Coffee and ... for Saturday, August 12

Hi Folks,

Been a busy day. Was half way through cleaning bathrooms when Erynne and hubby arrived. And Sandy got there shortly aterwards. We had a quick tour of MY garden and then set off for Budd Gardens where everything was 20% off. You'll be proud of me. I managed to limit myself to 3 new hostas. Then we were off to the owner's personal Hosta garden. His daughter gave us permission, but he wasn't actually home; so we couldn't ask questions. I know he plants them in 100% mushroom compost, but I wonder if he feeds them something else. Some varieties I've never seen so big. If mine get close to that size I'm in trouble. LOL

I've managed to plant all three new hostas, but planting one involved digging one up and giving it to a neighbour. A nice hosta, growing very well, but too large for the color and for my garden. I got it from Sandy last year and offered it back to her since I know she sometimes does a plant sale, but she approved giving it to a neighbour. I needed something with white or cream in the leaves all summer long to light up a dark corner. This one started out light in the middle but by end of June was totally green.

Also finished cleaning the bathrooms. LOL

Darius - don't you have shoes you can wear until you get all those glass shards found by means other than your feet? Sounds like a painful way to find them. Your apple butter and zucchini sound good, but sorry about the broken jar. I'm with you on gas stoves. We put one in when we did the kitchen in 1991 and in case of a power failure, all we need is a match. The only drawback though was that the gas flame licked up the side of some of my stainless pots with aluminum on the bottom and burned things in the corner.

Bonnie - hope your summer get together goes well. 30 is a pretty good-sized "immediate" family. Did the arm pain get better as the day wore on. bummer that it wakes you though. The pool closing course sounds like a great idea. Your grated potato and squash dish sounds good.

Cece - I hope progress was made on your pond.

Hi Sarv - those cranberry, chocolate -chip biscotti sound really good. Vaguely familiar too. did you mention them once before and post the recipe? Looks like quite a tree felling project.

Woodspirit - don't know what deer like other than they LOVE Hostas. What did you decide on for the friend?

Ves and Elaine, thanks for good trip wishes. But I'm not going anywhere right away. Not till Friday morning. Then we have several days in Vancouver where I'll likely be able to check in to e-mail / Internet at least occasionally. We also have cooler weather and it is nice for sleeping and for getting stuff done in the garden.

Twyla, that was some snake! But fried, I'll leave to someone else.

Sarv, sorry about the whitish top. I've got some stuff that is supposed to work on set-in stains. Can't remember what it's called, but maybe something like that would work. Have to treat my own T-shirt. Not new or solid color, but not gardening eaither. I managed to brush up against lilies at the Hosta nursery and got dirty from carrying plants and then squirted ketchup on it when I was trying to unplug a squirt bottle. Hope we both eventually get the stains out.

McCool - glad you got a post on today.

Hi Corky, Molly, Sheila, Mary, Susan, and anyone else I might have missed. I'll be back in awhile to start the thread for tomorrow.

Ann

Just checkin in to say good night and sleep tight and ~~~ at everyone. will post more tomorrow!

Here's the link to the new thread for Sunday. Have a good night everyone.
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/638791/

Hello, my name is Mary and I'm a plantaholic.

It's been a busy day. I got into my big flower bed and dug up a lot of daisy type things that have small yellow flowers and leaves like a painted daisy. They come up everywhere so there is no chance that I won't have an excess of them next year. A neighbor called and asked what I was doing, I told her I'm digging out perenials that have had it with wild abandon. She had been doing the same thing with her yarrow. Mine is still standing there, maybe tomorrow. Anyhow, she came over and we picked some green beans, a bell pepper, some carrots, zucchini, a yellow summer squash, onions, beets and lemon cucumbers for her. Maybe more. She and her hubby live on a pretty limited budget, he works for the Forest Service, gets laid off every winter for about 4 months, so this little bit helps them and I always grow way too much anyhow. She has chickens and gives me eggs when they have too many.

Breezy's leg seems to be healing. It has no sign of infection, and he can walk away from me pretty fast now when he sees me coming with the doctoring stuff. I guess I will have to take him a couple of carrots to make him think it is worth it. Feed him one when I get there, and the second one when I have finished. Right now I am doctoring it while he eats his hay. I have to put a halter on him so he knows he can't get away. He stands there with his ears kind of back, to show me that he is not happy with what I am doing. He isn't the kind of horse that puts ears flat back against his head except occasionally with other horses when he really means "get outa my way". The first couple of days I didn't need the halter since he didn't really want to walk. So, I interpret that as progress! With animal patients you can't ask does it feel better today?

Patch got a day off today but I will ride him tomorrow. I made him work harder yesterday but gave him a day off today because I thought with my chiro adjustment being less than 24 hours old it might be a good idea to skip a day. Actually, I have never had a problem with riding, so maybe that was unnecessary.

Hubby called me from Colorado, he had a good trip without delays, and said the weather was nice and cool. He likes cool, I like warm. Both us could do without below 0 or over 90.

Anybody know how to remove ink stains, ballpoint ink specifically? Hubby got a new pen that he really liked, but the ink leaked out of it and ruined 2 good white shirts and one brand new t-shirt. I treated them with liquid laundry soap and washed them, dried them on the line, stains are still there. He threw the pen away.

Twyla, the snakes are big enough here, I have no need for Texas size snakes. And I don't think I would eat rattlesnake or any other kind even if you paid me. I can kill them but I snip the rattles off with the long handled pruners so I don't have to touch the snake. Garter snakes I can pick up by the tip of the tail and transplant to somewhere else, like not next to the house or in my greenhouse. Last week I opened the back door and there was a garter snake with a mostly swallowed frog in his mouth, just the hind legs were sticking out, on the door mat. I picked him up by the tail and put him out in the flower bed, come to think of it I put him where I was working today, but he is somewhere else by now, digesting his frog.

McCool, you could have a lot of fun with a "wake" theme for your DH's birthday. Black candles, black (licorice flavor) frosting, black candy, black crepe paper, all that stuff. We did something similiar for a friend's 40th birthday, everybody brought gifts wrapped in black construction paper because that was all they could find, some spray painted newspaper wrapped gifts with black paint, and they all wore black clothes. We sang the most mournful Happy Birthday you ever heard! It was great, we laughed till we cried and were sorry when it was over. Note on drying socks in the microwave, 2 minutes at a time, open door, fan socks around to get rid of the steamy moisture, fold the dry part under the wet part for the next 2 minute session. I stood right there, and I quit when they were barely damp and hung them over the open lid of the suitcase because they had about 3 more hours to air dry. No danger.

Darius, put some shoes on!

Molly, I wouldn't use any sludge product to grow food. They say there are a lot of heavy metals in it because people pour stuff down drains that should go to the hazardous waste dumps.

It's dark, time to take Fritz for his last walk, bring the kitties in and go to bed. Goodnight, sleep well.

Whoo Hooooo I have internet again. I actually managed to get on today read a few threads and then bam nothing. DS hit some buttons for me and I am back up and running. Gosh how I have missed you all......

Babs, my heart, thoughts and prayers are with you all the way. Do what you feel you have to do. That is all that your parents would want. Most dont want to be a burden on their children. My parents were grateful for me taking care of them until the end but both said that they would have understood completely if I had needed to place them in a care facility. My dad didn't know why I wouldn't do it to him. ( I had made a promise and I have a real issue with breaking promises).

Defoe we pay about 10.00-12.00 a bushel here for ripen tomatoes that is when you can find them. I also paid 3.98 for two alvocado's.

I am losing battery power on this laptop just trying to read the posts. Hopefully I will figure this issue out and get it all figured out soon. Please know that all that has occured I have read and cried with some and laughed with others. DH thinks I am insane and on some kind of mission with DG on the brain most of the time.

Take care all..... Miss you everyday..... ~~~~~~'s to everyone......

Casey
Molly, fall garden already really???? I am still having 105 weather here and cant imagine fall crops yet. I was think closer to Sept- Oct for those. Guess I better get my butt in gear and start documenting this in the handy dandy notebook for reference next year.

Cece, we share the same birthday. Glad that you are finally getting the pond going. I have been watching and learning how to get around the DH with all the issues. I have been telling him about the problems with your Bother in law and how I wont stand for someone who doesn't have a clue involved in the decisions. Hopefully preparing him for this now will help later. LOL

Defoe, I hope that your back feels better tomorrow. Maybe if you just gently place some of those tomatoes in a small box and mail them to me to lighten your canning chores your back pain will reduce some. LOL Just Kidding.......
After you go to this class I would be interested in how to close a pool for the winter. Here we really dont do much different except the decrease in chemicals and back flushing the pool filters to clear out all the gunk.


Mary I am queen of the microwaved dried clothing. I am forever having to do this. You can dry polyester and such on the defrost mode of the micro. Just do it a couple minutes at a time and shake them out between each drying time. My son would have flinched at your fish eat friends comment. He loves to watch the fish in our tank.

DH invited two of his cousins over for dinner and swimming. Them, their spouses and kids were alot of fun to have around. We were saying that maybe we would do this again soon before the weather gets to cold to swim. DH made his first BBQ'd brisket tonight. It was really tasty. Next time I think he should rap it in foil to hold in the moisture a bit more. The temps reach somewhere in the teens today but it was not as noticable being in the pool at the time.

Good to hear that some of you are starting to have cooler weather in the areas that you are use too. The high heat is hard to deal with when its a common issue but when its not and your are not prepared for it heat can be miserable.

I have 60 gallon fish tank and when I do the twice a year cleaning I alway take the water from it to the garden. No matter what is green it is always greener and healthier the next day.

Darius, I am jealous of the apple butter. When mom would make it I would eat it out of the jar by the spoonful. Sometimes I would even lower my standards a place it on a peice of homemade bread. LOL
I will have that again soon. I have planned out an area for 4 apple trees among the other fruit trees. I know that I want some granny smith's for sure but still debating on the others.

Vann, I am not to sure as to when you are leaving for you vacation but just wanted to make sure I told you have a great time and enjoy Japan. My son is quite envious of you. We are secretly planning a senior trip for him there for a graduation present.