amend around them yearly tho. I was just ready to dump on the fertilizer - maybe I need to rethink that again.

Well, I hear DH rumbling around getting ready for work. He is still going daily, but I fear it will soon be over for him. He is getting groucher and groucher daily because he is so frustrated with his stupid brother who is a do nothing. I can't tell ya how many of our friends have lost their jobs - it is really scarey...

Still waiting for the hummers here - they are very late! Opps, just found the cat left me a 'barf present' - what a way to start the day!!

I have many projects going on at the same time. There are always projects of research for the archives where I volunteer. But at home, there's a quilt waiting to be finished and my grandmother's mink stole that I am converting to a teddy bear for my granddaughter.
Spousal Unit and I are rebuilding the rock garden. The first effort was pretty good but now that we understand our needs and placements, we need to build it so that it is more accesible to us instead of risking our lives trying to go up to plants to fertilize and prune. thank goodness some of the small rock walls are not mortared in.

Humph! Finish a project? What nonsense. Doing a project from beginning to end in one fell swoop would suck the joy right out of it, and make it feel like work. I had a wool rug kit that I started in 1976, which contained materials for a small rug (15"X22") and a larger 30" X 60" one. I immediately did the small one. Now it serves as a comfy perch for whichever cat grabs it first to watch birds out the kitchen window. I'm quite sure the remainder of the kit is around...... somewhere..........................

Sarv the gardening session sounds like it was great....and they certainly treated their "students" well. I hope someday to have color through the entire season. Next winter, we are looking forward to some winter color, as the barberry bushes are finally getting sizable. Everything that should be blooming or budding now is just bursting. Lilacs have lots of buds, The climbing roses are playing Jack and the Beanstalk, hostas just jumping out of the ground. I have one Emperor that looks like it is gaining three inches a day!

DH has decided to take the day off from work, as the sun is shining and yard work is calling...so I should probably feed him breakfast. And get myself dressed and moving as well. Scattered showers predicted so we need to get out there quickly. Have a great day everyone.

Robert, great looking progress! Sounds like you made a wise decision to keep the elefinks out. My goodness, if they took up residence.... shudder...

egads, I am SO frustrated! I follow some of the Healthy Living Forum threads, and contribute once in a while. Right now there is one on depression, and I think I lost it, finally.

I have advocated fresh-ground flax seed for many years here on DG and as recently as 2 weeks (or less) ago on that particular forum. Do folks not take their health care in their own hands and do any research? Or are we just lemmings, merely going by what the doctor de jour has to say??

It's so frustrating. Maybe I should just quit offering to help as no one seems to want to be helped anyway, from what I read. (Yeah, I know it sounds like Sour Grapes, and probably is.)

Whew, glad THAT's off my chest.

It has been a gray day here, got nothing done even inside much less outside, just spent the day researching living out of the country. My friend who was to come and help take my Miami Beach Art Deco Railings to a shop where I can sell them didn't show up after all. Urrrrg.

What's growing best in my garden right now is Poison Ivy.

darius, I'd like to know more about fresh ground flax seed and what it does for you and how you serve it......

Go to the Healthy Living Forum and look at some of my recent threads.

Nice looking railings Darius. Too bad you don't have a place to put them to good use yet. They would look great around a garden deck, perhaps a more subtle shade though.
One thing about offering helpful information is that you never know when someone is going to need it. Maybe the next day, or next year when they need it and remember having been made aware of it in a forum on DG. Don't give up, just 'cuz people don't say they used it doesn't mean they didn't.
What's your thought on out of the country living ? Sounds interesting. Cheer up. Think about the redneck who thought his license plates were personalized because his father made them.

Darius, I just got back here from the Healthy Living Forum. Thanks, I should have been looking into that thread long before this!
Pati

darius, if you have a big sale, I'll be glad to come over and help. We can price and sell right at the mini warehouse.

Hi everyone. Hmmm, I don't see any goodies on the table, hafta bring some I guess. I'm thinking of making a banana pudding with vanilla wafers, sliced bananas and vanilla pudding, it's a 5 minute deal that goes great to a potluck if it has a couple of hours to chill. Well, of course it has no calories, do you think I would want to make anybody gain weight?

Darius, I'm sorry you had a down day, we all have one occasionally so I hope tomorrow is a good one. Those sure are nice railings. I would paint them black and have lots of color behind them and hanging out through the spaces, maybe with the whole thing on a rock retaining wall.

My day was more or less nonproductive. I did some weeding but the wind was strong and cold so I kept retreating inside or to the greenhouse. One of the things about wind is that it is noisy and the noise gets to me after a while. Maybe tomorrow will be calmer and warmer. Today it did get up to about 55 after a 40 degree start. The grass and weeds are loving it but the flowers are not too happy. I might get the lawn mowed tomorrow since it didn't rain today and might not rain tomorrow.... hopefully. I sure do need to catch up out there.

Time to go feed the horses their dinner. We watched them running around like a bunch of silly kids while we ate our dinner. Oh, speaking of dinner, I got some marked down New York steaks for about $2.50 each, such a deal. Saute'd some onions and garlic, added leftover cooked potatoes, topped it off with grated cheddar and it was great with the broiled steaks and fresh raw vegies instead of salad. Ummmm, good.

Dinner sounds great Mary. One of the first stops at Fred Meyer's (Kroger's now) , is the marked down meat section. The stuff there is a lot cheaper and tenderer.I look for the Chuck Eye Steak but seldom find it as there are only two per haunch or whatever that piece they come off of is called. Just an elbow away from the Rib Eye steaks. There is some more of the ubiquitous rhubarb crisp cooling. Tried this one with about 1/3 cup of light malt syrup for sweetening.(available at home brew stores). Haven't the foggiest idea what it will taste like. Super day today. Got the new door sealed and the first coat of varathane on the outside and the dead bolt & handle ready to install. The first Oriental poppy opened up today and there are several pregnant buds in the back just itching to pop. 9:00 now so I suppose I should think about getting something hot for dinner. Happy May tenth to everyone.

Where did the GA RU photos go? I cannot find it in the round-up forum?
Where did julie go?
I think I'll go back to bed, lol.

Woodspirit...Here they are...in the Round Up Pictures Forum.

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/503164/

Since it is only 3 AM here...I think I'll go bak to bed also...LOL Jo

I tried; no luck so far.

Works for me. Jo

Talk about going back to bed....I got up at 4am, surfed a little, got my socks on and warm housecoat and crawled back in the sack - woke up at 8am!! Now, I haven't done that in about 15 yrs!!! Then took an allergy pill (man, are they ever acting up now!) and have drifted in and outta a sleep for a couple of hours... It is cold and rainy here today - we really need the rain, so I won't complain. I should tackle the inside of the house, but I think it is a day to just lay around and snooze - I need it. Got the heating pad on my lap as I type. Supposed to get really cold (in the 40's) until next week, so no gardening for me.

Did have two deer meander up to the patio this morning. I was so freaked that I tore outside to check to see if they had been munching on the hosta - nooo thank goodness I just put some 10-10-10 on my flower beds, rain will soak it in and I expect miracles!!

There's some mint choco chip ice cream pie on the counter- just had myself a piece- there's more for the taking!!

I was awake early too, fed the complaining cat and then promptly went back to bed, something I seldom do. Woke again around 10:30 to the sound of a vacuum cleaner overhead. My landlord must be on his way here and the woman who rents the north wing is cleaning his house in preparation. I hope so, my refrigerator needs to be checked out, freezes all the eggs, milk and lettuce.

It's still overcast here, not quite as gray as yesterday but no sunshine either. I need a change of some kind, a new interest or something!

Nobody answered....where IS Julie??

Hap

Julie's last post was the evening of May 8th. Not like her to be MIA for more than a day or two. I have her phone number if she doesn't show up soon, hope I have some minutes left on my phone card.

If not, I will call her. I have free calling on my cell.

Hap

Hap talked to Julie,,, she's okay, just been busy, and will post later.

Thanks, Hap!

Anything for my friends....

LOL You guys are a "hoot"!

Sorry I worried you...I'm fine. I've just been busy outside and inside and probably mostly 'busy' in my head. To be honest, I can't really tell you what I've been doing because I don't *know*.

Ohhhh...wait a minute! I remember what happened! Darius started the #15 session, I did come in right after it was started. But I forgot *I* didn't start the thread so I wasn't automatically 'watching' it. I just figured everyone else was as busy as me and there weren't any posts. (Oh DUH!)

At any rate, all is well. I had to go back to the Dr. this afternoon to get a tetnus (sp) shot before the cataract thingy on Monday. (Ouch!) Then DH drove me to the store so I could pick up a couple of plants I needed for some containers. I'm really trying to get a lot of things setup so I can *do* them while the doc says I can't be working in the garden. (Do you think he means I *can't* play in the dirt...at all? ;-))

Thanks for caring...and thanks for the phone call Hap (..you sound like a *young'en* are you sure you belong with the "G.O.B's"? hehehe)

((( ~ Hugs to all ~ )))

~julie~

So glad you're back Julie. You dun scared us....As long as things are OK, it's OK, but don't let it happen again. LOL

No, I'm not a young'en.....65 big ones this September. My DD posted a picture of us on the coleus tread I started about my big 'un in the world record book.. You'll see. Right in there with the rest of the GOBs.

Got to go back to bed, it's only 2:30am. Just got the roamers on tonight.

Nitey nite, again..

Hap

I must have had the 'roamers' last night too, Hap. Was still awake at 3am, and then up at 7:30 so I can drive to Brevard to see Woodspirit1 (whose computer blew it's modem yesterday). I'll be a zombie all day!

Julie, I wondered if you had 'watched' the new thread, LOL.

Man, talk about zombie land- I spent the entire day in a chair snoozing yesterday - those allergy meds just wipe me off the face of the earth. Took another pill last night and slept the whole night thru (unusual for me) and today I am still groggie. Plus it is cold and extremely windy outside - makes me just want to crawl back into bed. Even cranked the furnce up because I felt chilly. I should take another pill today, but don't want to be chair bound...

Gonna go to the work out place in a bit - maybe that will get my blood a flowing again.

Going to talk to a harpist for the wedding that is coming up. Something I really don't want to do, but will bite my tongue, paste on a smile, and go. July 30 can't come too soon for me.

Oh, hopped on the scale and my weight is up real high!!! Too much ice cream pie I think. Plus I've been into the potato chips for a couple of days.. shame on me!

Hope everyone else is having a fantastic day!!

Must be the week for computer disasters....DH tried to take our old server programs off my computer and now I can't access the new one, then we called the 24/7 help line for the new ISP and now the home network set up doesn't work on his, either!! We overlapped on one of the old ones so I' m sitting in the den with his keyboard on my knees trying to catch up on the posts. Does that make it a laptop?

Glad to hear Julie is ok, guess we've all been busy getting dirty...I was sooo glad DH went to work yesterday, got me off my feet. Took DD out for her birthday lunch, and used my free slice of pie coupon, and she got one free for having a birthday! Good day all around. Taking DIL out for lunch today, instead of golfing in the 40* cold windy weather.....brrrrrrrrrrrr.

It's my fault the weather got so nasty. I rearranged my closet on Monday, swapping winter/summer clothes and put all the winter stuff waaaaay up om the top shelves...I should have known better. Sorry about that, midwest gardeners, it was a bad error in judgement.

Darius you mentioned Costa Rica as a possible living spot. My sister was down there for about 6 months a few years ago while her hubby was doing contract work and she said it was absolutely a garden paradise. Cheap living, and both urban and rural areas to choose from. At that time food was reasonable too. Might be an option for you to consider. Lots of ex-pats there, so you wouldn't be a stranger longl.

Gotta go call the cable/ISP company again and see when they can come and reinstall home network roadrunner. Gahhhhhhh!! I'll be on hold indefinitely..........hope you all have a better day !!

G'morning peoples...I'm still bleary-eyed after my first cuppa...OH maybe I need to put my glasses on! LOL (There...that's better...)

I didn't have the 'roamers' last night...I went to bed and stayed there! One thing about gardening this year...I'm too tired to keep my eyes open much after 9:00. It also may have a little to do with babysitting...but this week I've been lucky. DS has someone to watch Angel and I'm able to get more done outside. (Thank goodness!)

Yesterday afternoon DH took me to the grocery store (you know, the one that *happens* to have a small plant display? LOL) I'm glad I went. I wanted a couple of hanging baskets I'd seen on Monday. There must have been 8-12 White Licorice baskets then...but when I got there they only had one left. :-O

SOooooo...since I'd intended to buy TWO I *had* to pick out something else. hehehehe I brought home a licorice and a streptocarpella. I'd never seen (or heard!) of that one before. It has the prettiest lavender flowers and cool fuzzy leaves. I don't know if it will work, but first thing this morning, I'm taking cuttings from each basket (Is there a 12 step program for propagation addicts? :-D)

Sarv, did you get you co-op cannas yet? I got mine last week. They're still in the box waiting for me to figure out where I want to plant them. Has anyone here ever grown them in containers? I tried last year but didn't have much success.

Darius...If you're going to help Betty fix her computer, I hope you get it done before you fall asleep...and I hope you have good visit, too. (It took me *two* days to figure out why the 'Coffee and..." thread wasn't getting any updates.)

Hap...OK...if you say you're a 'GOB' then I'll have to believe it. LOL I haven't kept up with any of the threads in the Coleus forum. I'm scared to go there for fear I never leave!

OK...I'm off again. If you don't hear from me, don't worry! It's probably because my fingers are too globby with mud to touch the keyboard. (Yes! It's rainy here and nasty cold...but I still have containers to get ready! LOL)

~julie~

Good morning everyone. Yes, it is that busy time of year. There aren't enough hours of daylight in a day and not enough energy anyhow. Julie, that's funny, we thought you were missing and you thought we were...... a bit like kids in a store who can't find mom and think she is lost but don't know they are. However, I remember being lost in a store and I was so scared. I was too small to see over the display tables and it was such a relief when I had my hand held by my grandma again. That is the only time I remember going shopping with her, so it might have been more than she wanted to handle another time. Julie, I'll be praying for your surgery. Are you having both eyes done at the same time?

Yesterday after dinner I finally got the lawn mowed. It was still too wet and made the mower clog up but I did get it all done before dark.I was watching the storm clouds expecting rain any minute but that didn't happen. The wind blew all day and it didn't rain so it could have been worse, it's just that it was so long the old mower would have had trouble with it anyhow, then the added moisture just made it sticky. I have 2 big wheelbarrow loads of clippings to spread for mulch and there is raking to do where the mower dribbled when the chute was clogged. Also yesterday I took a horseback ride for about 2 hours out in the hills where there are a lot of cattle. By the looks of the grass out there they will be there for quite a while so I will have gates to open and close for many weeks. Today I need to ride a different horse, just an hour or so climbing some hills and doing some trotting to check out the one I will take to the endurance ride this weekend. I would also like to get the rototilling finished in the vegie garden. Part of it was done a week or more ago and then it rained and turned the clay soil to goo so I just stayed out of there. Last time I was down there the asparagus was looking good so I should pick enough for dinner.

Time to get busy, lots to do today. See you later.

I'm at work. I hope to have a modem today or tomorrow. After darius arrives, and if we have time, I will go pick up one at my computer nerd daughter's house. She apoligized that she only had an exterior modem; I laughed because I love the exterior ones. You can see exactly what's going on your connection.

Well been a few days since I posted. Have been really busy, roto tilling, planting, spreading mulch, used the pressure washer on my deck and exposed aggragate front porch and walk, put on sealer on all. Yesterday was 87 here. Today it's cloudy, windy and about 60. A good friend had open heart surgery, and has a Jack Russell, so guess what, in addition to my own Jack, I am puppy sitting for him. Don't know how long Patches will be here. She is a miniature and really cute! Doing some more planting of annuals today. It's hard to garden in between caring for DM and MIL, housework, laundry and cooking. And they say a man's work is never done, wonder if anybody has studied the women? Just aren't enough hours in the day. Better get back out, I am on a break here!!

Hey - busy room again - yeah!!

Just got back from the work out joint- and I do feel better. I am brewing up a pot of coffee for some extra caffeine. Trying to kick the diet coke habit - trading one bad one for another. I really don't like the taste of coffee tho, but with alot of flavored creamer, I can get it down.

Julie - thanks for the reminders about the canna. I stuck them in a closet - getting the house cleaned up for Mother's day - will have to remember to get them out before they rot. I've always done mine in the ground, but had dismal results of digging them and storing them this year - not a one made it. drat.

Defo - you make me tired just reading all you did - what's your secret for energy.???

M5 - quit causing this crappy weather - leave your duds be - just shove them to the back or throw them in a heap!! Yum going out to lunch sounds good. I'm meeting the gals for breakfast tomorrow- don't really like to eat breakfast out tho - give me a piece of toast/peanut butter and I am a happy camper.

You won't believe how lazy I am - I drove my car out to the greenhouse - twice!!! Didn't want to walk in all this cold weather - am I getting lazy or what??? lol

Well, coffee is done, so pull up a chair - I'm ready for a game of cards!

Hi All,
I have been keeping up with y'all, but haven't had time to post for a few days. It all seems to happen at once doesn't it!
Actually I think I've just been catching up with the stuff I put on hold while our visitors were around, but I'm just about there now. I have got 15 new shrubs and a tree, planted along our back fence. Well its a stone wall really that stops the land at the back ending up in our yard. It is 6 feet high - on the top terrace and there is a second two foot wall 10 feet in front of that. The back one looked very plain and boring so I hope some green will sort that out. The front one is fine, it adds some scale and shape to the yard and is a great backdrop for the beds.
Julie will be thinking about you on Monday, and looking forward to hearing what the world looks like through 'new' eyes.
Darius you take care now - no overtaxing yourself - we need you around and you need to find yourself somewhere new to live.
Carol