Coffee and......Sunday May 28

Good Morning all,

Please come in, don't be a stranger. Chat for a bit, have some coffee and cake. There are no strangers here, only new friendsand old.

Continued from here: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/607654/

Good morning! Is everyone sleeping in? That's what happens when you stay up late...I slept like the dead, Sammi didn't even come in and try to give me a wake up call. It's warm already, and very humid. Not much planned for the day except more dirt digging and a brief side trip to see kittens.

Dcatm who's going to be checking on DMIL while you are away? And you asked, what will the others think? I'm sure Souky will have her nose out of joint, Mini won't mind as long as it doesn't attack her, Sammi will be delighted to have a play mate that doesn't whine, and the Head Scooper already knows this is coming. I once told him I should have as many cats as he has cars....so I have a lot of leeway.

Going to get moving while it's still relatively cool....have the day you wish for! I'll le tyou know if there's any good news...taking my camera along...
Sheila

Been up since 6, doing a walk around on the flower beds, pulled a few weeds & cut back the columbine as the ones in front are finished blooming. The large one in the backis still covered with flowers. Started water on a bed in back, 30% chance of rain ffor tomorrow afternoon.
On the patio yesterday afternoon, talking to DF on the phone & saw 2 downy woodpeckers kissing. Then a closer look, one was going to the suet feeder & getting food for their baby, altho they looked about the same size.
DF said they'd noticed many of the birds had hatched out much earlier this year. ~~~

Morning... and I'm in a funk. My sister read the fine print yesterday of our loan for the new place and there's a clause she missed before. She knew there was a fee of $550 for early pay-off. Turns out there's an additional percentage which amounts to $12,500 if we pay it off early, and it will have to get paid off when this house sells. She has until Tuesday to cancel the loan, and now we start the process all over again.

She's going to cancel her flight to Texas this week to meet her father unless we can get new financing sewn up by Wednesday. Cannot afford to lose our new place!

Greta, how wonderful to have baby downys!

Good morning all. Been up since 7, but had to have the coffee, before being able to talk. Today is gonna be a busy day, so probably won't make it back until tonight. First church, then to the cemetry for Memorial Day services, will stay most of the afternon, as this cemetry relies on donations, I am treasurer, and will be there to accept money. Pot luck at another church at 4:30, plus DGD is arriving at noon. So, I will zip and zoom through the day.

M5, "I may have as many cats as he has cars".LOL, around here I would substitute toys, and I really don't want that many!! Good luck, and post a pic. Happy canoodling!!

Darius, bummer about the loan. Hope it all works out.

Now I am out of here, need to get dressed and to church. Hope everyone has the day they wish for.

Good Morning all,

It's Jeremy's Birthday today so we are taking the day off. I looked for some fresh water swimming places and I think we have a couple here in the county. Jeremy wants to take the dogs and go. If we can't get the dogs into a park, I guess we'll drive over to Cedar Key and swim in the Gulf.

In the mean time, this is what was accomplished yesterday. With every board screwed/nailed/attached, the structure gets sturdier and sturdier. We'll get back at that tomorrow.

Have a wonderful Sunday yall!!!!!!
Molly
:^)))))

Good morning all. Wake up and smell the gardenias!

I'm headed back out for more weeding and fixing up.

bbl - ginni

Good morning to all!!

I've been up since about 6. Been outside pulling stray weeds and just perusing the daylilies for blooms, new scapes, etc.

Also observing my new brugs for buds (which one of them has---YEAH)

Well, back to the yard...much more to do.

Have a great Sunday!

Dee

Morning everyone!

It looks to be a busy day. I need to get my raised bed filled with soil and to get all my plants in during today and tomorrow. DH also wants to take a trip to a different Trader Joe's than the one he works at and I want to stop at yet another store to see if I can find some small pots. We went to HD last night but the smallest they had were 4". Bought some of those, but I have a bunch of tiny rosemary plants that have just rooted and they need something much smaller as the next step from the starter tray.

M5, good luck with the kitten search! It looks like we may be acquiring a new one ourselves. Somebody stuffed a litter of 4 kittens, no more than 6 weeks old --- probably less, into a collapsible hamper and threw them into the dumpster behind a shopping mall. There's a little tiger-striped female with huge fuzzy ears who is reputed to be the friendliest of the batch. We have a couple of pictures that my friend, the assistant animal control officer took for us and this kitten reminds me of the critters in that "gremlin" movie. (Wouldn't be surprised if she ended up being named either Gizmo or Gremlin.) DH has been moaning for years that everyone else has a cat and he doesn't. Maybe this is the one.

Have to get going, "but first" took a picture of some of the iris in front of my store. The white ones always draw comments from customers, but the "black" ones are my favorites.

Here's another picture of the black iris from last year. It looks more purple in the pic above, but the falls look like black velvet in person.

OOoOF, been out digging and potting, volunteer Russian Sage, bleeding hearts (DS's request) and mums, trimming the sedum back for better shaping and it's 80* already. I'm soaked and will have to change clothes before we go kitten peeking. Whewwww I'm hot! Turned on the a/c so we will have a place to cool off. Gardening day! Get back to work!!

Darius, talk to your loan officer and tell him that you will be looking elsewhere unless they drop that extra penalty. Especially if you are getting the loan at the same bank as the old mortgage holder. Those aren't hard and fast conditions, they just want to make more money. Unless her original mortgage had that early payoff percentage in it, it's optional for the bank/lender. Suggest to him that you will be shopping for a different lender.....

Sheila

Still raining. Went to the Nursery yesterday to find a pot and found several of the big Asian ones at 20% off Finally picked one out, along with a 2 gallon Berberus Helmond's Pillar, a couple Heuchera's, Hellebore, and assorted fillers. Now if the rain would stop I could get to removing the Veichambleu that is right in the way. A couple of its roots are at least 2 inches in diameter. At least the rain has encouraged me to re-arrange part of the shed so I can get some of the small stained glass jobs out of the way.

Darius, thats the pits about the lenders greed, but that seems to be the norm for commercial banks. Washington Mutual bank in our County is eliminating 850 jobs in its call center, another 550 in Jacksonville Florida and going with staff in the Philippines "to reduce administrative costs". You can be sure it won't affect any "Administrators".

Mc, that's a beautiful black Iris.

Molly, your Orchid house is going to be spectacular.

Time to toddle off. Wishing everyone I missed the best of everything.

Hi folks,

Gonna try to catch up from yesterday.

Bonnie - sorry the yard sale search didn't go well. Next week?

Elaine - nice to hear about the hairdo. Sweet 100 tomatoes? Mmmmm. Mine don't often get into the house - just get eaten in the garden but up here they aren't even in the ground yet. But today will be HOT. Won't be long.

Hope - what a sweet kitten. Glad to hear the mother is doing well by it. As far as the kids, have faith. They do eventually grow up. But it's easier it you get some support along the way. We'll help with the moral support at least.

Darius, glad your sister looked over the fine print in time. Good luck getting a different loan.

Molly - happy birthday to Jeremy. Your structure is looking good.

tgif - gardenias - nice. That's something that won't grow up here except in pots inside.

McCool - you have Trader Joe's on the east coast too? I thought they were just a west coast chain. I've seen them in CA and OR. If they are also on the east, I'll keep my eyes open when I get to the US.
Keep us posted about the kitten. And thanks for showing us the Iris.

Sheila - good advice about the loan. It's quite amazing how much a bank will bend when they realize you are serious about going elsewhere.

Yesterday morning I got into the garden for awhile. I'm going round in circles because so much needs work. It's hard to know where to start. And the weather's been so awful lthat we've been able to work only short stretches at a time. Yesterday was any different in only having a short stretch, but not because of the weather. I went to Montreal for the ordination ceremony of the student pastor we had at our church last year. The bus left the church at 3 with 55 of us on board. We pulled back in at midnight.

This morning I was back at church at 8:30 to get out bells and practice our trio before the 10 am service. It's a bit of a hoot that I didn't have enough ringers to cover 2 octaves of bells so the trio substituted and played THREE octaves (30 bells with a number that were shared - ie played by two of us at different times.) We played a Bach Prelude with the Gounaud Ave Maria synthesized in a flute register on the electronic keyboard. We pulled it off really well. :-)

This afternoon promises to be very warm and I plan to get into the garden for awhile, but not too long as there is an orchestra rehearsal this evening.

I'll try to focus a bit in the garden so as to feel I've accomplished SOMETHING!

TTYL.

Ann

Hi everyone!

It has been a busy day today! Sounds like everyone else has been busy also. :)

Meezers~ good luck on the kitty hunt. Glad Sammy might have a new playmate soon. Maybe the others won't mind tooo bad.

Defoe~ slooow down girl ... you're gonna be all worn out before vacation comes around!

Hi McCool~ hope you have a nice day visiting the different store. The iris sounds very pretty. I've never heard of a black one before. Shame on those folks that threw out those kittens! Maybe that little fella is the lucky one after all, though. It sounds like he has it much better off now. :)

Darius~ so sorry to hear about the stall with your plans. Hope everything works out.

gretagibbs and dbibb~ so glad to see both of you here today. Please come back more often. :)

Tgift~ don't you just love gardenias? They are my absolute fav. My DH gave me one 2 years ago for Mother's day. I know ... I know ... I just got through saying I wasn't a Mother. He always gets me something anyway. :-) He's just plane sweet that way. LOL

Ann~ sounds like y'all really pulled off a good one today! LOL I'd have liked to have heard you play this morning. Your schedule sounds like Defoe's. Whew!

Twyla~ I don't envy you with the children. I have no advice to give as I don't have any of my own. I imagine God knew what he was doing, too. I think I'd have been waaay too strict. ;) Your kitten sounds real sweet.

Well, it's been so hot here lately. Last night at 10 it was still 85. The humidity is just terrible, also. My plants are beginning to look real frazzeled. :-( Speaking of plants ... I did something I've never done before. I placed an order for some herbs over the internet from Possum Creek Herb Farm. I *must* be out of my tree!! I mean ... like I needed more plants!! LOL I've decided I need my head examined!

Well, better get up from here. I walked out and left the kitchen. I think I hear dirty dishes calling my name. :-(

~Elaine~

Well Back from the Memorial Service, gonna grab a quick nap, then off to church for the pot luck at 4:30. I am taking mixture off melon balls. It's all I had time to do.

I will check in again when we get home, again. Seems like everybody is hot today, DH turned on AC while I was gone, and it really feels good.

Bye for now.

Success at last!!! LOOK!! Isn't she beautiful? We cant take her until Friday, as she is still trying to get lunch at mom's counter...but mom is not letting them stay long, so by Friday, she'll be weaned. This is an excellent breeder! Saw the mother, who is just too pretty, and dainty, and we picked the liveliest one of the bunch. She now has one "polished" nail, so no one else can claim her. I'm so pleased. That's DH's hand in the picture.

Worked outside for about three hours this morning, oh boy, it's a scorcher, not going out again until the sun is lower on the horizon.

Good save on the kitten, McCool, how could you deprive your DH of a kitty for so long? That black iris is beautiful, mine are all the ordinary purple ones. I had white ones at our last house that I had dug and moved for three prior moves. It was the dead of winter when we moved here, and the buyer of our old house mowed them all down, so I couldn't even go beg for any in spring. And gardenias, just beautiful, not survivable here in the tundra, or I would surely have some.

Dcat, if you don't sit down once in a while we are coming over there and tie you to a chair!! I swear, you and Ann make the rest of us look like loafers. Even tho' I am very good at taking breaks, I couldn't keep up with you! Nobody wants your size 12/14 closet treasures? What a shame. We have a shop here that takes good women's clothes for women who are just getting back into the work force due to divorce or whatever. That way they go to a good cause. They weren't in existance when I retired or they would have gotten a bonanza!

OK here's a kitten picture for you to share. Won't Sammi be surprised on Friday! I'm borrowing a dog crate from my DD, so she can be out in the living room until everyone meets her, and gets used to her.

TTYL
Sheila

Dang it Sheila, now I have the craving for another kitty. DH is going to hate you before the two of you ever have a chance to meet. New Kitty is so adorable......

Greta, tgif , I am jealous of your columbine, gardenia and the birds. I will have both soon but not soon enough...

Molly, tell Jeremy Happy Birthday. I hope you have a good time swimming with the dogs.

VAnn, trust me you have accomplished alot. I was tired after reading your post. Dont know how you do all that you get done. Same goes for you Defoe.

Elaine, you are not out of your mind. I think it sounds completely sane for someone to have lots of plants. Those who can live in a house that they pay 250,000 for and have no grass but sand for a yard are the ones who are crazy....

Darius, I agree with the rest. Go to the lender and give them the chance of changing those conditions by telling them you are going to look elsewhere. I will keep you in my prayers that this will me stressless.

Well I skimmed, brushed and backflushed the pool, mowed and trimmed the yard and deadheaded all the plants in the front. After I get a snack, and cool off its time to take the rocking chairs apart and box them up for the SC house. I wish DH and I were there sitting in them under a sky filled with stars sipping a glass of wine enjoying a conversation about the days events. Youngest made the comment of "Wow Mom, how come we dont have stars back home." Cant wait to fix that for him.

Here is my big Kitty, telling us he has fallen and cant get up.....

Yea Meezers!! Whatcha naming this one? Maybe I missed it, but is it a girl or boy? I'm doing the happy dance for you!!

Defoe, that fruit sounds mighty good to me. I have a water mellon chilling in the fridge. Will cut it tomorrow. :)

Karot ... Waaa I want a pool!!! Can I come for a swim? :)

Got the kitchen cleaned up. Have picked some basil, parsley and thyme. Am fixing Linguine with Tuna, Walnuts, Lemon and Herbs for supper tonight along with some crusty Italian bread.

Think I'll go get my book and veg out until then. Will check back after a bit. :)

~Elaine~

sarv sure must be having *fun*! LOL

Sheila - love the new kitten. I'm jealous.

Elaine - your dinner sounds great. Can I join you?

Actually, I came in from the garden with a handful of herbs which I'll put into a lite-mayo/yogurt sauce for some fish. Have to grocery shop tomorrow. I'm out of just about everything.

Planted a few more hostas in my front gardens so the pics that I posted
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/606190/
are already out of date. LOL

Also planted some hens and chicks, some impatients, a shasta daisy, moved a heuchera, divided up a bunch of Allen P. McConnell hosta which are edging the driveway and planted some mini roses. Around here you can buy a 6" pot of mini roses which have 6 plants in the pot. I divide them and plant them separately and they generally survive the winters.

Well, gotta go. Had a long phone call interrupt this post. Might get a chance to check in later.

Ann



This message was edited May 28, 2006 10:29 PM

Wow, I started this a little bit ago, but WE HAVE RAIN!!!! along with that comes thunder and lightening. So the power went off and I lost it.

We headed out today looking for a swim hole for dogs and people. We circuited the county and came up with bupcus. So over to Cedar Key. We had to swim the dogs on a boat ramp. HOW prejudiced can people be? Can't take the dogs anywhere, and everyone knows dogs always behave better than people........please don;t take that literally. Okay?

Of course on the way back out of Cedar Key we had to pick up seafood. Today's catch was kingfish, shark and snapper along with some crab fingers and mullet dip. Well this is what we bought. They also had flounder and grouper but we had both recently.

Now the storm is here and it's raining big raindrops. No cooking on the grill for us, but isn't it strange that 2 people can be so happy about the rain coming down? It does disrupt the satellite tho.

Baby had to stay home today. She just wouldn't let me get her in the car. She was snappy and nippy. She's getting so old. Next time though, she's going. She needs to not just lay down and die.

Better send before lightning strikes again......
Molly
:^))))

It is way to hot outside. The thermometer on the wall outside says 101 but it feels like more. Came in to get a refill on the water bottle and to cool off a bit. And of course to see what everyone else is up too.

Dismantled the chairs and I had an extra clear storage box left over from all the Christmas stuff that is the perfect length to fit the longest pieces of the chair. I managed to get all the pieces in with very little problems. DH had the great idea of taking a picture of them when I first got them and I put that in with them so I have a visual reference when it comes time to put them back together. I marked each piece and wrote it down but I have always done better with pictures.

Elaine, Come on over. The pool is always waiting. Usually it is waiting to be brushed, skimmed, treated or back flushed. But we dont usually force guests to help with the maintance. Right now its perfect, 80 degrees. Once the water warms up to 95 or higher it just isn't refreshing anymore even at night.

YEAH!!! Molly has rain. I hope it sticks around enough to do some good, rather then to just mess up the windows on the cars as is the case most times here.

Vann, I love all the hosta. The wide variety of shades in green they have is amazing. I plan to have lots at the new house.

Well time to get the gazebo windows cleaned. I hate this job. They put it so close to the wall that its hard to get in there to clean.

Casey

Haha, Carat, I can see Big Kitty is setting a good example for my rapidly growing Sammi.....

No name selected yet....I'm kinda thinking.........Gracie? LOL

Back to the couch, this heat really sucks the life out of you.

Sheila

Hi all.. Shelia new baby is so pretty.. i went out to flea mkt. walked this morning and walked it and the pain for hours is horrible the knee so no more that. i spent a whole 30 cents 3 glasses, now am i a big spender?..lol.. everyone was so surprised to see me especially a couple men wanted to know where hus. is where have i been lechers.. lol... i looked in mirrow i said oh my word turned really gray in 2 days wow.. the survivor - big louie is good.. have a good week coming up.. tomorrow, tomorrow..

twyla

Well, as they say "the best laid plans......." Mine sure went astray all right. Didn't get much more than watering the plants in the greenhouse and stirring up the alfalfa "tea" accomplished before we headed out to the Trader Joe's and Michael's. We hadn't been back more than 10 minutes or so when the phone rang and my friend the animal control officer called. Okay folks, meet the "gremlin".

Woops! That picture is a bit dark --- DH played with it with a photo editor, so I'll post it again.

I01/Susan the picture is of a tiny gray tiger-striped kitten with big eyes and huge ears. (I think she has almost as much fur inside her ears as she does on the outside. That's why she reminded me of the critters in that "gremlin" movie that was popular some years back.)

Gosh I have heard of it raining cats and dogs, but somebody forgot the dogs part today. Is the moon in the cat phase today? So many new ones. Hope was the first, M5, McCool, and We saw Sammi, and that big one Carat has. Ladies they all are adorable. I only have the one Miss Boots, and she was an old cat when she was 6 weeks old. She has never romped and played, acts like that kind of stuff is beneath her. Her main daily thing, is selecting her sleeping spot!!

Viann, you don't do a shabby job of hustling either. You are always on the go, to this rehearsal, or concert, and getting in gardening in between. Planting the hostas and roses. Would love to see pics of your whole yard.

So who is telling me to slow down? Just go back and look at these posts today, and gosh, there are some who have done way more than I have. I don't do much, but stay on the go!

101, don't you know that you have to be worn completely out, to deserve a vacation? So I am trying to do that, that way, I will enjoy the vacation and be rested and ready to hit the gardens again.

I have somebody lined up to do the watering, but there is never anyone who is willing to pull the weeds, so I sort of hate to be gone for a week, knowing that I will have weeds to deal with when I get back.

M5, DMIL has a daughter who will be coming to stay with her the week we are gone, and my DS will be staying with my DM, and taking care of Mr. B. and Miss Boots. He says that the whole time I am gone that Mr. B is depressed and not as playful. I know that it true, because last year we got home at 11:00 p.m., I dropped the luggage in the floor, sat down and let him have at me. Took him a good hour to get me licked in all the proper places!!

Molly, don't understand people who exclude dogs. I know what you mean about some being better behaved than humans. Tell Jeremy Happy Birthday from me, the sea food sounded good, did you get to cook it on the grill? Glad you got the rain, but I like it better without the thunder and lightening.

Well, gonna go take a shower, the temps today were in the 90's and this will be the 3rd shower today. I wish I could be lady like and perspire, but I am not, because I sweat, and I mean buckets.

Will check in later, to see who is still around.

~~waving to all I didn't mention.

Ahhh, Sheila! Congrats. : ) Looks like a great kitty.

I've looked off and on for several years for another siamese. Sooner or later I will find one. Hvve had seal points and blue points.

Oh D#%N! Had a post written and then noticed a typo in my last post. Of course, when I fixed it, I lost the new one.

Let's see - in short, there was congrats to all new owners of cats with a comment that maybe the cats really own you.

Casey, We'll make you into a first class hostaholic once you move.

Bonnie, you wouldn't want to see pics of my yard at the moment. Too many weeds! LOL But later in the summer, I hope to get some good ones. I'm hoping that the new camera DH bought will give me better depth of field than I was able to get last summer. Some of you may recall that he left our Canon A80 in a rental car about 15 months ago. The small Fuji we bought to replace it takes great close-ups, but I wasn't as happy with general yard pics. We now have a newer version of the Canon as well; so hoping for better pics.

It's sprinkling here. Don't know whether we will have serious rain, but I was amazed how dry some parts of the yard were this afternoon given the amount of rain we've had.

Have a good night everyone.

Ann

Molly, we had lots of rain and lightening here also. Was glad for the rain but could do without the fire works! LOL Forgot to say happy birthday to Jeramy. :) I know what you mean about dogs being better than most humans. Mine *certainly* is. At least she's better than these kids these days. LOL They really need to send them to Leader Dog! :)

Defoe, vacations are suppose to be fun but if you don't slow down you won't live to see yours! LOL LOL

Speaking of which ... wonder where Maria is? Hope she and Samson are okay and her silence means she's just having fun with family.

Karot, believe me ... if I could get to your pool I'd gladly clean it for you! It would definitely be worth it to me!

Ann, thought your supper sounded yummy. I'm partial to fish, also.

Oh and Molly ... lucky you with all that seafood!

McCool, love that little kitty ... and cute name!

Meezers, Gracy is adorable, also!

Well, going to check out the rest of my forums. May be back after a bit.

~Elaine~

Thank you all for the B-day wishes for Jeremy. He says thanks and he also said he had a great time today. I think it wasn't much. But certainly nice to take a day off.

We ate the crab fingers in the car on the way home, fish dip is in the fridge, 2 kinds of fish in the freezer. We ate the king fish and some zucchini, all cooked in the oven. The birthday boy refused to stand in the rain to grill the food. That's okay, I made him some brownies anyway.

So here's the Birthday boy.

Well have checked out all of the other forums that I frequent, and feel "all caught up".

Gonna try to get in bed a little earlier, have got a big day planned tomorrow. Some garden work, promised a friend that I would come help her in the daylily garden, (she has a garden tour coming up June 30,th), she has promised my pay will be gifts of divisions she will make later on, and we have a cookout planned for tomorrow late evening/night.

To all of those who have new residents, hope it is a peaceful night, to those who are waiting, hope your dreams are filled with visions of perfect feline behavior.

101, I will live till vacation, regardless of how hectic it gets. I need the rest!!

Well, goodnight all, hope there is something yummy on the counter in the morning.!!

Molly, great picture, sorry that Baby was left behind. Show her the picture and what she missed!!

Hey, I was thinking that maybe I should start tomorrows thread but then I realized I haven't a clue as to how to do it. So Good Morning to all that have started Memorial Day and Good Night to all that are still here in Saturday May 28, 2006.

Wow, what a day. I managed to get the go-mobile washed. This is a great accomplishment for me. The inside of my cars always look as though I just purchased the car. The outside looks as though I have driven cross country in a rain storm off road. Took me several attempts before getting all the bug guts off the grill. Looks pretty now though..

It is absolutely gorgeous outside right now. Maybe 80 degrees and a very slight breezy. Tomorrow is going to be a HOT one I can tell. Glad I managed to get most of the yard work done. The only good thing about having a small yard is that it can all be weeded, mowed, trimmed and dead headed in one day.

Elaine, be careful for what you wish for. I wished, whined and cried for the pool. I hate the dang thing now. The kids have a good time for a few days out of the year but as far as I am concerned not enough to make it worth while. If the kids were younger or I had grandchildren then maybe but right now we are keeping it clean all year for only a short time of use to us.

Viann, I am a bit worried that I am looking forward as to becoming addicted to hostas. Thinking of finding a support group before I get truly addicted to help with financial support. Think they have one???

Well off to bed for me, been a long day and I am exhausted....
Casey

Meet us over here for coffee: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/608282/