Coffee and for Monday, April 17th - I hope!!

Hi everyone,

As usual, there's just too much to comment on! I try to keep up with all your doings, but sheesh, it's kind of hard with CRS.

Lauri, so glad that your horse pulled through. Hope the vet bill isn't too staggering. We've had a few of those even though all we have is cats. (I sure hope the vets don't charge by the pound).

Tgif and Maria, lovely clocks! I don't have to be envious because there's no way we could fit something like that in this house anyway.

Congrats on winning the bus, darius. One of my brothers owned one for a few years quite a long time ago. A bunch of us used it as an impromtu camper at a country music festival in NY state for a few days. It was a lot of fun.

V-ann, you asked about the forsythia here. No, it isn't really sheltered --- as a matter of fact it's a bit lop-sided because we lost about a third of it when a bad ice storm split a main trunk a few years ago. Maybe we're not quite 5A here, suppose it could be 5B. I've really just been guessing about the zone. We're 5 something, anyway.

Molly, thanks for the explanation of the sprinkler ---- the sound effects did the job! Turns out that I have one just like it too. Good luck with the daylillies. If you still need any more "ditch lillies", let me know. We have lots of them. They're the only kind of daylilly I ever saw as I was growing up (and probably the only kind I'll ever have in my yard ----- just don't have the time to fuss with the hybridized ones). If you do need any more, I'd appreciate directions on how to pack live plants as I've never tried shipping any before.

M5, great work on starting these threads! I'm glad that you were able to put out the paw print markers. I've seen things like that, but they always make me break down in tears. I've just saved the ashes from my "best ever cat" and hope that someone will scatter them with mine.

Mary, sorry that the weather was so ornery for your ride. Glad you made a few points at least. Seems to me that enduring that kind of conditions should be worth more than a ride in nice weather. Do they take anything like that into consideration in their points system?

Happy birthday to Kota! 101, did you give her any special treats for her birthday?

Bonnie, sorry your back started acting up again. Think you might consider taking it easy for a bit?

GG, good luck with the host coop. How are your legs doing now? I'm hoping that they're better since you didn't mention anything about them today.

Sarv, everybody's got their downfall, I guess. I can leave bread and potatoes (and ice cream) alone without any problem, but put pasta or nasty old white rice in my path and watch out!

We actually managed to get a few things accomplished around here in the last couple of days. DH and I spread lime, compost, and fertilizer in the veggie garden yesterday and he tilled it again this morning. I decided to take a chance and transplanted some cauliflower and cabbage seedlings in peat pots directly into the garden instead of putting them in the cold frame first. Keeping my fingers crossed that we don't get a hard frost ---- or that I get a chance to cover the plants beforehand if we do. Also dug up most of the wild bergamot that was coming up in the garden. Since nobody wanted to take me up on the offer of plants, I'm afraid I commited planticide. I've still got more than enough of it out there! I've also declared war on the "mystery plant", twin to the one Bonnie (defoecat) posted a picture of. I've never even seen the "small white flower" that others mentioned, but there sure were tons of the plants out there! I've still got a lot of plants to move from the starter trays into peat pots in the next week or so. My rosemary plant is still all alone in the greenhouse, but that should change next weekend.

~~~~~~~~to anyone I've missed and to all who haven't posted lately.

McCool,

It's funny, when I went out to look at the label on the spinklers, I remembered there weren't any, just a UPC tag. Well we were shopping at the Ace Hardware the other day and my ds read the label on one. They are called pulsating sprinklers.

Thanks so much for the offer of ditchlilies. I think I will be getting some from several people. I only asked for some from those who are not real attached to them.

Well, that meatloaf is almost done and I am starving. The green beans I threw in some bacon, fennel, sage and onions. Not sure yet how it will taste, but with fennel I don't think I can fail.

Better finish dinner now. see yall later,
Molly
:^))))

Hi All,

Just checking in quickly again. Well, the co-op is almost ready to roll. Marie and I have to dot the i's and cross the t's.

dcat,
I have approx. 280 cultivars. This is gonna sound really funny, but I have no idea what the new beds will look like until they're done. Depends on how Bill and I feel those days. LOL

My legs have still been swollen. I am going to call the Neurologist tomorrow and see if there's a chance it could be from the sleep apnea. After I talk with Dr. Nerve I will call Dr. Shrink back. Hopefully can decifer what is doing it and get that swelling under control. Last year when it started, they did a bunch of heart tests. They were all fine. Then said maybe it was Sleep Apnea, did the sleep study and found ou I do have Apnea. I though the swelling would get better and it did, Slightly for awhile. Now it's worse than ever. Dr. Shrink told me to cut back on one of the Wellbutrin and I did that,,,still swelling. So, we go to the next step,,,grrrrr Well, Enough complaining about my trunks.

Just got an e-mail from Marie. Gotta run, she'll be calling in a few minutes with the i's and t's.

Have a good night everyone.

Kelly

Hi everyone
Well, got supper over with and the kitchen is cleaned up. finally have a few minutes to sit down and catch up with everything that's been going on.

Maria ... I love hearing you talk about your pretty home and family. From the way you set your table to the meals you serve right down to Samson's antics ... they all make me smile. :)

Ann, meant to comment a few days ago when you said something about playing the piano. How many instruments do you play? I've always loved to hear pretty piano music. :) You are so very talented.

Mary, so good to have you back. Always miss you when you're gone. My goodness ... what weather! Don't see how you stand that! You must be tough as nails. LOL

McCool, yes we had a birthday party for Kota. I *know* I'm crazy but do it every year. It's the one time I let her have cake. Figure it isn't going to hurt her once a year. We act *real* silly. She had a peanut butter ice cream cookie cake this year and her hat had Sesame Street characters on it. LOL I'll be posting pics on the pet forum when I get them on the computer. Well, she's my *only* baby! :-)

Lauriwilson, so glad to hear Salsa is getting along so good. That's just wonderful. Bet he'll be glad when he can get out there and run again. :)

Kelly, so sorry you're still having such a time with your legs and feet. Hope you get some answers soon. You need to post some pics of your yard when all those hosta come up. Whew, that must be a sight to see!

I know I'm probably missing a lot, but think that CRS must have set in for me tonight also. Will just wave at everyone for now and go get comfy.
~~~Elaine

I have to comment on many posts above but it will have to wait until tomorrow for detailed responses.

I got my back veggie garden ready to go. Didn't spade the whole thing this year, But that's OK. I had excess dirt from the new garden piled up there. I moved three wheelbarrow loads to the front where I removed some bricks in one garden. And I found half the mound was the sod we removed from the new garden. It was partially composted, but not enough to leave in the garden w/o grass root problems. So I picked it all up and composted it. Some of each of my large composters and some heaved over the fence onto the next door neighbour's. Once that was done, I no longer had an excess of soil there and was able to rake it sort of flat.

Went into the Food Cupboard for awhile. Seems that someone has started up a new food program in part of the area we serve and applied for Ottawa Food Bank membership and support. Thing is, people living in that area account for only 6 % of the food we gave out last year. But donors in that area probably gave 20% of the money we received. I've been helping successor get the figures. The thing that really bothers us though is that nobody ever asked us or talked to us about a need in that area. We didn't get a reputation as one of the best run programs in the city by ignoring needs in the areas we serve. We are looking to talk with them to try to determine why they felt another program was needed there.

Elaine, I don't remember what I said about piano. I don't play much. Had three years of instruction with three different teachers and then a year as an adult as well. I can sometimes manage to sort of pound out an accompaniment for a student if it's not too difficult.

I do play violin, as many violists started on violin, though I don't often admit it. Then in university, I had instruction in cello, trumpet, trombone and clarinet. Wouldn't say that I can play them though. LOL
Also taught myself to play recorder in order to teach it in a school many years ago. I managed to stay a few steps ahead of the students I was teaching.

Gotta get to bed.
Good night all. Sleep well.

Ann

Hello again everybody.

Mary, what weather. Glad that you survived and gained some points. I too, would think that the weather would have to be a factor in awarding points. If you brave that kind of stuff, it should be worth something. Or, it would for me.

McCool, that unidentified plant in my wildflower garden is budding. I do think that it is corn flower. I only left one there, there were probably 20 or more, but thought if it was a weed, I didn't want to give it any room to take over. You know, sort of nipping it in the bud? So may be sorry that I pulled them up.

GG, wow, over 280, I didn't know that there were that many. You will have to post some pics when they are all up, I would love to see them.

Maria, little boys are known for rough housing, maybe Samson would meet his match with a boy!!. Maybe the boy could teach him some manners, and would reserve his enthustiac welcome for him! I haven't had any problems with DG being slow today. It was about a week ago, and probably caused me to lose my temper, which is slow to erupt.

Molly, those green beans sound so good. I had cooked some, but just the usual seasonings. I always like to cut up some onion in them too.

101, did you invite all the neighborhood dogs to the birthday party? LOL that would be a hoot. I have just got to see the pics. That isn't crazy, as I throw parties for garden utensils that survive for a year. I think I told you about that. Always lost my yard rake to neighbor, who borrowed it every year, and didn't return it. The first year that one survived for a year, and I didn't have to go buy another one, I decorated a hostess cupcake with a candle and celebrated the anniversary of that yard rake. DH thinks I am crazy, and he is pretty right on most times.

Since I last posted, folded another load of laundry, and ran the vacuum. Still have a load of laundry in the dryer, but it will wait until tomorrow. I will do the dusting and cleaning of the bathrooms tomorrow. I still have some plants that need potting, so will finish that also. My goal is to get the shelving out of the house that held all my plants for the winter. I am going to go ahead and start some hanging baskets, with plants that I overwintered. I have some "wandering jew" that I will put in one. And I have coleus that I started from last years plants. So will need to pot them up and get them hardened off.

My DH had such a taxing day. He went fishing this morning at 8:00, returned at 2:00, with some crappie, and bass, mowed a neighbors yard, then went fishing again after supper. Came home with catfish that time. He says that fishing is "hard work". Boy do I wish I could sit in a boat, most of the day, and call that hard work. Maybe we could give him a lesson in "hard work". Does anybody want to have him for a day?

Well, enough of the silly, going to bed. My back is aching from bending over the work bench, so have taken some tylenol pm, and hope that it works well enough that I can relax and get some rest.

To everybody, have a good night, and will see you in the morning.

I'll definitely be taking pics this year. I will be putting more beds in cause all of the hostas are crammed together. I needed to get them in last year so I just put them right next to each other. I Thought I had a lot in the Front bed before. Now it's obnoxious,,,LOL

Can't wait to get started on the new beds.

I just ordered 3 more tonight and we have the co-op coming up, Oy Vey There will be a few that I really want from that too. So far I have kept myself from over indulging this year.

Well, past my bedtime

I don't know how to start it this morning for Tuesday. We are having fires here in the mountains of NC. ONe is in Pisgah National Forest but the other one is just north of town and several homes had to be evacuated. I will go by the endangered area this morning to see how things look.
I have some friends in that area who have a summer camp they have run for 3 generations. Last year, the big, historic Lodge House burned down. Apparently part of the Lodge was an arts & crafts area and the timer on a pottery kiln failed. They have been in a terrible rush to build back a Lodge House for the opening of the camp this summer.
I also have 2 friends, an elderly brother and sister who have a very charming home built in the 1890s, I believe, that is in the fire zone. I am holding my breath....

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/593336/ Here ya go

Molly

UHOH, Molly and I cross posted the new link..... is everyone confused now? http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/593337/