Coffee and ... for Friday, August 4

MaryE they didn't get my flowers beds. but the mailbox was taken up and the approach to our driveway.They put in their stupid pipe with the wiring and filled the trench back up. Put mailbox back up as well. Now its just dirt. Oh well, we don't have to mow dirt. The man assured me the approach will be asphalted by the end of the weekend. But my beds were safe. I'd probably be in jail by now if they hadn't been safe.Progress is all well and good but not when it interfers with my progress. Ouchy that way I am.

Scooterbug good pic. Thanks for the info. Big pot, like a whiskey barrel? in an unheated garage maybe???hoping hoping hoping and hoping some more.

Maria how long has your david phlox been in the ground? Mine is on its first summer purchased in a 4" pot, Its no where near that big. Just a youngin right?

Cece, I put mine in ,hree plants, from a year ago last sprimg. this is what I got this year

Hopefully mine will get that big?????????next year.

I have a request. A couple of years ago I was "taste testing" different kinds of tea - both hot and cold. Well, I found one iced tea that both DH and I just love and, you guessed it, I can't find it again! DH even asked for it by name!!!! That is something he almost *never* does. So, having used the last of it, I looked the next time I was in a grocery store - NADA! I have looked in every tea carrying store in three towns and it isn't there. Several places carry this brand, but not this particular blend. I googled the brand name (Celestial Seasonings Iced Delight) and it isn't listed. HELP! Anyone going past the tea section of whatever store you are in, please look and see if there is any on the shelf. I will pay *all* cost to have several boxes of this tea ( label pictured below). Dmail me if you find some and are willing to go to all the trouble. It is a really nice tea on a hot summer day. I would say open a box and try some, but I'm afraid you will like it so much that I'll never get it!


I just talked to my cat's Doctor - all is well! His blood work is all in the 'good' range and he can now go on once a day shots for a week or two, then one more round of blood work, and will probably be home free!!! He did seem better last night after the morning shot had worn off, so I had high hopes for this round of blood work. Legree (the cat) and I are both *real* tired of these twice a day treatments. He will still have to have a pill twice a day for kidney infection, just to be *sure* it is cleared up, for a few more days, but that's a piece of cake for us.

Went from dropping Legree of at the clinic this morning to my Mom's to take her on her errands. Now back home for awhile, then off again around 2:30 to do a little of my own shopping, pick up Legree and home again to try to come up with something exciting for supper.

103.5 with no rain in sight.
ginni

This message was edited Aug 4, 2006 1:28 PM

tgif I will be in grocery store this weekend I will be sure to check for you. That alays happens to me. Makeup, shampoo, certain foods I try I like it go back for more never to seen on shelves again. I know how frustrating it is........ I will most definately look. Good news about your cat.

Here is thr saga of my generator. The elcrician said, he just connects G.. to the electricity does not know anything about G's, huh??? said call installers! I did, they were here in no time, He said they neglected to set it to clean itself every other week, it sort of cloggs up without use, and also showed me how to turn it on manually, Ha, is this not a bit careless of the installers? I am still fumong about it.

Have you tried their web site?http://www.celestialseasonings.com/teafinder/index.php
You can order direct, find a store that has it, or email them if you can't find what you want.

That's what usually happens to me, they sell an item I like, but nobody else does and then it disappears. Last year Baker's Square had a luncheon salad made with coconut shrimp that was outstanding. I think I had it once a week after golf....think they have it this year? Nahhhh. Goes for some tv shows too. If we like it, it doesn't stick around long.....maybe requires too much brain power for the target audience....Unless it's really stupid and then we probably haven't seen it at all.

Been checking the sticky traps but haven't found any mice stuck on them. Told DH he better do something about the bottom of that automatic garage door that doesn't quite meet the floor, before winter. He gave me that fisheye look that they get when they don't want to hear something. Maybe I'll put the next dead one in his shoe.

I know everyone has posted something but I'm too brain dead to remember, so I think it's time for a little cat nap.

Later.
Sheila

Hi all. A quick check in. DFIL is on dial up here and the computer is so slow. I come in, turn it on and can water the all the house plants before its ready for me to sign in to Daves. Then it takes up the time for me to water the front yard to get to here. The cable company claims they will have our internet and cable TV back up my Wednesday of next week. I hope its sooner. I am not sure what the problem is or was but we have a ditch outside the back wall that runs the entire length of the street and they are taking out all the old wires and stuff and replacing it with new. The trench is also getting dug deeper. The original one was only about 5 ft deep from what I remember. They are going down another 3 or so feet.

McCool, I am so sorry to hear about DH not feeling well and to top it off being let go from work. Not being able to find new jobs that are secure when we move has my DH really stressed out. We are blessed with great medical coverage here and with his health is frightening.

Maria, dont know if I welcomed you home or not. So welcome home. I am glad that Samson is getting all the loving he missed out on made up to him. He is such a beautiful dog. Sorry that your gardens suffered while you were gone. My gardens did also while I was in SC.

TGIF, placed the tea you are looking for on the shopping list. I will look when we go this weekend.

Defoe, I am jealous of all the tomato canning you have done. I cant wait to learn and begin doing the same thing next year. Here I just dont have the space to grow the plants to warrant purchasing all the supplies for canning.

Cece, glad that you enjoyed yourself at the fair. We only go to the Renaissance (sp?) Fair here. It will be coming up October 13, 14, and 15. Our state fair is a good 3 hour drive away and usually it is in 115 degree weather and not enough shade for the animal and vendors never mind the visitors.

Mary, please be careful crawling around on the hay looking for wasp nests. I love the life you lead.

Darius, I hope Gracie's vet visit doesn't have her howling the whole way home too. I am going to go to your thread next and try and catch up on all your doings there.

Hope you had a great day of golf Meezer. In fact I hope everyone has a great day. I better get off here and turn off the water before the water police come by. I dont think my FIL would be to happy of a 500.00 ticket added to his water bill next month.

Miss you all, take care

Fume away Maria - they should have gone over all of that information with you when they installed it!

Thanks cece. I really appreciate it. DH so seldom asked for specific repeats, I hate to disappoint him, and I loved it too.

Off to town - bbl
ginni

edited to add thanks to Casey as well - and to put in that I'm dial up, too, but it really isn't *too* slow. I know there are faster ways, but for the most part, it doesn't create a problem for us.

This message was edited Aug 4, 2006 2:00 PM

Hi y'all ... Looks like everyone has been in a picture taking mood lately. LOL

Maria, please give Samson a big hug for me. You really brought back a lot of wonderful memories to share. :-) Good luck with your new computer! LOL

sarv, oh I love any shade of green. That was so sweet of your aunt to make that for you. I know you'll always treasure it. :-) You ought to see my brug. It hasn't bloomed yet, but thanks for the tip about the Epson Salt. I'll have to try and post a before and after picture. You won't believe how much it's grown!!

McCool, I'm so very sorry to hear about your DH losing his job. It's tough to be caught in those catch 22 situations. I hope it helps to know that you have *many friends praying for you and your DH.

Darius, how exciting to have A/C. Am glad you got some assistance for Gracie and her medical expenses.

Cece, glad for those workers that they didn't have to mess with your flower beds. LOL

Ginni, wonderful news about Legreea. Hope he continues to improve.

Mary, I helped myself to that oatmeal with cranberries. That sounded *really* good to me. do be careful spraying those nests ... especially if you're climbing. My DH uses that stuff also with good results, but we don't want you falling. :-) Was glad to read that your horses are doing better.

Defoe, sorry you're having to go back to the store today. How did your canning go? Those fish really sounded good. :-)

dmc, keep us up to date about your DD. Hope she had a safe trip home.

Oh McCool ... I'm sorry ... didn't mean not to answer you about the moon vine. Yes, it does have big flowers on it, but they fall after opening at night. I think the heat is getting to mine. In fact, the heat is getting to a lot of my stuff. It's so hot here today ... and humid! It came up a little shower that barely wet the ground, and it made it *even worse. :-(

Well, I went to my doc app today. He gave me another Cortisone shot. He seems to think the tendanitis and Bursitis are aggravating each other, so he wants me to be patient and give this a try. We've stopped the PT so the bursa can heal.

Okay, CRS has set in and that's about all I can remember and I need to get off this puter for now. Am waving to those I've missed.
~Elaine~

At 1:25 I posted that it was 103.5 degrees here - it is now 2:25 and up to 107.3 degrees!!!!!!!!!!!! I honestly do not remember it ever being this hot here in my life. In Arizona, yes, but drier, therefore a little less intense. Not comfortable, mind you, just easier to breathe without feeling like you were going to drown every time you inhale.

I am going to make a *fast* trip to the Jeep to crank it and turn the ac on super high, run back in here, wait for 10 minutes and then venture out again to see if I can get some things done in town, and get back home without losing it all!
ginni

Hi folks. Have been home about half an hour from working the 10 am concert and attending another at noon. Looks like you've been talking a lot today. Let's see if I can catch up.

Sarv - great funky dahlia. Think I may have to try brugs too. But they need sun don't they? Don't know if I have enough.

Maria - more great pictures. Hope your new computer installation and education goes smoothly.

Molly, the Bat-Faced Cuphea is fabulous. Great RED.

Cece - I hope you're able to retain that garden. Fight for it.

Ernie - tell Linda the quilts are really lovely. Thanks, Maria, for posting the pics.

ves522 - I LOVE to sew, but the kind of patience that goes into quilts, I don't have. That's another qhole kind of person.

Darius - hope all is well with Gracie. Glad you got her to the vet.

Mary - your oatmeal and fruit sounds good. But I'm afraid it was already lunch time here.

scooter - if you winter over brugs, are they subject ot pests like aphids that can get to other indoor plants? That's the story of my life bringing things in for the winter.

Hi Bonnie and Twyla.

Maria - your Phlox is gorgeous. You mean Ernie built that boat? I'd be fuming about the generator too. I gather it's OK now?

Ginni - I'll take a look for your tea. What's in it? One of the supermarket chains here has store brand teas that are just like some of the Celestial Seasonings ones. Glad to hear the cat is doing well.

Sheila - it's like the kiss of death for an item when I decide that I like it. Almost guaranteed.

Hi Casey. I'm also jealous of the tomato canning. Mine aren't even ripe yet. Probably will be in their prime when I'm on vacation.

Elaine - hope the cortisone shot works. Does the PT help? Have you tried any massage therapy?

Ginni - hope you can keep cool in the Jeep. That's HOT!

Well, I'm looking after two neighbour's houses. Not sure whether DH brought in their mail when he came home at lunch or not; so I'll go check.

BBL

Ann

lol Ann, I am certain Ernie had lots of help

Back from the casino and left $80 with the Indians!! But had a great time. Good thing I don't live near a casino as I LOVE gambling....I would be barefoot and penniless if I was closer! Started out winning- aha I thought!! But that soon turned to the minus column...

Oz, had great buffet for lunch (thought of you - had peanut butter cake!) I could have spent a couple of hours in the restaurant, but the rest wanted to hurry back to the 'machines' All in all a fun time and would love to do it again tomorrow!!

Brugs in Mich (zone 5 ) need to be dug up and brought inside. I dig them up (put them in buckets) and put them in the barn or garage until all the leaves fall off - then put them in an unused bedroom with little light and water lightly once a month. They look like dead twigs, but faithfully come back in the spring once I take them out of their cold storage. I've also taken cuttings, but have poor luck with them. This year, mine are in full sun, but I've also put them in part sun - they do fine for me in either place.

Maria, what gorgeous quilts. I absolutely hate hand work, so I never make any. What talent!!

The dahlia had several normal blooms and two like I posted. The rest are a purple and white stripey.

Weather is glorious here - temp in the 80's with very low humidity

Maria, glad the generator is running again. We never did get one....DH wants this huge monster - I voted for a medium size one. We're at a stalemate...

I have David phlox and it is covered with mildew>>>>Looks terrible>

Well, time for another garden walk - I noticed a ton of japanese beetles who need to bite the dust...

maryE Don't know the whole story about the retired cop. He owned his own Gun Shop and still had a gun my DH had traded with him about 15 yrs. ago. At this point they were trying to figure out what belonged to whom.

darius hope the vet trip went fine. After the experiences I had taking my mom and a stray cat I'm worried about yours. DM has her 2nd stray with feline leukemia. She seems to be dealing with this one better. I told her to make sure she keeps up with Fritz's vac. so he doesn't get it.

Got about 4 more feet done on the bombsite. Was really running into the broken glass today. It was hot so gave up and went in for lunch. Just thinking about what I want to do.

Everybody take care of yourselves!!

Tall phlox Davidii is very subject to downey mildew. Best resistant phlox is a red one named Jacob Cline. Maria, yours is lovely.

Good news, Gracie is home. She wasn't preggers after all, and could not have been because she had ALREADY been spayed! (I never could hold her long enougfh to check.) After I let her out of the carrier she went immediately under the porch. They had put her to sleep before they discovered she had been spayed and my chit was no good because they didn't spay her. But, they wormed her, tested for feline leukemia (negative, YAY!) and filled her full of shots. Bill was under $100, so that made my spending for the day right at $350, with Sam's Club, Lowe's Hardware and gasoline. That's almost half my monthly income!

The bad news... almost. I went for my Virginia driver's license this morning now that I have a copy of my birth certificate. Failed the darn eye test 3 times, then the nice clerk changed it to numerals and I almost failed that one too. Couldn't tell the 8 from a 3 because of blurr, but I saw her eyes and changed my answer! So, I am legal to drive until 2010. Good thing obstacles like vehicles and people are large, LOL. My cataracts are getting worse but not bad enough yet for Medicare to pay for surgery.

Casey, my new home is probably 3-4 hours from your SC home. You'll have to come up for a couple of days and I will teach you what I know about canning.

Have to see what I can scrounge for dinner.
BBL, ~~~ to everyone.

Pooh, forgot to post the photo of Gracie...

Yay!! Gracie isn't preggers!! Too bad about the vet bill .....they do cost us. I can't get out of sam's without dropping a c note. But I gotta go because I'm out of pine nuts, having munched too many spinach salads this summer. They want $4 for a teeny jar in the supermarket, and for twice that at Sams I can get a big jug. So an $8 jar will end up costing me lots more because I have no sales resistance. Except for perennials....most of what I got at Sam's germinated poorly or not at all. Waste waste waste. Burns my pennypinching derry yare.

Oops DH want to go out for food ....running out the door ~~~~~ back later!
Shwila

darius i'm so glad Gracie is okay and not pregnant. Now you can just enjoy her with no big worries.

Darius, glad about your kitty-cat and that she is healthy.
I do want you to know I had this Phlox at my old farmhouse for years and years it never ever got mildue as where the other ones, not white, always were prone to get it. 'David' was highly recomended because it lacked that problem. It proved to be true

Sarv,
I put my brugs in a cold closet for thr winter.

BTW,
You will have no problem starting brug cuttings IF you start them in the Summer during growing season.

By the time it is time to bring them in you will have a nice 1 to 3 gal new plant to put in your window and give you some pleasure during the cold months.

Most people [ except for growers] try to start cuttings in the Fall .............

from a plant that has been already preparing for dormancy for a month or two.

You need to start cuttings during growing season and while there are still plenty of growth hormones coursing through the 'mother' plant to help in the transition.


Tomatoes ? ,

Geeze mine are just starting to come on good enough to have some extras left over. ;-(

cece,
unheated garage is fine if it is dark and the temps do not get down to about 55 very often but it has to warm up. I mean they will not live if the temps stay below 60 .
An occasional dip down to 56 is OK if does not stay there.

Water sparingly like 1 cup every month just to keep the root ball from drying out and to avoid root rot.

You are not trying to support leaves because there will not be any or very few little ones while your brug is sleeping. More brugs die from root rot than any thing else.

Hey, dmc! I cracked open the Harsch crock today... it looks and smells like pickles!

Hey, where is everybody? I have worked my fanny off all day, and am very tired. Did 15 quarts of tomato juice this morning, went to the grocery again this week for DMIL, and also to the pharmacy, came home and thought I would grab a nap/rest, and my sister called. Then DGD wanted me to go in the pool with her, and then DH came in and suggested going out to eat when we took DGD to meet her mother. So we did, and while in Frankfort, decided to stop by a nursing home to visit a former neighbor, and another friend. Home, where I cleaned the greasy cooker that was used last night for fish, and when through with that thought I would sit and read awhile. DH went out, and came back with a five gallon bucket of lima beans he had picked today, so we hulled them. Had plans tomorrow to go with a friend to a daylily/daffidol/iris/peony society combined sale. Called her to confirm, and she backed out, so may just have to go explore that on my own.

Well, I am too tired to comment, but to Darius, glad Gracie isn't in the family way, and that she is up to date on her shots.

Gonna go check some other forums, and may be back.

I just awakened from a nice long nap on the couch and now need to go to bed. Checked the back porch, no Gracie. I guess she's still under the porch and none of her food seems missing. She may forgive me in a few days.

Goodnight Gracie.

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all the concern for us. I think that we'll get by somehow or other, but yesterday it just felt kind of like getting kicked in the stomach when DH called me to let me know about losing his job. He said that the manager at the store where he'd worked was very apologetic, but there wasn't anything that he could do as it was the policy of the chain. The problem was that DH had only worked for Trader Joe's for three months --- this is when employees (even part-time) become eligible for the health insurance plan. Once he went to the doctor and was referred to the podiatrist on an emergency basis, he was ordered to stay off his feet and was out on disability a disproportionate amount of time compared to the time he'd been employed there. The representative from the store where he'd been working said that he was sure that he could be re-hired as soon as he is healthy enough to work there again. He has another appointment with the doctor on the ninth and we'll see what he says then. Even if he is re-hired though, I expect it will be another three months before he is again eligible for insurance. M5, yes they would have to allow us to buy the insurance through Cobra; however, with the employer subsidizing it the insurance costs us $150 per month for the two of us. If I have to pay it entirely it costs over $600 per month and I just can't manage that. I don't think that I could manage to pay all of our regular bills even without that if DH doesn't have any income. We had checked into any help that the state might provide earlier, but didn't qualify at the time as DH had unemployment payments coming in. I don't know if we'd qualify as being poor enough now to get some help or not.

darius, very glad to know that Gracie is already spayed and in pretty good health. I can empathize entirely about the vet bill though. We had to take three cats to the vet a couple of weeks ago and I'm dreading the next credit card bill! D.K. has to go back in about two more weeks for her last series of shots. We have prescriptions for flea/tick/heartworm medication for all of them, but I haven't filled them yet as we just don't have the money at the moment. One of them probably does need her teeth done, but we just don't know how we'd come up with the $300+ required for that either. Glad that the pickles seem to have worked out --- at least something is going right!

V-ann, you will be an impossible act to follow! I'm lucky if I can remember what happened last week --- what happened on this day 50 or 100 years ago?--- you must be joking!

VERY, VERY busy at my store today--- good thing too as I really needed a decent sales day to provide the means to pay off a lot of bills. By the time I got home, I was ready to just melt into a puddle. I have to go in early tomorrow as someone ordered a gift basket and prepaid. It's to be picked up in the morning and is presently only half done.

Maria, thanks for all the pictures of the lovely quilts. I've never attempted one of those, but used to knit and crochet some pretty complicated afghans. Your phlox look lovely. I don't have much left in the way of flowers except for cosmos and a few coreopsis.

sarv, I like the "funky" dahlia too. Very distinct!

I01, I hope you've been able to get a noseful of those Moonflowers when they open at dusk. The scent is really wonderful. I have a perfume oil by the same name, but I don't think that it really smells as good as the flowers themselves. Thanks for keeping us in your thoughts.

Hi to Bonnie, Mary, Sheila, Casey, ves, cece, scooterbug, Twyla, tgif, Molly, oz, and aanrguy (and to any of our "regulars" or any newbies whom I might have missed.) Here's wishing you all a peaceful and restful night.

Ummmm fifty years ago I think I was on the verge of being pregnant for the second time......and wondering what I had gotten myself into.
As they say, too soon old, too late smart. nite all

Sheila

Lol,Sheila!! Good night all sleep well

It's almost bed time here for me, some of you have already crashed! Today I got busy irrigating the garden, deep slow watering and weeding while I waited to move the hose. This method takes more time and fussing while I'm doing it, but it lasts longer and makes the roots go deeper. And it keeps me there so what else is there to do but pull weeds and tend to the plants? And since it got hot quite fast this afternoon after a slow start this morning, I decided to ride Breezy after dinner.

The sun was about to set when I got going and so I made a quick ride. Breezy felt good and didn't cough very much, so that is encouraging. I can see the difference from when I rode him the day before yesterday. The exciting part was when I was out of the jeep road section and coming home on the county road, watching the neighbor doing something in his field with the tractor lights on, and wondering when the man ever sleeps, and suddenly I looked down and there was a snake. Yep, a rattler, but minus his head and tail. He was still writhing and trying to rattle. Whew!! I have to learn not to relax so soon. Breezy didn't react at all, either he didn't see it or it didn't look threatening, just like a long crooked stick.

Good news for Darius on the kitty (no pregnancy and no FLV) and the cucumbers did what they were supposed to do, they became pickles while hiding in the new fancy crock.

Also, good for McCool that the store was busy today, and that the chain store may rehire her hubby.

I'm tired now so nitey night and sweet dreams to all.

Just in from two concerts. The 11 pm was music by Messiaen - "Quartet For the End of Time" - written and first performed in a German prison camp in 1941 when the French soldier (Messiaen) found among him three other musicians. It's quite an amazing piece of music and quite appropriate for 11 pm.
http://www-rcf.usc.edu/~echew/performances/messiaen-qtet.html

Will be back in a minute to start the new thread.

Ann

This message was edited Aug 5, 2006 7:52 AM

The new thread for today is at: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/635647/
Good night all.