Greetings Gardeners!
It's 62 degrees in Baltimore and will be 71 by noon.
The turkey is sitting in the sink, and I'm outside trying to get 1500 bulbs in the ground.
So, I'm conceeding and getting the turkey in the oven, but then I'm back out in this amazing weather!
If all goes well, my thirteen lighted deer and my nativity will be out in the yard by the end of the day, too. I have company at 3:00. Oh dear!
Is anyone else this crazy?
Maybe I'm just soooooo grateful to God to have my little half acre, my growing meditation garden. and this beautiful day taht I have to be outside planting, I guess that the garden is a place where I go to meet God, so why not be a mad gardener on Thanksgiving Day? :)
Blessings to all,
Elf
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving Elf. I was up at 6:00 to get the Turkey into the oven. My company was comming around 12 diner at 1:00. It sure was beautiful today we had the doors open most of the day. Then the cold front started to come in. Got very windy and a lot colder. I still have a few bulbs and some clematis to plant. Ric has been working on the new improved (larger) bed around the lamppost in the front yard. I really wanted to get out there and dig but didn't have the time this morning and after dinner I was a lump. How lucky for you to get some time out in the garden this morning and take advantage of the beautiful weather.
Happy Thanksgiving, Elf!! Wasn't it beautiful here yesterday and today?? You expressed it well.
I spent yesterday morning cleaning a flowerbed area that was pretty wrecked, got a few things moved and an edge of brick put in. Planted three 'Montauk Daisies" from Lowes. ( 50 cents !!!!!!!!! each!!!!) and moved some snowdrops there. This is near where I put in a bunch of pink and blue wood hyacinth Gita gave me, and a patch of mystery daffodils she dug up with them. Also here is the heirloom Iris hart gave me this june, doing well. Today I took two of the empty pots from daisies and put pink hyacinth and crocus (half price Lowes) that I am going to try forcing, for the first time. Added to the compost. Took three bags of leaves from Mom's for my compost. Spread some mulch and stuck in a few last pansies (Lowes 50 cent six pack--do you see a pattern here?) It was glorious, and I still got the turkey cooked and house not too filthy and did not lose my cool about whether the kids were helping or not. What an accomplishment....
I definitely garden for peace of mind. I feel like I'm in control there, although some might say it's totally OUT of my control (weather etc)
Yes Elf, I remember how it feels to be hurried to a frazzle. That is how I used to feel about the holidays. Too much going on and I am the family member who gets to do all the preparation chores and clean up too.
It must have been a year or so ago that I quit feeling guilty about not joining in on some festivities. My parents are dead and so for the time that John and I have been together (14 years) we spend the days at his brother's house since his parents have moved in to a Retirement Village.
I haven't prepared a meal on Thanksgiving for several years now. One of the reasons is that both of my son's have other side of family obligations to attend also. On Tuesday I cooked a turkey with some sides and baked a couple of store bought pies. Wednesday I prepared side dishes to take to bro-in-law.
Yesterday, I sent everyone off to their meals elsewhere and I stayed here and picked up leaves out of yard and fed to compost bin.
John didn't give me too hard a time for not going to brothers,which I appreciated. I was thinking back and realized that I didn't attend the Christmas get together last year or the big 4th of July party that they give either. This started last Christmas when by the time the actual day rolled around, I was too tired to get dressed and car loaded to go anywhere.
So.......This year things for Christmas at least are being cut way back. I started my shopping early and could have gift exchange tomorrow is anyone else wanted to. I am going to just place most things in llarge gift bags and not be worried about wrapping up very much. I am not going to run myself ragged over doing any of the other chores either.
I suppose that I have made a bit of progress because I am not in the mind set of it all being just a big chore, which was my mind set for several years in a row. I am looking forward to the holidays but don't know if I will be traveling for any festivities or not, even if it is only an hour or so drive.
I hope that this isn't too negative and doesn't bring any one else down. I guess that I am just trying to justify wanting to spend the day pretty much alone. Don't mean to be a party pooper, just wanted to also reinforce to myself that I don't have to be the all and the end all.
Happy Holidays every one.
Ruby
No Ruby not negative at all, sounds pretty practical to me. I do the whole Turkey thing at my house every year and love doing it. We always went to my Mom's house and then quite a few years ago we started to switch back and forth. One year at Mom's and one year at my house. Then it started to be just at my house it was just too much work for my Mom and even though she "could" do it she just dreaded having to. Christmas is the same way, we go to my Daughters house. Julie hosted Christmas the first year after they built their new home and it was just sooo nice we have continued to spend Christmas at her house. We are changing our Christmas spending and gift giving practices, too. When I was younger and the children were younger I just thought I had to do everything. We never missed the holiday parade, baked cookies, attended candle light services and Christmas musicals, drove around to see the light displays and shopped till I dropped. Every present had to be individually wrapped and there were piles of presents every where. It was fun and hectic. Now I pick and chose what I want to do and what I don't. Much the same as I have with my life. I do the things I enjoy and don't feel guilty about not doing the things that I don't enjoy. It's nice to have traditions but they shouldn't be a chain around our necks and they are also something that is past down so let the younger crowd carry them on and just sit back watch and enjoy.
back at ya you guys. yesterday it was leaves,leaves and more leaves. today the in-laws are in from pittsburgh, and it's lights,lights and more lights. pics later.
Ruby, I find the older I get, the less I like the big, noisy family dinners where you're too exhausted from cooking and/or traveling to enjoy it.
We had a smaller group at my mom's yesterday and it was very nice. It was warm in Manassas yesterday but sure did get cold fast in the evening. The wind just about blew us back to the valley.
I do understand not being crazy about big group things. My family is really quiet (oh really?) and my kids had a hard time with step family gatherings of big noisy tho loving groups. If I might paraphrase and this in the kind understanding way-- Better to stay home and be thought antisocial than to go and remove all doubt--
We now bow out understandably so we can celebrate with our two moms who otherwise might be home alone on the big days.
Leaves !!! Boy did they come down !!!
Yup. I get it, Ruby.
All I REALLY wanted to do yesterday was play in the garden. It's gets hard to detatch from a family that expects you to move the world to make them a party.
It was so cold. I had a nice visit yesterday with family and friends, but I froze today. It was hard to not think about the time in the garden that I lost yesterday in the beautiful weather. I kept thinking about that post about garden addiction.
I guess that's me.
I did the party anyway, but I really, really wanted the time to myself and to the planting. We spent today digging ditches for the electric for the deer, and to lay the water lines for next summer. We actually got most of the wire run! I'll have five electric posts that come out of the ground at various places in the yard. When I put in the deer for Christmas, I set them so that they look like they are leaving the woods to walk towards the nativity.
It looks really cool. I don't know that another person in the whole world gets it, but if makes me smile. It's so peaceful and beautiful.
Blessings on your garden,
Elf
Elf, your outside decorations sound especially lovely. so I must "get" it. ha-ha
Thanks everyone for understanding. You all put in to words for me some of what I was feeling. I had surgery last week to boot. I suppose that hubby has become so accustomed to that happening this past year, that he expects me to perk right back up and be raring to go "party."
Speaking of leaves.....in order to just be outside on Thursday and enjoy the temperatures, I was looking for things to be done. The yard was littered with a lot of rather large yellow leaves every where. I hate to rake and have found this year that picking up the leaves one by one suits me better. So, here I go walking around with hands full of leaves. I filled the trash bag three times doing it this way. About the time that I looked around and saw that I had made some really good progress and that the yard was almost clear of leaves, a great big 2 or 3 minute wind gust comes along and knocks more leaves off the trees and in to the yard, than was there before I started. ha-ha It is a good thing that I can laugh about it. so, I certainly understand leaves.
I hope that everyone will have a good weekend.
Ruby
Ruby, are you supposed to be doing things like picking up leaves? Even one at a time? Don't make us come over there and get you!!
Thanks for thinking of me Hart. I had a good report when I visited doctor on Tuesday which was six days after surgery. I was healing well and he took the stitches out. I guess that I didn't give it a second thought because it didn't hurt.
You would be proud of the way that I spent most of yesterday. I spent the day lounging in front of tv and napping whenever I wanted to. I did get up occasionally to get snacks and drinks. That is probably how I should have been spending most days, but really haven't slowed down too much despite surgery. I am not certain, but this might have been the last reonsturction surgery. There are a few more things to be done, but I don't think think they will require general anesthesia. I may be wrong and will find out in about three weeks when I go back to doctor.
Today I plan to go and see grand baby, Emily. I will hold her but not pick her up. Now, if their dog Buster doesn't greet me with his front paws to my chest, I will do okay.
I hope that you and yours are doing well. Thank you for thinking of me honey.
Ruby