Coffee and...Part 17! :-D

Hi and WELCOME (and/or Welcome BACK!) This is session #17.

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/511056/

It's busy, busy, busy time for all of us. We'll understand if you don't show up regularly. Sure hope you understand when I can't. :-D

~julie~

So many topics...so many people...so many pics...and NOT enough time! Especially during the week I'm babysitting. I was so happy with myself last week for being able to keep up with the thread (sorta LOL). But since Monday, well...you know. I don't think 60 y/o grandmothers were meant to sit with 2 y/o grandkids. At least not on a daily basis. :-D And certainly *not* when 'granny' is trying to get poor little seedlings transplanted before they die of neglect.

I'm exhausted! Yesterday, I fell asleep as soon as Angel laid down on the floor after supper. Good thing 'gramps' was in his chair watching the news. And even better that Angel fell asleep, too! hehehe

Today, I have an appointment with the eye doc as wel as some other things I need in town so I told my DS that he'd *have* to find someone to babysit. (To tell the trusth...I *needed* a break)

I don't mean to 'slight' anyone by not individualizing this reply...I sure hope everyone understands that I'm reading everyone's posts, laughing or sympathizing with each one, and I'm SO happy to have people taking the time to leave messages here on our table. I get much time to do much reading in other threads so this one is my lifeline.

Kooger...I just had to tell you that I think you've got quite the little lady there. I just LOVE that hair...and the earrings are terrific! :-)

Well 'duty' calls and I need to run. I'll try to be back at the computer a little later. There's an Apple/rhubarb crisp on the counter. I've never had one before, and it's delicious! Fresh coffee in the pot, and tea in the canister. Help yourself!

Bye for now...
~julie~

I'll take a double coffee...straight..............ugh too much work again today.. think I need to rethink my "retirement". Plus, I don't see any end in sight....Need more time in the garden.....right?

I'm looking for a thread that show a Victorian house with the most contrieved front yard/walk that anyone has ever seen... I was telling sugarweed about it and I can't believe that she didn't see it for we seem to travel the same forums. It was quite a hoot. It was not long ago, probably within the last couple of weeks. Any help appreciated.

Still have not caught that #$^%^*)& POSSUM...Archie heard him, turned on the lights to see him walk away from the sprung trap....UGH...not cooperating at all.

This weekend with be another marathon in the yard I hope. They are predicting MY weather, HOT...Love it....Yesterday was 93 and sunny......PERFECT.... I guess it's from working in a 105-110 degree kitchen with NO SUN that got me really used to it. As one says, If you can't stand the heat,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Well, thanks for the jave....back to the dusty trail of laundry, calls...etc....maybe even cooking some grub for DH.

Later dudes......

Hap

Whew, it has been one busy day. Used pressure washer on garage floor, set DGD swimming pool, set out 40 tomatoes and picked 2 gallon of strawberrys Just in to fix supper, then back out to do whatever. Seems everybody else is outside, check in and tell us what you are doing.

HI Hap! Possum not cooperating, eh? (giggle) I'm just gald I don't have one of *those* giant rats to deal with.

Hi D.Cat! *two* gallons! Wow you must have quite the strawberry patch! It'll be a while before I can say I got more than 1/2 a cup from my bed.

Just home from 'town'. Saw the eye doctor...got a new battery for my watch...went to the bank (Probably should have gotten a loan)...THEN I went plant shopping. Heheheh not that I *needed* any more...I just can't STOP myself. LOL

Hey Hap! I got KONG Coleus at WALMART! And would you believe they were even MARKED with the names??? They had nearly a whole greenhouse FULL of them and they were only a couple of bucks each for pretty good sized plants!

By the time we hit the last place on our list, the back seat of the extended cab pickup was jam-packed with MORE plants. I had a GOOD day! (Now I have to get them planted. or at least 'staged' for planting while I try to keep an eye on the 2 y/o tomorrow. (I think I should have bought a harness and a tether so I could keep her close to me AND out of the flower beds. hehehe She likes to watch me plant things and when I turn my back on her, she pulls up what I planted and hands it BACK to me. Ugh! :-D )

Time to get out and pot up some hanging baskets.

Later....
~julie~

Now that's what I call a Bargin........Love the little one.....it sounds so typical...

King Kong at Wally world??? Going there tomorrow for sure!!

Went to my favorite greenhouse and left with my trunk and back seat full. Stopped along side the road as a sign said 89 cent daylilies. You could only get 5 for that price (I got six and didn't realize it until I got home....oops) Gosh, I wish everyone lived closer - my gardens are looking magnificient, if I do say so myself. Mine usually peter out in Aug and look awful. I am trying to get in more annuals for lasting color. We'll see what happens!!

DH is over at our son's house putting in a basketball hoop thingy. I have the whole evening to myself. Think I am gonna sit on my hinnie and watch TV and read... Weather is supposed to be rotten this holiday - drat. Hope the clouds part and the sun shines at least some of the time. I want to get everything in this weekend...and don't let me buy another thing!!

We stopped at several places today and I couldn't believe the amount of stuff they all had...I predict some major sales coming up!! The only thing we still need are tomatoes, peppers and broccoli - getting those tomorrow - then I am going to lock away my check book..

Take care everyone!!! Pass the dessert....please...

Thanks for all the nice comments, last installment thread too, on DGD pic. You know I can't take a bit of credit - well maybe a smidge!! LOL Nope! Looks spitting image of her good for nothing dad, gets the red hair from him and also DH. Oh maybe the sense of style comes from me -- HAHA!! that's more than a laugh and a half! LOL

Been up since before 5 am - took hubby to work, then went to work and took a nap with my pillow and blankie till 8 am. My start time is 8:45 so I went in when I woke up and got in an extra half hour. With the gas prices so high, I didn't want to drive back home 25 miles, to be home 1.5 hours and then go back up there. Didn't make sense to do all that driving.

Mary- DH's cousin does a lot of sheep shearing, went to Wyoming to do some too. Bet you'll be tuckered out big time! You sure get a lot of physical exercise -- all those endurance rides -- I grew up on a dairy farm and loved being outside working with the animals but horses just never excited me. I'd rather work with a barn full of Holsteins. lol

julie - gonna check out those Kongs at WW here. Go right by one on the way home. Still haven't managed to get that sedum dug for u. Argghhh! slow poke me!! Will get it done tho - soon, before it gets too hot to mail. :)

Hi everyone else!

m5, the job I am working now is just for money, but the one in archives is volunteer. What I'm trying to do is get on at the new library, where archives will move. They are going to need a lot of new employees as the new library is huge. If I can do that, I will be a happy camper. The library is about 3/5 completed, should be done in the fall. You might wonder why a town of 6,000 in a county of less than 30,000 is getting such a huge library. We have the 8th highest check-out rate in the state but we about the 50th in population. Amazing, huh? Our population is so diverse - so many rednecks and so many wealthy retirees and everything in between.

Coleus at Walmart! I was amazed to see them! Hope you girls get there and I hope they have them in all the stores. The rest of their stock in our store looked pretty miserable. I guess that cold spell we had up here really took its toll.

Sarv, sounds like you had quite a day of plant shopping as well. I agree with you...in few weeks there's going to be a LOT of left over plants and THAT makes for some great SALES!! (Hehehehe we can *always* use more plants, especially when we don't have to pay full price for them!)

KoogerI would have been scared to death to get comfortable enough to go sleep. I'd have been afraid I wouldn't wake up in time and would been late for work. LOL

I didn't get my hanging baskets planted last night...I was watering. And wouldn't you know I wasn't paying attention to the sky. By the time I went inside for a slice of pizza, it was really looking like it was pour...so I closed the shed and GH units up so they wouldn't blow away...it *sprinkled!* LOL But we got a pretty decent storm about 1:00 this morning.

The weather-girl last night said that the upper midwest was predicted to have a "colder than normal" summer. My body said "thanks"...my plants...well, they decided they needed overcoats. :-D

Sarv, I have to tell you, I couoldn't believe my eyes with the selection of varieties I for sale saw yesterday, either! I got perennials at the grocery-store greenhouse that I've only seen in catalogs before this season. UNBELIEVABLE! Wild Ginder, Bergenia, perennial Lyre-leaf salvia, wooly thyme and variegated oregano! And, YEP! I bought them ALL! :-D :-D They even had *Million Bells*! (Best of all, it didn't cost me an arm and a leg *and* they were good sized plants!) And talk about Ornamental grasses? They had every single kind that was hardy in my zone...and they even had *big* pots.

OHhhhhh...I saw something that I absolutely fell in love with. If DH hadn't been with me I'd have bought several and LIED about the price. :-D They had hanging sacks OVER-filled with white alyssum and laverder pansies. Now, those were $40.00! And they wouldn't have lasted very long...but they were SO gorgeous. And another temptation was the trailing geraniums trailed to grow UP a fiber stake (the kind you train philodendrons on)...OMG! And everything was in FULL bloom.

I'm sure none of this sounds all that great to you guys that have lots of plant outlets in your area...but for this podunk place...my shopping trip was nothing short of stepping into a gardening magazine.

Well...I'd better step OUT of this dream and start thinking in terms of reality. Will someone pass the coffee pot, please? I think I'm going to need a 2nd and 3rd cup to get focused on what I need to do today.

See y'all later...have a GREAT day!

~julie~

Hey GOBs, check out the pets forum and see Zarabeth's note about her kitty being up for kitty of the month..she needs votes!! I'm off to golf (in the sunshine!!) this morning, but I'll check back later to see what's good to eat....

Good morning. What a day yesterday was and you can believe I was tired when it was over! The sheep were even more uncooperative than normal, and I believe they are bigger this year. I managed to take pictures so will get those downloaded and post them in some sort of logical order. My shower felt extra good and after eating some leftover goulash, feeding the horses and walking the dog I sat down here to read some posts with a glass of wine and that was all it took before I was nodding off to sleep so I just went to bed early.

Today I am going to a big flea market they have annually in a nearby town. It starts today and finishes up Monday. The vendors come from all over. Usually I am gone to a ride on Memorial Day weekend so I thought I should take advantage of it this year. My neighbor has been saving up to go to it, she is into antiques but also loves garden junk. On my way home I have to get a few groceries and some vaccine to give the horses booster shots for flu, encephalitis and tetanus. Not sure I spelled tetanus right but you know what I mean. I also need to get some petunias for a couple of barrels. Million bells might be my choice there this year. They are in the shade until about noon and then full sun the rest of the day.

See you later.

Just got home from town. DS getting married and I have three showers for the bride to be. Got all three gifts - glad that chore is done!!! Got some good deals too!! (patting myself on the back!)

I received a $10 off card from Kohls - went it and bought a top and a bra - got it all for 11 bucks - can't beat that!!

I've gotta put a hold on my spending for a month...please help....I keep thinking we have two incomes coming in and we don't - old habits are hard to break!

Planted one of those window boxes that are wrought iron with the mat liner (scratchy brown stuff) Thing doesn;t hold much dirt, so I put in some diapers to hold the water, but gosh they get dry in a day. This may be my first disaster of the season.

The gale winds are blowing here today and it is chilly. I'm gonna slip on a sweat shirt and wander outside

Anybody else have those whirly things falling from their maple trees? It looks like snow here - they are covering the grass and blowing every which way!! Next they will be sprouting. grrr

I need chocolate (finished off all the peanut butter cookies yesterday!)

Sarv, for your window box, if I am getting the picture correctly, how about layering some leaves on top of that burlap. That should hold the soil as well as some moisture in. Then put some mulch on top of the soil around your plants?

Molly
:^)))

Spring for some of that planting medium, made for containers, that has the moisture absorbant stuff in it. I'm using it in all my pots and hanging plants this year, as it keeps them from drying out so quickly.

WHOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa...lets back up here a gosh dern minute......Sarv........DIAPERS......tell me all about this....This sounds revolutionary to me. Do they rot? smell????LOLOL ..........really hold water..........????????????

Talk to me...............





Hap

I"m using diapers in my hanging baskets and window boxes too. It's supposed to be a great way to help keep things from drying out. (Hmmmmm I wonder...'depends?' LOL)

Hi guys...just *had* to add my little thought there.

Be back later...
~julie~

When you say "diapers", do you mean disposables? or the old wash and fold ones?

LOL
:^)))

Ok, folks, this is what I do. I take a disposable diaper and rip out the inner stuff (don't want to use the plastic layer as I want it to disintergrate by next year) I lay that in the bottom, soak it, then add the dirt. I did this in my brug holes last year as I planted them in a sandy dry area. I also did it in my big pots. I think next year I will put some dirt in the fiber stuff (windowbox thing), then the diaper, then more dirt.

Did ya ever feel a babys diaper that was really soaked? That was all those water crystal things!! It does work slick and since I had a bag of left over disposables, I tried it last year and it was a major success!!

Happy - they don't smell as they are clean, unused disposables!! If you remove the plastic, they rot by next season.

Molly - the leaf idea is good- I will keep it in mind for next year. I don't have the oomph to redo the window boxes this year. Plus I really crammed them full of stuff and it would a major mess to undo all of that.

M5 - I used that moisture stuff, but ran out last year and in desperation, tried the diaper route.

The news just said that here in Michigan, it was colder here the month of May then it was in Fairbanks Alaska! Does that give you an idea of our stinky weather??? Everything seems on hold.

We're getting some freaky stuff too. Yesterday Seattle hit 88 or 89° breaking the 1947 record of 87°. Not too bad,but I still like it under 75°. The new window came today.Got the door moved just in time. Yesterdays location really didn't work so I took everything out and reversed it. I like this way a lot better.
(this mornings view)

And the "final" arrangement.Edited to add, there was a 6ft. sliding glass door there before.
this afternoons view.

This message was edited May 27, 2005 5:27 PM

Hey, GOB's...missed you ALL!

Uneventful week, didn't sleep well at all, got conjunctivitus somehow (or maybe it's an eye infection from an abcessed tooth that broke off at the gum line). Anyhoo, have antibiotic eyedrops and my eyes look like ****. Red ****. LOL.

Be back later after I get some rest.

HEY, HEY,HEY.................SHE'S BACK..........

Welcome...sleep well and tell us all about it in the am...

Nancy Lee

sarv........OH, you use NEW diapers........LOL but the used would have the fertilizer already in them........LOLOLOL

Just kidding....ROTF.......

Hap

glad you re home safe darius - ack! on the conjuctivitis - that's a bummer!

Hap - I do believe she was looking at the water retention crystals thing , not the fertilizer part. LOL

Stopped at WW - found Kong Coleus , all they had left was the green and white for $3.96 so I got one. Found one with 5 stalks coming up so it should make a big bush. Now, I have no clue where to put the thing!

Happy - you just gave me an idea....fertilizer already in the diapers....hummm We don't have any young ones in the family right now, but.........maybe DH would ...... LOL LOL

Welcome back Darius- ugh - pink eye!! Used to always have kids in class with that- spread like wild fire too. We used to send them home, but the last few yrs I taught, they would like the kids stay in school once they started with treatment. Said it was nothing to worry about. Just give them drops.

Just went out in the greenhouse and I have hyacinth beans that I started from seed - just covered with aphids. How does that happen??? They are the only things in the greenhouse.... Everytime I treat for aphids I have used soapy water and promptly killed whatever I was spraying. I don't know what I was doing wrong, but resorted the the old finger squish method now - after a blast of water.

DH mowed last night. I asked him to use a bagger to suck up all the maple tree whirrley things, but he decided not to - you should see the hay rows we have now. He knew I was in a snit when he came in and told me he would go over it today and scoop it up - time will tell if he does tho!

Gotta a question here: Do you cut back pholox??? Mine is getting so tall and I don't want to stake it.

Well, the stomach is growing, so must take care of that!! Sun is shining here (they forecasted a rainy weekend - wrong for the time being)

A Man go OVER something......heheheh, chuckle, chuckle....I never met one who would....It was always a trick to get them to do it in the first place......redo............out of the question........LOL But what would we do without them......DON'T ANSWER THAT!!!!!

Hope you have good weather savr'; it's 76 and the sun is just rising over the trees. It's a Happy Gardening Day for me. Love this work.....LOL

At my age, things are so touchy, I would feel embarassed to purchase diapers....it's a mind thing too.......

Have a happy day in the dirt, kids...

Hap

Just brought the "darius welcome home party" over here. I got the steaks, sugarweed got a fruit salad....do I hear sodas? Party will be on Monday.....we can celebrate 2 things at once....

Memorial Day and darius' safe return to us....


Nancy Lee

sarv -

Is this what they call a "Freudian Slip"? LOLOL

LOL LOL LOL -what a slip......stomach is doing two things at once now!! Ain't I the wonder woman!! Oh, that one really made me laugh...

me too!!

Well, let's make this a real party, how about Mimosas, it's a healthy breakfast drink, orange juice and all, no?

Sarv, that was quite a typo....I read it and thought, well, my hips are growing, why not Sarv's stomach? LOL LOL

'Morning... Yawn.... I'm still tired, had a difficult time going to sleep last night (over-tired I think) but finally managed to sleep about 8 hours.

The week away was really uneventful and my friend is on the road to recovery. Now I must "recover" my house. This place is THE PITS from neglect. I was never a good housekeeper but this is ridiculous. It's so bad that I'm pretty much overwhelmed and don't know where to start. Probably in the kitchen, putting stuff I've used back in the pantry so I can find the countertops again, LOL.

I am SO tempted to work in the garden, adding mulch, weeding while avoiding all the poison ivy coming up, etc. but almost hate to put $ into more bags of mulch or poison ivy spray since I know I will be moving.

Sarv, my stomach has been "growing" too but I'm about to reverse that!

Hap, Thanks. I'll be here for the Welcome Back party on Monday. Best Memorial Day invitation I have, LOL. (I don't have any local friends.)

HI, glad to see everyone.
Darius, hope that you are rested and feeling better.
Did garden work yesterday, so today need to rest. Waiting for Freecycle person to come and pick up the extra vinyl flooring that has been hanging out in the rafters..had no use for it..couldn't just throw it away (not the way I was raised)..Freecycle has been Such a wonderful thing, so glad that Madison finally got one going.
Will try to get some cookies done by Monday. Had to sample (for scientific reasons of course) the chocolate chunks from Nestles , which I had gotten instead of the morsels.Ick..tasted like brown paraffin. They will be hearing from me and I will be back at the store.
The 17 little daylily seedlings have Finally been transplanted. From what I have read since my experiments, I am surprised (wonderfully) that I got anything at all.
Need to go check the chipmunk trap. Got one yesterday and relocated him to the pine forest, need to get the other one. There are so many tunnels under the garage, that if I put a car in..poof. Luckily, just have garden stuff in it..what else is a garage for?
Hugs to all and a happy and save holiday week-end.
Marcia

Hey- we're sitting home doing nuttin too!! Can we come to the party??? Just got the edger out and did the cement pads we have- looks pretty nice - should invite someone over to see it, but I'm done entertaining. My turn to be invited (here I sit just a waiting!!) Can't locate the kids - they are probably doing their thing with their friends - my mom was moaning this morning that they didn't have a thing to do and wished they had a family that got together (I think that was a slam aimed MY way!) I should invite them out.... maybe later...

Anybody ever put 'paint stuff' on a galvanized fence? We have a huge one around the pool and it is getting rusty. I want a new one, but DH thinks we should paint it. I don't want it to look stupid tho. I mentioned going to the store for some stuff to try on it, but that idea was a NO GO!! Has to be his idea - I forgot....

Clouds are rolling in - had a pretty nice morning tho. It will be raining by afternoon.

DH is out putting in the garden. I refuse to help him as I disagree completely on how he does it. It is better that I stay away. For example: He plants tomatoes about a foot apart - way toooo close I believe. I can't get him to change...plants way toooo many beans (In fact this year I told him I was gonna rip half of them out -temper got the best of me!) He plants and then leaves it to me to take care of. I would rather be in the flower garden, not veggies! He actually is a good guy, I just have found a couple of faults.

My dear friend told me that the only thing you can change on a man is his taste in clothes.

On that word of wisdom, I will sign off....

Uhhhh change their taste in clothes...? That's a myth. You don't change their taste, you just end up doing the shopping for them because they hate to shop for clothes. Now, browsing the hardware store, that's not shopping................

No M5, that's called: "Picking up supplies"

Hi everyone. What do we have to drink that is cold? Really it could be time for ice cream! Yeah, that's what I need.

The dog and I just hiked around most of the property to check the fences before we put sheep and cattle into the pasture. One fence needs a few staples, another a couple of clips that hold the barbed wire to the t-posts and that's all. Some of the wires sag but are still there. There wasn't much snow to pull them down this year so they are in pretty good shape. When there is plenty of feed the animals don't look for the weak spots in the fence and the trick is to move them to a fresh pasture just before they start looking at the green stuff on the other side. The pasture is 1/2 mile long by 1/4 mile wide so it was a good hike for me and fantastic for Fritz the Jack Russell Terrier with his short legs and all the side trips he made. He also got an unexpected dip in the stock pond and won't be so trusting next time we get close to the edge! It really didn't take him very long to get out of it and now he smells like a wet dog. I did manage to keep him from rolling in anything stinky on the way back to the house but it was close a couple of times. For those of you who live in the city and need something to compare that distance to, I think there are about 12 blocks to a mile, so 6+3+6+3 or about a mile and a half all together.

Memorial day getogether sounds good to me. How about I bring my old crank type ice cream freezer, ice and rock salt, the homemade ice cream base and you all can supply the fruit or whatever to add to it. I would be alone otherwise I think because my hubby is overseas for the next couple of weeks. Weeeeee! No cooking!

My hubby says he is not a gardener, he's an eater! He does come down into the vegie garden now and then to sample things like fresh peas or ripe tomatoes but all the gardening is my baby unless I need some more muscle or another pair of hands to do something. I can let the housework slide pretty far down the list as long as I have garden to tend and even in the winter it is not high on my todo list.

Time to get the rototiller going, then haul compost, till it under and maybe I will get the garden planted this weekend. Oh, and I have new plants to plant in the yard and planter boxes. It's never ending this time of year and way better than being bored.

Looks like the Party Is On,..................it will be the best ever...

darius, I have lived in this house and state for 22 years, don't know my neighbors and I have 2 close friends......and I don't have plans to see even them on Monday....think I'm a recluse LOL
Family is all up north.. So..........we'lll all be together here....Hurray.........

Ice cream sounds good, Mary... and Mimosas..........way to go M5...

sarv, I used to entertain casts of 1,000 here for every holiday.....then it finally dawned on me, I never went to anyone else's house....stopped for a couple of years while remodeling and haven't heard a word from anyone since......WOW...... talk about a free lunch.......LOL

So....we're on.........the Welcome Home Darius and First Annual Memorial Day Party........

Hap