Please come join us at the Texas statewide roundup to be held on Saturday, April 28 in College Station. Be prepared for a fun-filled day of exchanging plants, seeds, stories, food, and laughter! We will be at the Southwood Pavilion in the Southwood Athletic Park off of Rock Prairie Rd. A map to the park is here: http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address&country=US&popflag=0&latitude=&longitude=&name=&phone=&level=&addtohistory=&cat=&address=1600+rock+prairie+rd&city=college+station&state=tx&zipcode=
If you plan to attend, please post here so we can get a head count: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/716231/
We will begin with breakfast at Golden Corral for all who want to get an early start at 8:30am, here is a map to the restaurant: http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address&country=US&popflag=0&latitude=&longitude=&name=&phone=&level=&addtohistory=&cat=&address=700+University+Dr+E&city=college+station&state=tx&zipcode=77840
The official roundup will begin at 10am at the park. A list of local hotels are listed here for those who wish to stay the night: http://bryan-collegestation.travelhero.com/allprops.cfm?aid=586&main=62-pnl0Item0-1
Other places of interest in the area are Martha's Bloomers and the Antique Rose Emporium for those who want to make a weekend of it.
A thread for trades has already been set up here: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/688279/
If you would like to donate a door prize, please post here: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/697534/
A thread for listing what wonderful foods we all plan to bring can be found here: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/697532/
So come on out, meet some friends, share some plants, and have yourself a great time!
:) Kim
This message was edited Apr 24, 2007 10:28 PM
Texas Statewide Roundup-April 28, 2007, College Station
Now that looks great and has all the info. Excellent job, Kim. I hope your mom is able to come for a spring visit and be here for the RU. I'd love to meet her and share farm and ranch stories.
Excellent Job Kim!!!
Now all we need is warm weather!!! Can you fix that Kim??? LOL??
Thanks! Hmmm....I wish I could command warmer weather. But then again, in the middle of summer we will be wishing for the cooler temps. Never satisfied, are we? Lol...
Kim
Good information, Kim. Says it all.....
Sheila, I remember it was WINDY!!!! BTW, Kim - Is that normal for the area? IOW, Should I count on it?
O.K. Guys, let us warm up a bit, keep this thread going.
Josephine.
Kim - Thanks so much for getting this going for the spring! I had so much fun at the fall RU, meeting all of you, and trading my little "extras" for others' extras - and I learned so much from all of you.
Josephine - I've got my little rough-leafed dogwood in the right spot hopefully - and in a few years would love to see the bluebirds eating the berries! I also learned so much about native plants from you - online and in person.
Just know - everyone who is considering attending - that there are lots of plants/seeds that aren't spoken for ahead of time - so just come and bring anything you might have - or bring just yourselves and your love of gardening. (That's what I did in the fall - brought some extras and "the love!"). The woods around the pavilion have been enriched over the past couple years of Dave's RU's - and there's going to be a great native butterly and bird habitat that will continue to arise from the DG leftovers that have been planted before we leave!
I'm very much hoping to attend - and will know for sure in a few weeks. New ones here - consider attending as I did in the fall! You'll surely enjoy.
Nancy
Thanks for all your work, Kim!
Mary, it is nice to see you posting, I surely hope you can make it to the R.U. How long has it been since I last saw you? Too long in my opinion.
Hello too Maggiemoo, you gotum dmail
Is anybody interested in splitting the cost of a hotel room with me and DD? DD said she can sleep on the floor. She used to do that all the time because she didn't like her bed.
Trishann, what kinds of roses are you looking for? Check my inventory, except I need to take Felicia and Souvenir d' St. Anne off, because they died.:(
College Station is a bit far for me, will there be a Dallas/Ft Worth round-up or just this one?
Larissa we usually have one here in Arlington in the Fall usually October.
Josephine.
Great job, Kim!
Just a quick note to let everyone know I finally got all of the checks to the bank on Friday. My apologies for it being so late but I just couldn't seem to find time to get there. I covered the last little bit that was left so thanks again for everyone's help. I am really starting to get excited about this swap since the weather is so nice out!! Also I've got a zillion seedlings in the greenhouse, and they all are not going to fit in my garden...lol.
:) Kim
Kim I am glad to know that you have it all covered.
Josephine.
Its me! I am here! I will share a room ... but I like to sleep... so i wont make very good company. Anyway I am getting all excited again and I am getting around better everyday. I went to Mass Sunday for the first time in three months, when I knelt down, I could not get up...ended up banging my left knee on the pew ... I am a mess! lol
Hi Kim ... are you still the professional student? I am sure glad you are around to help the blind and the feeble...I am on both of those list, lol I hope I make it CS in one piece. :)
Sylvia
Sylvia! So good to hear from you! Sounds like you are feeling much better. I'm glad you're thinking about CS. I'd offer to share a room but I think it will be a day trip for me. Leave early, arrive for breakfast, looking forward to meeting many new friends, home that night, wiped out and ready for bed!
Sylvia...I am so glad you will be coming to the roundup and that you are feeling better. Yep...still a student but a tad bit closer to getting out of here. It's hard to find time right now to get into the garden, guess what I will be doing spring break!
:) Kim
Sylvia!! I'm so glad you are feeling better!
Kim you did great.
I wish I could say I was coming but too far for me to go it alone. Dennis and I made a weekend of it last time and loved it. But now that he is not here I just don't do much.
When he was in the hospital last year he would say october and I said no Nov. He told me to keep planning on us going. Then I lost him in Sept. Nothing will ever be the same. I know I won't.
We had not been away from home in such a long time, I am so glad we came. It was our first time away from home in years. And for such a quiet shy person, all of you made him feel so welcome and I will always be blessed by that. He was really glad he went. I know one day I will see you all again. I had a great time also.
Blessings,
Sandy ^8^
Sandy, I was hoping you would be there because I have a hardy amaryllis for you. I finally got them dug up. I replanted some of them, but I had 4 left, so I put 2 in each of 2 pots. Who lives down there close to you that is going to the RU? I know things are not the same without Dennis, there's no way they could be. But you're still here on earth for a reason. Don't feel guilty about your greiving process or your anger. Just know that there's more to the rest of your life than what you've got now. You'll begin to see that in time. I'm glad we got to meet Dennis, because now we know why you miss him so much.
Mary Lee
Nicely said Mary Lee. I remember Sylvia, Adeline, and I had gone to dinner that night; with Sandy, Dennis, Kim, you and your DH Tom. It was a long wait but as we waited we talked and laughed with them. It was a very nice memory, as was our trip to Martha's Bloomers with them the next day. Sorry Tom isn't coming this trip btw.
Sandy, I sure wish you would change your mind and connect with someone down that way to ride up with. Posie4U and I had spoke on the phone, but never met until I went to pick her up early that morning in the dark! I wanted to go so bad, but hated to drive by myself. Others down that way are thinking the same thing, just ask around, you won't have to bring a thing, but I promise you will go home with that wonderful feeling friends can give you, and loads of hugs!!
Sheila_FW
You're absolutely right Sheila! You need to take a break from Houston Sandy. Get out o' town!:)
Sandy you need to practice your faith by giving God a chance to heal you. It could have been you instead of Dennis, would you have wanted Dennis to go thru what you are expierencing? No you would not and I am sure Dennis feels the same way about you. God has something wonderful in store for you, give him a chance. Sandy you will never forget Dennis, but as time go on you will learn to accept the beautiful memories and make more memories. Give us a chane to help you with that please.
Sylvia
I am practicing my faith. It just hurts so deeply. If I was not going through this I could never imagine the depth of the pain when you lose your soulmate. I cry out to Jesus and He cries with me. The bible said when lazarus died Jesus wept. Then he called him forth and brought him back. I did just that over and over when they took me in to see him. Ihad the faith to move that mountain but it was not Gods will.
I can't explain the pain except for the posts on the prayer forum. I am here and participating in the forums best I can. I tell them how I feel and what I need prayers for. It has only been 6 months and I don't expect this to end soon. I was told buy someone it took his mom 3 years. I am taking 1 second at a time. It is the best I can do.
I don't drive as far as CS by myself. If someone is going and I can I might consider coming. I am going to Froggies_girls in June. She is sending me a plane ticket to come to another gardening group she belongs to kinda round up.
I am sorry if I come across rude I am not trying to be. It has been easy for my brother and some others to feel I should buck up and move on. But he is on the outside looking in. It is something different being on the inside looking out.
I ask him how it would feel if every night he went home and my DSIL was not there, he could never again reach over during the night and touch her arm or face. And he could never walking holding her hand again or give her a kiss. He was very quiet and did not have a response. He only got a tiny image of what it might feel like.
Silvia, I have never felt pain like this before. And to know tht I am 51 and could live 40 years without him here on this earth is devasting. When the finality of it hit me a few weeks ago I thought I would never be able to breathe again. You could torture me with all the physical tortures ever made and the pain would not come 1/3 of the way as the pain of losing the Love of my Life. I have loved him 35 years and we were married 31. It is not an overnight process, but oh how I wish it was. I don't like this pain. I know the cross was much worse for Jesus than this, but he understands me more than I do myself.
I am standing with open arms to each one of you as I love you all very deeply. But I need you to be patient as God created grief along with everything else he created. SO love me and pray for me and send hugs far and if I am near hug me. And please know I am working though this the very best I can.
I hope I did not offend anyone as my intentions were pure of heart and explain what I am feeling in hopes I can explain this is not how I chose to feel. I would choose to have him here or to not to feel this way. He use to tell me he wanted to be more like me and I told him to love as deeply as I love means to hurt as deeply as you love.
I love you all,
Blessings,
Sandy ^8^
We love you Sandy and we are hurting with you from the outside. That's as close as we can get. We'll just keep that lifesaver tube out there and know that you'll grab it as soon as you can.:)
Mary Lee
Not rude at all Sandy, and not one person would want to make you feel that we don't respect where you are in your healing. I hope that you will keep the option open if you are approached, we would love to give you some hugs!
I can't wait to see my Lucifer Lillies you gave me come up this year. I am so ready for spring and new birth of anything green!! My daffs are the only thing peaking out right now.
...no hard feelings here Sandy, my heart just goes out to you. I wish I had been as fortunate as you to have had that kind of love. When my brother passed last March, his wife was pineing for the longest. I felt so sorry for her because she had loved him ever since they were in college. They met up about five years ago and was married. She never believed he was as sick as he was ... she said God didnt bring him back to her to take him away again ...she was devastated when he died. ... and just like your brother, I told her it was time to move on with her life. I think the reason we say these things is because it hurts so bad to see you suffering and we just dont know what else to say ... its only because we love you.
Sylvia
Dear Sandy~
You're right, one second at a time girl! Like part of ya has been ripped away, I can not touch that kind of pain sister! I know who can, full well!! His strength is perfect, especially when all our strength is gone. This is where we are truly made as we go along. May the Lord wrap you in HIs arms and hold you tight now and always.
Much love!
Deb
I have to agree with Deb, it is through our trials that we learn and grow, but Oh Lord, such a high price for wisdom!
Josephine.
This message was edited Feb 24, 2007 11:35 PM
Mary Lee,
I had a hold on the life saver tube. Now if you all will take my hands as they are weak and hold them tightly on there I won't be able to slip off. It has to be hard to hear my pain as I hurt so bad when others hurt. It is a helpless feeling to be watching some you care about suffer. And I felt the love last year hanging out with all of you. I know my Sweetheart did too as he was looking forward to coming back. He didn't like plants and he prefered to not go as I was his world. He did not hang out with guys, did not have a friend that come over Just me. And he was really looking forward to coming back. If you remember he suffered so with his back and my wallet and his vicodin was stolen out of my purse in the truck. He went almost 2 days without pain pills.as our dr.soes not call in that stuff over the phone. He had a paraspinal abcess and the muscles across his whole lumbar area were very hot and swollen from the infection in the muscle. When he dinally got into the neurosurgeon as the radiologist read the MRI as 2 slipped discs he saw the infection on the MRI. He sent him straight to the hospital for a biopsy and to be admitted. He was on 3 of the strongest IV meds, antibiotic, antifungal and something else 3 times a day in the hosp. then he came home after 5 days with the same IVs 2 limes a day. for 8 weeks. they tested for everything. When it swelled again they removed 50 ccs of pus. I just called two weeks ago and the dr said nothing would grow. No bacteria, no fungis, not TB no nothing. But he was started on another antibiotic and was going on it IV 3 times a day for 8 weeks then an oral antibiotic for 1 year.
His pic line broke and he was on the bathroom floor and there was blood everywhere. Icalled 911 and when the ambulance got here it was not long before life flight landed in a field up the road and took him to herman hospital in houston. He was there 5 days. He has a plumanary embolism. an air bubble that his oxgygen level would not stay up. Life flight was 10,000 dollars for a 15 min ride. That trauma unit at herman wa awesome. There was stuff all over the floor by the time I got there and was able to see him.
They don't stop to hit the trash can they trow the stuff on the floor. He had 2 IV's going giving him fluid and blood. They put in another pic line the last day there. We came home and it broke but he caught it and his blood clotted I wrapped it tight till he could get to the clinic the next morning. in 2 says it broke. I feel he was so frustrated as they would clot and would not flush and had pushed to hard on the syringr and the tubes blew. So they called in a dr to have one placed in his shoulder surgically. They usually keep you over night but they was in a rush to get him back on the antibiotics they sent him home the same day. He complained of a horrible pain in the back of his shoulder. we put Ice on it but 3 days after it was put in he past out in the bathroom and I could not get the door open he was blocking it I called 911 and they did not know where my house was I went outside and ran back in and he was slowly getting up and back on the toilet. I ran back outside to flag them down THEY WERE JUST THERE A WEEK BEFORE. our town is very small if you were driving thru and sneeze you would miss it.
They went in with no equipment I saw Dennis fall backward on the toilet and they put him on the bedroom floor on a sheet. They said it appeared he has a seizure when they were in the bathroom trying to get him out. They were outside for 30 min. working on him in the ambulance then they took off to the hospital in baytown. when we got there and it took us around ten min. I insisted on being with him. I was told they were working on him. I said it again. @ people took us to a small room and one went to check with the dr after I said I wanted to be with him 2 more times. The dr came out and came in the room and talked forever about nothing and then finally said he flat lined and they worked on him 45 min and they could not bring him back.
When we finally stopped screaming they took us in and he still had the tube in his mouth and they never took it out while I was there. We were told they did not know what caused his death. But the medical examiner would not to an autopsy because he had high blood pressure and they called it natural causes. I talked to him on the phone and he said even the paraspinal abcess even though so many cultures never grew anything was natural causes. If I wanted an autopsy I would have to pay 1800.00 for it myself. I did not have the cash to do it and they would not wait for his life insurance of 35000.00 to come like the funeral home did.
I believe he got a blood a blood clot from the Groshaun they put in his shoulder for the IV. because the day before he was totally confused . He thought he was suppose to have 2 IVs hooked up as the pic line had 2 connections and I told him no he had just finished his one. And he would start to go to bed and come back and ask if he should do his IV before he went to bed. I called the dr and they wrote it off as being the vicon and zanax. But the zanax was the smallest dose and he was taking them for a couple weeks. Then the next night he was gone.
I know he was so frustrated with those IVs as they were in pressurized bottles and took 2 hours to empty. That way he could put the bottle in his pocket and go to church or the dr. He was tired of it 2 times a day and they had to be 8 hrs apart. He could not lay down with it for fear he would roll on it and pull it out of his arm. And the new antibiotic was 3 times a day.
I was amazed with all the pain he suffered on the trip without pain meds to round up he would consider going back but you all made him feel special and I want to thank you for that. But that is why I love it here. The unconditional love is so amazing. Jesus brought me here because he knew what the future held and how you all would love me and how I would love all of you. I could not do 1 second at a time without my daves Garden Family.and I mean family.
Thanks for loving me and holding me close. If someone is coming and I can get a ride I am open to coming. I will leave my mind open as I know it would be good for me. I don't go anywhere now except to DS and family and I usually stay 4 or 5 nights because I don't want to come home. But we just could not live together full time as my DGDs are their kids and I see things clearer as I have raised mine and made mistakes and they have to make theirs. Even lovingly he gets offended if I try to tell him where I was so wrong and I am sorry when I was raising him. But atleat he was not beaten black and blue like I was and my brother as a little kid. I did the best I knew how. They are good parents he just loses his temper sometime and he says things he shouldn't to them. But I was far from perfect. I told him he did not come with instructions painted on his heel.
Sorry I stole the thread and have rattled on. I guess I needed to talk. Take care and see you when I get back on line.
Blessings,
Sandy ^8^
Well, Sandy, you really have lived a nightmare and like Sylvia said it's hard for us watch you relive it. It would be such a great release to see you smile and laugh at the RU. You owe it to yourself as part of your healing therapy. Maybe it'll even inspire you to work in your yard. You need these hardy amaryllis to remind you of how tough you are and how strong your faith is.
Josephine, we posted at the same time. But very well said. It is an extremely high price.
And Deb thank you for your kindness and your beautiful flowers. I don't think I met you till now and your kindness is very heartwarming.
Sylvia and Sheila I am blowing a kiss your way.
Sylvia on this side of loss the best thing to say to someone like your friend is anytime she needs a shoulder you would be there for her and the best words are "I love you" In what I can see being on this side is not to tell someone how to get through something I have never been through. I can't move on we must move through no matter how long it takes and how bad it hurts I must move through. If there was a way to go around or over this grief I would have found it. The last place I want to be is walking though it. It is alot of emotions I never knew existed. Like begging God to give him back when I know I would not want him to leave heaven but it is something I must get through be cause I wnat him here so desperately. I can tell you I never knew the full meaning of desperate till now. I desperately want to hear his voice and touch his face. And Never is such a deep and final word. I will never for as long as I live and I am only 51 so we could be talking 40+ years, I will never on this earth again see him, touch him or hear his voice or his input on decisions and things we walked through together.
Edited to say I really do need those amaryllis as they are my most favorite flower along with hibiscus.
This message was edited Feb 24, 2007 11:34 PM
;-Sandy~
You do know me Sandy, we've just never met... We have the same Father. He brought me out into the garden after I lost baby Stephen Michael in '96...and growing things got me through. Since then I have learned so much about love, and the memories only grow sweeter. Hope for what's ahead will always pull me through. Hope has taken up residence inside of me now.
This year has been the best of all, because I am a gardener, and because I have found a lot of great people here at DG who share my passion for growing things. Yesterday I was outside trying to keep my GH from lifting off like a rocket in the wind...lol. I counted about 145 plants I am growing this year. Placed myself in such a position that I have many things to hope ahead for now as much as ever. The Lord was right, this is where I belong..... in the garden.
I added many more Texas Natives and Butterfly larvae host plants this year, making over a dozen now. When I see all that come together it will probably put me right over the top.
You know we are all here for you Sandy.
Love & Big hugs,
Deb
Deb, you are 100% right. The garden is the place to pray and heal. Two weeks before my Dad died on cancer, he had a seizure. The hospice nurse called me at work. By the time I got to his house, she already had him in the bed, but he was asleep and very grey. My 3 brothers and their families were on their way but not there yet. I went out in the back yard and knelt beside a camelia and said a prayer asking that he please hang around until the rest of the family could get there. He died two weeks later with his family at his side.
I'm so glad to see "sickies" like myself posting again. I have been down adn out for a WHOLE MONTH and am now back - at least at the computer. Still have home health care coming to the house and go to the wound center once a week. I'm going to be at the RU on Apr. 28 but because I couldn't take care of any of my garden for so long I won't have anything to share, I'm afraid. With the weather finally warming up and the sun shining maybe SOMETHING will start to grow from this blackened mess I laughingly call a garden. Sure is tough getting old!
Ann
I hear you Ann ... its been about six months for me. I have gone back to work, but I wanted to get in yard so bad I stopped bt HD and bought some garden soil and about ten little 4 inch pots... they are still outside. I have to wait until someone comes and take the soil out the car. :)