Coffee and one more day until May, for April 30, 2006

Continued from http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/596649/#new Have a Sunny Day!

Hey Scooterbug, :-P to you, too!

;-P

Just wanted to stop by and say hi everyone.
I know I have been gone for awhile.
Did read all the post up to about a week ago and then just have had too much going on.
Am back up at my parents. Wanted to see them before I head to AZ for the son's college graduation and then onto Hawaii.
Dad is going down hill so quickly so it is sad to see.
I did get him to eat better the past couple days and he just loved the wheelchair rides around the neighborhood. Just getting outside in the sunshine and the freedom of moving around makes him happier for awhile.
Had been planting dahlia tubers last week and just had to get them into the ground. The weather was nice and sunny last week so was working in the garden a bit.
Work is very busy for me this time of year too. So life is rather busy.
Yes, Sarv, will be sending you your tubers when I get back tomorrow at home. So be on the lookout for them.
Hope all is well with all of you guys.
What did I miss that was important or interesting???
Later, Carol

Carol-Hi! I'm sorry to hear you dad's condition is deteriorating, but I'm glad you're getting to spend time with him, and that he's enjoying the time you've shared. Is Hawaii a vacation?

defoecat-thanks for putting the painkillers on the counter, I hope I won't be needing anything from under the counter!! LOL. I'm not busy all the time like some of you, I have bursts that coincide with decent weather and lots of plants. Today is a day of rest (sort of)

Ann-I hope the bell concert goes well!

Waving to all and I'll check back to see what happening!!~~~~~~~~

Jeremy mowed the dirt yesterday. What new grass we have growing seems to be better off for it. But he had an inch of dirt caked to his belly, back and arms. He had to strip and hose himself off before going in to take a shower. Times like these he hates that cold fresh water coming out of the deep well.

We keep a lawnmower bag on the mower and it caught all the clippings from the turkey oaks he mowed down, as well as the ther various weeds and grass, and a lot of dirt went in there.

He has a compost hole up by the veggie garden he dumped this stuff in. We have a lot of wood piles and such decomposing around in spots on the property. A year from down, we may be able to turn this sand into black gold.

Today all my gingers go into the ground, I inventory for the store, then finish the paperwork on the orchid house. I want to turn that in on Monday so we can hurry up and get started on it.

Our next task will be to purchase all the tools we will need to do these projects and order the building supplies. But I hesitate to do any of that until my plans are approved.

I need to get out and spread some blood meal in the veggie bed. There's a rabbit out there so hungry he's taken to eating my jalapeno pepper plants.

And I am thinking I haven't seen the fox squirrel around in about a week. Maybe he got married and is on his honeymoon?

Molly
:^)))

Hi everyone. Daisyruffles, it's good to see you here again. Sad that your father isn't doing so well, but your presence is probably good medicine for him. Check in when you can, we understand when you can't.

Molly, you are a dynamo! I think you must have been a really frustrated gardener when you were renting.

AmandaPanda was sleeping peacefully on my lap until I started to type, but now she has come to life making it difficult so I will just ~~~~ and come back later.

Hi Everyone,

Just checking in for a short time. Light traffic - everyone must be in the garden.

Bells aquitted themselves fairly well this morning at church - well VERY well on one piece and well enough on the other that some of the congregation applauded. The second piece we did as a postlude; so applause was allowed. It was with organ which covered up a few sins, but also made the piece sound very majestic. The congregation loved it. That piece will be played again tonight as two bell choirs and organ and piano. With four churches participating and divided into choirs 1 and 2 if should be fun. My group is playing the choir 2 part and we had to adapt the organ part somewhat to make it work. If we weren't playing it tonight, I would have had them play both choir parts which can be done, but I didn't want to confuse them. So, I'm home for awhile. Lunch and maybe a bit of gardening. Need to be back to church by 3 to help pack up the bells and get them to the other church where the concert is. People start rehearsing at 3:45; so we want to set up before. But my group doesn't rehearse until 5:15; so I should have time to come home, change clothes and grab my viola and a sandwich.

Carol, sorry to hear that your father is not doing well. Just remember that you are all in our thoughts and prayers.

I'm a bit sore too from the gardening - aquafit obviously misses a few muscles. But I'm limited in painkillers until I finish with that stool testing kit. Probably another day. Don't want a false positive and have to undergo more invasive testing if it's not really needed.

Hey, when I put on my black drawstring pants that I've been wearing all year for concerts, I had to redistribute the drawstring around the back to get them tight enough this morning. I think I'm now down about 5 pounds although we'll see what the WW weigh-in says on Tuesday. But this was the first concrete sign of progress. Yippee!

Enjoy the day. Hope you all had one as nice as it is here.

Ann

Molly, you are an inspiration to us all. Wish I was out messing around in the dirt, but it's been raining all day so far, and likely will continue to tomorrow. We do need the moisture, but DH is unhappy that it came on the weekend. Is Darius coming back to help with the next building project, or will you and Jeremy tackle this one on your own?

Hope it's not raining on Sarv's road trip. She's edgy enough just traveling! Fortunately she stocked up with cookies for the trip!

Nice to hear from you, DR, and glad you were able to bring some happier moments for your DD. May he continue to do as well. Someone asked is Hawaii a vacation? Sounds great. Always wanted to go there, but never managed it.

Ann, I sent that link about the corn gluten to my DH, so he could bookmark it on his computer. We prefer to use organic methods whenever possible but in some cases we have turned to chemical for invasives like that blasted horsetail weed. Too bad, because they didn't work on it either. Did you find a partner for the duet at the end of May? Seems like everything happens at once. I looked at those peony rings, they look like they would last longer than I will. But, mine will have to show me that they are going to survive before I invest in anything that expensive!

Dcat, for this particular loin, I pulverized some dried rosemary, smashed two garlic cloves, and mixed them with butter and pasted it all over the top of the loin. The loin was even more tender than I expected, and I have enough of it, and the garlic mashed potatos for another meal. Another meal I don't have to fix when I'm not in the mood to cook. How are your dinner preps going? Is this going to be one of your big fish fries?

WS, it might look pretty bad right now, but hang in there, it's got to get better, Just close your eyes and hope nothing else in the trailer goes bonkers before you get back in the house.!

Darius, did Bruce ever show up? And what was his excuse?

Dmcd, you sure got a lot of work done for one day! Did the bleach treatment get all the dirt off you and turn you sparkling clean?

Mary, we stopped and looked a litter of siamese kittens this morning, (I still want a little girl for a playmate for Sammi). Passed on the opportunity. They hadn't had even their first shot, they didn't have the mother and father on site, and the crate they were in was very dirty. The only little girl they had was pretty, the mother was a lynx point, and the father a sealpoint, but in seeing how they were cared for sent me right back out the door. On the way home DH said he felt sorry for those kittens having to play in their own poop. Some people shouldn't be allowed to breed. They are from out of town, too, so who knows if the parent ever saw a vet or got tested. bahhh!

~~~~~ at everyone else, will check in this evening to see what's going on.


Sheila


This message was edited Apr 30, 2006 10:38 AM

Sheila, What would animal welfare people say about that litter of kittens if you told them? Almost sounds like a kitten mill.

Ann

Good on the weight loss, V Ann!

Carol, glad you got to spend quality time with your Dad.

Woodspirit, the contract my sister had on this house last year fell through and she decided to take it off the market. Many things weren't finished last year so Bruce is finishing installing the remaining baseboards and touching up the crummy drywall installation plus a few other items like weatherstripping the garage door and front door. We figure today, all of next weekend and all of the following weekend to complete it.

Bruce will finish gutting the bus by mid week and bring it here Thursday after work to load up all that we have boxed so far (much of which is my stuff) That will give him more space to work in with less clutter, and store it in the compound where he and my sister work. Good thing the bus has curtains so no one can see it full of my tools!

Sheila,

It all sounded very good didn't it. I did get out and spread some bloodmeal around. My stomach seems a little "off" today and yesterday. Nothing solid enough to say sick, just off. So I came back in here and doing some reading in the forums.

I was out finding the eyes on my 8-9 hostas are starting to open up some. They may be finding the "northern" schedule which was problably way down in their genes someplace. And that led me over to the hosta forum. I hadn't been there in a long time.

Darius is very busy these days getting plans made for trips north looking for homes with her sister. Jeremy and I will be doing this project on our own, but I have already had Darius looking at Florida building codes for me and giving me her best advice on post and beam building, weight bearing walls etc.

Well, no matter how I feel, I know I can't sit on my backside all day. I need to move and get the circulation going in my legs. A little more reading first and a tall glass of ice water.

Carol, (DR) so sorry to hear your father is declining so quickly. I know you have much to do that keeps you away from us here. We do miss you tho. (((((Carol)))))

Molly

Hi everyone!! I"m at my sister's city home - it has been raining here yesterday and pouring all day today. Really put as clink in our fun plans. How can you go to a garden fair when it is pouring?? No boat ride or tea in the garden. We've been going to garden centers, but I got a tad car sick sitting in a tiny back seat - along with a huge brugmansia and a small datura I am taking to a garden friend down here...

We sat up in the week hours in the morning giving each other hand/foot rubs with some delightful lotion!! I am very soft and smooth now... LOL

I haven't had time to read all the new stuff, but certainly will when I get home...I'm having a good time spending money!!!

See ya all tomorrow night!!

Me again. What a beautiful day! Yesterday started this way but by early afternoon the wind speed increased quite a bit, a big thunderstorm had rolled in, and all outside work came to a stop. I unplugged the computer for several hours. Our son came out and so we all visited, then after dinner (leftovers) we watched a movie, I did my exercises and went to bed.

What we did accomplish yesterday was getting the ornamental 8 ft tall windmill placed in the corner of my new planting bed, anchored it down firmly (oooof, rocks are heavy) and then buried the rocks under a lot of dirt with just some of the tops sticking out. I watered the pile to settle it, then when the rain came it probably settled more. I'm going to plant hens and chicks on it, plus some other succulents, whatever I have sitting in pots needing a home at the moment. I also have a small green santolina shrub to dig up and relocate, plus a red hot poker to plant in the corner that may not bloom this year but will get established. Everything is pretty wet right now, so I will do what I can without standing in the plot, that should be enough for today anyhow. I think the new spot is 12x17 ft. Oh sure, I'll take some pictures in a few weeks when it looks like there is something for you to enjoy, right now there is just a framework with dirt in it. One big rock that I moved in with the tractor last fall is just going to stay right where it is, I don't even want to try to roll it over. Some crowded daylilies from another bed will find a home there, maybe soon or maybe not until fall. I'd also like to have something like rock cress or the creeping form of alyssum planted near the edges to hang over the logs.

Sarv, I hope the weather improves before the end of your visit. Be careful driving home. See, the worst didn't happen on the way there, and chances are that it won't happen on the way home either, so relax and enjoy the trip.

ViAnn, I'm glad to hear that your bell ringers did a good job. I know what you mean about the organ covering up some things. When I sang with a church choir we sometimes had too many booboos in the music to sing it acapella, but the congregation didn't know we used accompanyment to hide a few things. Our director should have been teaching college level music, and he had us singing some of it, wow, what challenges! I remember something that was 8 part harmony that took forever and until almost the last minute to come together. The director didn't list it in the program because he wasn't sure we could do it even the day before, but during our warm up practice about an hour before the concert suddenly it worked!. A little adrenaline seemed to make the difference, that and lots of prayers. That selection did have organ accompanyment, just to be sure.

Darius, you'll all be busy for the forseeable future, I hope this project goes smoothly and the house can be sold quickly once it is back on the market. You and your sister must have come to an understanding so there will not be fireworks again. "Let's be nice, we need each other and fighting is dumb and counterproductive".

Molly, I hope you feel better soon. Do you have more painting jobs lined up? Hopefully if you do they will be the close to home variety so you don't have to move the dogs and have somebody water your plants.

I bought a small ham to have for dinner, actually I bought it before Easter weekend, but I was gone to a ride and drove home on Easter Sunday, so it is still in the referigerator. Next week we will have some scalloped potatoes for one dinner, and hubby will get some fried ham with his breakfast. Usually I think too small when I buy ham, and it is gone way too soon. I should have bought 2 because they were on sale. Hubby has also been hinting at bean soup, so there is another easy dinner.

Hubby was scheduled to be testifying at a trial in Idaho all this coming week, but the crook pleaded guilty last week so he doesn't have to go down there and be away for 4 days. We are both glad for that.

Back to playing in the dirt. ~~~ to all the rest.

Hey!!!
Any of you didn't get in on the Messenger, Mighty Plant co-op, she is doing it AGAIN.

This is fantastic stuff, I have already used it and it is amazing.

Susan
=^..^=

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/597181/

Hi~~~~~~waving~~~~~
Well, that's about all the energy I had left~!! I read everything, my eyeballs do not hurt - unlike the rest of me!! I didn't actually put bleach in the bath! I soaked but good last night, got up and scrubbed some more for church...but y'all know what I did right after!! (Can anyone say "wallow"?)

Can't take me anywhere!

Sounds like lots of good gardening going on! Hope you post a pic of the windmill Mary, it sounds nice

sarv-bet you don't stay soft and smooth long once you get home!

Ann-glad the bells went well. nothing like adrenaline to set things straight!

Molly-hope your stomach settles - i enjoyed your dl blooms on the daylily forum. (a little envy too, but i'll get over it! LOL)

darius-good luck juggling projects!

Sheila-shame about the kitties, it's sad, but some of those mill things are almost like blackmail. You pay them to try to save the pet, then they just do it again.

Gotta run AGAIN will check back~~~~~

Just want say hello to everyone, am busy buying plants and planting them, have had great weather but this comimg week does not look as good probably will be working in the rain.if it does not come down like a monsoon. Think I will take a chance and put in somw annuals, right now they are in the garage hardening up a bit from being out of the green house.
Mary, sounds great what you are doing, don't forget to show us some pictures once yu are done if "done" is ever really the case tending to a garden.

Carol, so sorry about your Dad but you are such a caring daughter which is the most wonderful thing for him to know.

Molly and Dmc, I am amazed at all that hard work you do, more power to you!

Sarv, hope you have a grand time away from home.

Elaine, where are you?

Sheila and McCool what did you do today?

Waving to you, Ann and everone else~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi everyone,

Maria, in answer to your question, I finally made it out to a garden center owned by a customer of mine. I've only been meaning to get out there for the past six years or so. Better late than never, I guess. Anyhow, I came home with two French tarragon plants, one Munstead lavender (to replace the lavender that croaked this past winter), a flat of bell peppers (since my seeds didn't germinate), and a flat of cauliflower (cause my seedlings never did much except to bite the dust once I transplanted them to the garden). Now I just have to figure out where the heck to put the herbs. We have so little sunlight in this yard that it gets quite difficult, especially when dealing with perennials.

Planted out a few of those jiffy pellet type pots full of lettuce and dug up some weeds. I noticed that some nasturtiums are starting to come up in the garden and may try to transplant them to the edges tomorrow. Pruned the remaining lavender, sage, and thyme. I still have to get the lime spread around the yard, put new mulch down on the front shade garden, and get a bunch more seedlings transferred into peat pots. On top of that, I just HAVE to get two silver rings done tomorrow as I've promised a customer that I would absolutely get to it this weekend. (Sunday and Monday are my "weekends", just so I don't confuse anyone!)

Carol, glad you dropped by to let us all know what's been happening. I'm sorry that your dad's condition is deteriorating so fast, but it might actually be easier for him than a long, lingering, and painful departure. As others have said, it's good that you've been able to spend some time with him.

Janis, sorry that things seem to all be going against you these days. There's not much constructive that I can say --- just please don't be afraid to vent here. We're all more than ready to listen, even if we can't do much else to help you out.

Sorry folks, I just don't have the time right now to respond to everyone. I think I need at least 72 hour days to try to get everything done. See you!

Just poppin in for a bit while I am on break... Well I started too many tomatoes, squash, cantalope, and cucumbers so have made a new bed to get them into in the morning. It was like concrete and required the pick axe to get things going. Salsa is out in the field and eating like he is starved he is walking much better...Running out of day light and more to do...

~~~~~~'s to all. Hope your day went great for all and everyone is feeling better and fine...BBL to read all of the days postings...Lauri

DR so sorry to hear that your fathers health is declining. I know it is hard to watch. Enjoy every moment you have with him now, it will mean all the more later. I treasure the memories of taking my dad outside for fresh air and our talks while we just watched the breeze blow through the trees. You are a wonderful daughter and I am sure that he knows that and treasures the moments you share now just as much as you.

Molly, you have got to be ADHD. I am exhausted most times after just reading what you are actually doing. I envy you and your energy. DMC, after Molly's post exhausted me I was ready for the spa and bed after yours. I feel lazy.

Darius, I hope your projects go well and quickly so you can begin your search for your new permanent home full time. Every time I drink Reisling wine I think of you and smile. Remember if you need to rest you head some place during your journeys my home in SC is always open to you.

Sarv, rain or shine I hope you enjoy your mini vacation.

Today started off with beautiful weather. Managed to get everything waters and did some weeding and deadheading before heading to church and grocery shopping. Received a phone call from friends daughter who was stranded at work. Put washing the car on hold and went to pick her up. On the way home I noticed the dark clouds far in the distance but didn't think much of them. Came home, vacuumed, dusted, changed the laundry around and went to get the bucket and stuff to wash the car. Made it 10 feet out the door and realized it was not a good idea. Wind was really blowing and the dark clouds were looming above. Now it is sprinkling and the wind is blowing about 25 mph. So much for outdoor chores.
Drove by a yard sale yesterday and found a wonderful desk, chair, 2 table lamps and 2 floor lamps, coffee and end tables. They were ready to start packing things up and were willing to bargain. I paid 80.00 for everything and its all in excellent condition for DD's new apartment. We have been giving DD household items for gifts for Christmas, birthday and other special days for the past year or so. She has everything for the bath and most things for the kitchen. We are giving her our kitchen table and chairs and a sofa bed so hopefully she wont need to worry about to much else. A neighbor that has watched her grow up is giving her a set of Craftman hand tools and a few power tools with a "How to fix anything" book for a graduation present and a booklet of certificates that she can redeem for lessons and help with handman service 24/7. It is a present just as much for me and her father since we wont be close to help her with these things come January.

Well dinner is about ready and I am going to need to soak in the tub with some aspirin afterwards. I hope all have a wonderful week and I hope blooms a plenty for all.

Casey

Hi folks,

Just checking in before I call it a day.

The bells did really well this evening too. Several of us met at the church at 3 pm to get the bells and take them to the church where the concert was held - only about 10 minutes from our church. We got the set up done and then had some free time because we didn't rehearse until 5:15-5:30. then a 15 minute break during which most of us gobbled some dinner and they practiced the massed pieces - the same two that my group played this morning but with 4 other choirs. I thought it sounded great.

My group was first on the program when the concert started at 7 because I also had an orchestra rehearsal which started at 7. So, I directed my group and went. I'm interested in feedback from them about the rest of the concert. But those who mentioned adrenaline are right. Particularly with amateur musicians, it can make a major difference in how they play in a concert. Often for the better, but not always.

Went to my rehearsal and found, eventually, that the location had been changed because the National Arts Centre had a power failure. I tried to get into the parking garage and the door wouldn't open; so I went around (after backing up the ramp), to another entrance near the stage door and found it barricaded. There was a sign, obliterated by staff outside smoking, saying the rehearsal had been moved to the university music building orchestra rehearsal hall - a room that's too small for the size of orchestra we are, but we made do and he let us go home a bit early. But by the time I got there and then found some street parking for my car 3 blocks away, I was a good deal later than I had planned on being.

Lauri - glad to hear Salsa is outside and enjoying it.

Mary, I'm also looking forward to a picture of the windmill.

McCool - seems like you had good success at the nursery.

Casey - sounds like you got a good buy for DD's apartment. The Fix-it book and tools is a wonderful gift. Especially if it comes with advice. Every young woman should be able to do some simple repairs w/o relying on a man to do it for her.

Hi to anyone else who's around. Hope you all have a good night.

Ann

Hi everyone
Just wanted to drop by and say hi. It's late though, so I won't try to catch up with everything tonight. My brother will be leaving tomorrow. We've had such a good week-end. Yesterday we went to a couple of nurserys. I got a myer lemon and key lime in the same pot ... they called it a coctail. :) It's just beautiful and already has fruit of each on it. It smells heavenly, also with all the blossoms. I got some begonias for my clay planter. I'll have to get the DH to take a picture of that. It turned out real nice. The one thing I got that I didn't need was the solor lighthouse light, though!!! Oh, but it's just gorgeous! For those of you who don't know me ... I'm a lighthouse nut.

Well, I have a lot I want to comment on but am just too tired tonight to do it justice, so will beg off this time. Maria, I'm fine. Thanks for asking. Now that bro is leaving tomorrow I'll have more puter time. :)

Hope everyone has a restful night.
~Elaine~

Well, I finaly did make it before it was May 1, 2006!!. By the time I post this it will be May, where has that time gone?

It was a busy day here, Church, lunch, some laundry, DGD to take home, a pot luck at another church at 4:00, and home trying to catch up.

You all were busy as beavers today, so will not even try to comment on your activities. Surfice it to say, I read all of today's posts, enjoyed it, and smiled, groaned and outright laughed at the appropriate times.

I promise I will do better tomorrow, or I might just beg to be absent on Sundays, with prior approval. They seem to be too full.

DR, glad to see you pop in, sorry about your DF's decline, but so happy that you are there and are sharing some "memories" for a future time. That is so important, please do not be a person who has "regrets" when it is too late. I have just resolved to be a better person/friend on a daily basis, so that I won't have to face regrets later. Took me several years to figure this one out.

To everyone else, I am ~~~~~ frantically, I do miss being here, several times a day, and wish you all a restful, peaceful night.

Till tomorrow!!

It is tomorrow but there is 'no tomorrow'? :-)

Uh Oh tomorrow is today and I am May. I'm getting it now.

Molly
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/597379/

See ya there.