For those of you not interested in the Superbowl...there is a Puppy Bowl on the Animal Channel that just started here in New England @ 3pm! Very cute puppies! :-)

The plans for today got rewritten late last night. Yesterday afternoon as the musicians were rehearsing for today's services, they heard a loud cracking noise and thought that the windows were being blown out. It turned out to be much worse - one of the large, arching beams over the center of the sanctuary was splitting in two along its length.

Everyone is stumped as to why this has happened, but in the meantime the main portion of the church has been closed off. The chili fest and youth auction were canceled, and the services were held in the very crowded gym, which is in a separate section of the building.

Out there on the edges of my brain is that fact that my son's wedding is booked in the church 16 months from now. It sounds like a long time away, but if the permanent repairs should get bogged down in issues such as whether this was a construction flaw (the building is only 23 years old) it could take years to resolve. We had a problem with bad stain on our house which took two and a half years to resolve, and that was a repair that only cost a few thousand. This issue I'm sure will be much more expensive to repair.

Send good thoughts our way.

Woody, I'm so sorry to hear that your health issues are resurfacing. You'll be in my thoughts also.

Honey, best to Tom. It sounds like a few pieces may be falling into place. Missy is doll!

Mary, I'm concerned about the direction your miniature making is taking. You know what I mean...

Ei, my DS has asked me several times for some of my stand-by recipes, so I figured the cookbook would be a welcome gift. I would say you might want to play it by ear - see if your DDIL seems to really appreciate your cooking or if she seems to feel nervous that she can't compare. I don't think I'm saying that quite right, but I think you get the idea.

There's a flicker on the outside wall of the house behind me. I keep trying to get a photo when he's hear the windows, but he moves too darned fast. Mystic the Mouse Hunter is convinced that there is a very large rodent hiding behind something in the house.

Off to improvise some baking in the kitchen. Yeah, I know that "improv" and baking don;t really go together. Wish me luck!

V.

This is one very pooped gramma. Kenzie spent the night and just went home. She is a very busy girl.

I just wanted to pop in and tell Woody that my thoughts are with you. I'm sorry to hear that you are faced with more health issues.

Mary, I'm not sure how you created the ladybug, but its adorable. Your beading is fabulous as well.

Deanne, your pictures are a delight. When Kenzie was here I was trying to teach her the different kinds of birds. She picked them up easily.

The picture of little Reed and mamma exudes love.

Ei, your set table looks wonderful. I like the candles in the dish.

I need to clean up the house a bit. Many things from the kitchen are scattered about from the floor install and Kenzie does seem to create a bit of havoc herself.

Later
Michelle

Just back from puppy visitation. What a fun time we had too. We now know that a female puppy will be ours in two weeks, but which one we won't be told until that very day. The tension is driving me crazy. We do have a favorite, but will be delighted with whichever.
DH was a hoot on the way home, saying that the woman in charge was like a wicked MIL! I have to agree. She bossed her poor husband mercilessly and more...
Anyway, here are a few photos from today. It was hard taking them because there were about 4 different cameras going all the time!

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Another photo that makes my heart go pitter patter: minus 4F.

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Quick flyby to comment before I entirely lose the knack. First, to Woody, positive thoughts to you as you sort out the medical issues. I love the idea of dogs having "play dates," just like the kids these days. I fear we've missed the socialization window with our Ein, feisty tyrant that he is.

Honey, sounds like some good leads employmentwise. What a nuisance to go through, but that can-do attitude has got to get some results soon.

Didn't know Groundhog Day had achieved such celebrity, with tours and such. Bill Murray is a treasure, pure genius in The Life Aquatic as a Jacques Cousteau doppelganger. Terrible about the church. It would seem that such an essential part of people's lives would not be prey to lengthy lawsuits and bickering, so let's hope all will be well for the wedding.

The beadwork and crafts are delightful, if the miniature a tad Sweeny-Toddish, lol. Iris will adore the ladybug. I love that name, Iris, and don't hear it much anymore. I've added Dr. Who to the Netflix queue -- had no idea it's the longest tv show in the world. In fact, had never heard of it at all, but a sleepover guest had and gave it a thumb's up this morning. Wikipedia lists Douglas Adams of Hitchiker's Guide as an early writer, and Paul McGann was the "Doctor" in '96. Nuff said for me.

No soup here either but had a dinner party last night, seafood linguini with scallops, shrimp and lobster from our local lobbie connection, swordfish, bruschetta and olives. Seasonal denial, or West Coast version of Deanne's "thumb" party coming up. Had some lovely white wines, a Honig sauvignon blanc from Kathy's Napa Valley and a Spanish one whose name I forget.

Kathy, so the 16th is the multiple listing date. How exciting!

Ei, I took notes on your table's creation. What cleverness.

Deanne, that first bird photo is a standout even among your always first-rate photography.

Michelle, if you can ever get Kenzie to stand still for a moment, I think we're overdue for a photo. There's no kind of fatigue that matches that of caring for the under-five crowd. You grandmoms that do it all day are giving your families an inestimable gift, IMO.
PM2 your pond is lovely, and you say you've lived near it your whole life. How wonderful to become thoroughly acquainted with a landscape such as that, like your own Walden Pond.

Has the name been chosen, 'bug? So the final choice will not be up to you but to the wicked MIL? That last photo does get the heart thumpin'. That's gotta be the coziest place for Reed to be, literally next to his dad's heart.

My dad's health seems to be in free fall, and my mom is betting on him rallying for the Medit. cruise this spring, which I'm pretty sure she views as the last time we will all travel together. Here's a picture of health, my Aunt Rose on her 80th birthday, which I wrote about a few threads ago. The photos were not on the card but saved to the camera's hard drive, so it took some digging. I didn't know digital cameras could be set to NOT store to the card, but my dad managed to do it. Imagine her standing in that red dress, all 6 feet of her. And believe it or don't, but she and her sisters' hair does not gray!

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Happy Sunday everyoneI have put away the painting supplies for the time being at least for a few more days. My painting clothes are becoming more and more Jackson Pollock like . Our weather remains unsettled. Rain may be here the middle of the week,and as is the pattern this winter it will be cold(insert wimpy Calif girl disclaimer) when it isnt raining. Im hoping it will be dry next weekend so I can finish my garden clean-up, though as the days get longer I may have an hour here or there after work to do some of those tasks.

Woody, I wish you strength and victory on the health front. Hope you can drop in to say hi from time to time.

Well Mary, I can see Im going to have to do some research on needle felting as I have no concept of how its done. You obviously have some good hand-eye coordination going on..

Honey, your DH seems to have quite a few irons in the fire ! I hope one pans out for him.
Geese: one thing I will miss is the frequent fly-over of geese that I have here because of my proximity to the Napa River. I love seeing the formation and hearing the wings and calls.

Wow V, that cracking timber in the church sounds scary. I imagine there will be some finger pointing while everyone tries to figure out who has the ultimate liability. Sounds like an engineering issue.

Aw shucks Marie, those puppies are just so cute ! So do we have a name now that the gender has been determined ?

I saw Rosalind Russell sitting in the red dress , Denise. Infused with the Auntie Mame vibe. Your dinner party menu sounds pretty good to me, saddled as I am with frozen leftovers as I continue to be a slave to home improvements I could eat shrimp and swordfish all day. Dungeness crab has been disappointingly expensive this winter.

So, as I had my evening glass of wine I did a little Idyll research. The link to the first Idyll didnt work, but below is the link to Idyll # 2 . Saucy posted the first Idyll in 2003 , and Chelone morphed Idle into Idyll a few threads after. I was interested to see the lengthy posts from jain who seems to live in my immediate area. I dont think she has posted since Ive been here.

Enjoy Kathy in Napa

Our weather has warmed quite a bit and we now have fog and lots of hoar frost. Our drive to town goes down a 3 mile stretch of highway known as deer alley. They were thick tonight. It is very common to see herds of 25 - 50 along that stretch.

'bug, do I understand that you don't pick your puppy, but are assigned one? How does that work?

Kathy, the Idyll link was interesting. I wasn't around in the beginning. I joined in 2004 after seeing pictures of the Idyllunion and seeing what fun they all looked to be having. In 2006 DH and I went to IU3 and met many of those that hang out here these days.

I hope I look as good as Aunt Rose when I'm 80 :o)

Reed looks adorable peeking.

Goodnight
Michelle

Not a drop of snow in the yard. I don't see any in the forecast either. Wishing for enough to cover the garden up again.

Ei....Thanks for the directions for that table. I never would have guessed you had hand painted it yourself. You did a great job and it is very unique! As for the minestrone soup, gee, no, I haven't used escarole before, but it is a great idea. I usually add kale. How is Scouty btw? I remember photos you posted of him before and what a beautiful dog he is.

Mary....your handwork is so pretty! Love the colors you put together. It looks like it must be very soothing to do. The minatures on the other hand, look so small, I think I would find that my dexterity is not what it used to be. [g] I got a good chuckle from your lady bug...lol. You did that in one night? Very cute. I also love your primrose! Very cheerful this time of year.

Honey, I never did hear the story of why your husband was out of work, but I am very happy for you that he has some possible opportunities opening up. I hope he can choose the one he prefers. :-) Love Missy's puppy pic! She was such a bundle of fur! I have also read stories about golf courses hiring to keep the geese off the course. I imagine you would have to find someone to train her for the herding? It will certainly not be dull at your house. [g]

I missed that special on parrots. We enjoy that type of show, I will have to see if it is coming on again.

V. ...sorry to hear about your church. I wouldn't be surprised if the insurance will try to speed things up since it isn't safe to use the building until it is fixed.

Gardenbug...well...puppy pics at last! It always amazes me how quickly puppies grow. They look twice as big as last pics. I love the one that is third from the bottom. Very surprising that they don't allow you to choose your own puppy. I've never heard it done that way. I hope you get the one you want. That is the sweetest pic of Reed with Mikhail. :-)

The pond pics....glad you all liked them. :-) Michelle, we moved a lot when I was young and my DH never moved once, so when we got married, we just never moved again, [g]...and yes, it is very comforting to live with the same landscaping for so long. I visited there with friends when I was in high school, then we took our kids and dogs there when they were small and now that the kids are grown, the two of us are still walking there. It is not the most amazing scenery, but it is a little slice of nature five minutes from the house. Someone asked, if it was a lake...it is a medium size pond.

MIchelle....glad you dug out that photo of your Aunt Rose. That is one really amazing looking lady at 80! All the more so, because everyone in our family grays early. Cousins who were turning gray in their late 20s. I agree with Kathy, a definite Auntie Mame vibe. lol Thanks for digging out the photo. I am sorry to hear that your Dad is not feeling well. I hope you all will make your trip in the spring.

Two weeks and Gardenbug will have her new puppy, Kathy will have her house officially listed and our daughter who is away on vacation will be home. She just left yesterday and I am missing her already.

Have a good Monday...
:-)
pm2

Mary...I forgot to mention that no, have never watched Dr Who. I had heard the name, but I didn't realize it was around so long. I am going to have to look for it. My DH was the sci-fi fan when we met and I had never watched sci-fi before that. We had just started dating when the Star Wars Trilogy and '2001' came out, so that was my introduction. I do enjoy it. :-)

Good Morning all....

Kathy, I so enjoyed that link. I spent about an hour reading , and recognized all the names except Audrey in Kansas. What became of her? I became a member of GW in May of 2003, but it was several months later before I posted on the Idylls. It may have not been until 2004...I can't remember. Where did you find that one? I tried to do that but didn't come up with much.
I was posting on a lot of the other off topic forums, but soon lost interest in them.

We have returned to much above average temps again. It was in the 50s when I went to bed, and around 60 (!) when I got up this morning. Rain is predicted for later today, and tomorrow, with increasingly stormy weather and dropping temps by Wednesday. It sounds as though winter will return with a vengeance. Is is not unusual for us to have our coldest weather in Feb., including below zeros.

In reading the early Idyll thread I noticed the reports on emerging bulb foliage. Ours is already pecking out...crocus, daffodils, grape hyacinth,and some perennials.I hope the more tender ones will be snow covered when/if we get 0 or below! I usually do a lot of cleaning up of beds in February. I expect I will feel as sore as Sue did in March of 2003! I wish I knew a young willing able-bodied soul who could help me. There are 4 teenage cousins in the neighborhood, but I doubt if they would be interested....they have their 'own snakes to kill' LOL.

Hey, Denise...if the good Lord lets me stay here until I am 80, and if I am mentally and physically able, I think I will have my pic taken in a red dress and heels! :-)
I won't be nearly as striking as your aunt. I am only about 5' tall ! But, so far, I still have all my own hair color,

Pm2, there is nothing wrong with the size of your pond pics. You didn't need to downsize. The pond is lovely,( and those are great pics). How fortunate you are to have access to it.

Kathy, crowder peas are of the same species as black-eyes, but as the name suggests, the peas are crowded in the pod making them shaped differantly. Some call all of those species of peas 'cow peas', or 'field peas', or even 'southern peas'. I tend to call them all 'field peas'. When I first moved back here, most of the people I knew just called them 'peas'. To me, that means green peas. Another species is 'yard-long' or 'asparagus' pea. It has very long slender pods, and small peas. I have grown them, too.

Re: Progresso Soups. I buy them. I usually get the lower sodium ones.

Saucy, I was confusing Purple Hull peas with Crowders, which thay are not. They are Black-eyes. I find plenty of black-eyed peas in our local stores, both dry and canned.

Mary, I have a red beaded nacklace that slightly resembles your black one. I cannot remember where I got it, but I don't think it was given to me....probably from a yard sale? or auction. I love your ladybug. You have to be very adept with your hands to make such things. I am much too clumsy...:-(
Do you have a china closet that you keep your miniatures in?

Honey, that is wonderful news about the job prospects for your DH. It must be helping your moral considerably. I am glad we are well past that worry!

V, What a scare that must have been with the cracking beam in the church building. Sure good that it didn't fall and injure anyone. Could it have been cause by a tremor?

All the puppies are cute...too bad they grow up to be dogs! LOL
I love the pic of Marie's SIL and peeking baby. :-)

Nolon sighted 'our' turkeys again yesterday. I wish they were as bold as jain's ( in the old Idyll thread). I was amused with the thought of them flying over her. I had that happen here. A whole flock went over me, and our house, while I was out in the front yard, a few years ago. Quite a sight! I wish her picture was still available.
We are more apt to hear them than see them.

In about two more weeks the red maples and elm trees should start blooming in the Harrison area. Then ours...a week or so later. But who knows what this year will bring?

Marian

Woody -- Im so sorry you've had to start the year off w/ re-emerging major health issues -- know we are thinking of you - I hope you or 'bug can keep us up to date from time to time -- I love seeing you pop in -- I will hope that this latest bout gets solved quickly and smoothly for you -- you are one durned brave, determined, positive person. Keep it that way.

Mary -- incredible talent -- you are definitely becoming a mini mini mini *meee..... I love bling but am not talented enough to make -- only buy! You definitely could make a living at either of those most recently acquired skills. Love 'em all.

Denise - thanks for sharing that wonder at 80 -- yep, I would love to look like that any day of the week at any age - wow - amazing, really 80??? I hope your Dad's health plateaus so you are all able to make the vacation together - it is painful to watch though isnt it?

O, count me in as a diehard SciFi fan - yes, I've watched all the Dr. Who's and watch the most currentt one pretty faithfully - even the spinoff "Torchwood" which is on BBC America.... Im so weird I guess I like weird things....

V -- boy, that is one scary thing re the church -- engineering structural problem? eeek -- can only imagine the fall-out over all this -- the least of which, not being your own personal dilemma... unless you like the gym as a possible alternate site for the son's wedding, you may have to start thinking of other possible's....

'bug - love those pup photos - I too am amazed that you dont get to pick the pup you want.... having gone thru the breeder route w/ my latest pick, I was astonished how controlling some of the breeders make it -- man, it's like applying for some ivy league college or fancy private club -- amazing what lengths they make you go thru. I hope you get your favorite!

Thanks, Honey, for the info; still gathering intelligence -- and trying not to strangle the insurance adjuster or panic. We're still "inspecting" w/ a bunch of different folks involved. Sounds like DH has some great prospects -- I will cross my fingers that something pops really quickly for him.

I actually got a lot accomplished yesterday w/ some real cleaning and more sorting; even managed a run to the grocery store. Now, it's back to it being Monday and rushing here....

Hope the week goes quickly and painlessly for all of us!

-Cindy

I just want you all to know, I am not ignoring Susan's ( Woody) report on her medical condition. She and I have covered that in e-mails. My prayers are definitely for her.
I agree with what Cindy said, "you are one durned brave, determined, positive person".
Susan,do keep us updated.

Marian

Good Afternoon Idylls!

I've been nodding my head in an animated "yes", as I've been reading along...

I agree; Woody is an amazing, strong, & determined spirit and my positive thoughts are with her too!

I agree Cindy, in fact I was thinking *exactly* the same thing...Mary is an amazingly talented woman. I admire all her skills & talents...and she is blessed with many.

Denisez...your mother is stunning and what a lucky girl you are to have such wonderful genes passed down to you. I *wish* my hair didn't have any gray. :-) But, I guess I should be grateful... Other than the graying hair, I was given wonderfully healthy peasant genes :-) Went today for my 5 point check and lube job. My adorable (unfortunately) "30 something" physician performed an ekg and tells me I have the heart of a champion racehorse...is that good? LOL! Got my blood work done, a tetanus shot, antibiotics for my sinuses and go back on Friday for a bone density test....I wonder if I should be studying up for that one? :-) He tells me I'm due for my first colonoscopy. When he announced that I yelled out "WHOO HOO"...I guess he wasn't expecting that...well at least I got him to laugh. :-) I don't know how I'll get through it. I'm not worried about the colonoscopy itself, it's the fluids you have to drink. I'm a sipper, not a gulper...I *cannot* drink a lot or quickly and I hear you have to drink *A* *LOT* and it tastes awful. I really am worried how I'll be able to do that.

Loved hearing about the anticipated nature changes Marian...very soothing and comforting to think of life progressing as it should...don't think we'll see any blooming maples here for several months. BTW, what video did you end up watching? I went to my friends superbowl, but left at halftime as my sinuses were just killing me. I'm so glad I left when I did because we had more snow and it was a true white out. I was scared stiff driving home and couldn't see more than 10 feet in front of me. I nearly cried with relief when I got home. But this morning, I'm feeling kind of good about it...I'm proud of myself that I made it home safely and didn't have a melt down! :-) I'm a chicken driver. LOL about the puppies turning into dogs Marian! :-) Well, I love puppies *and* dogs...heck I love any and all furry creatures. :-) Except for trantulas! :-)

Honey...that Missy is about the most "cuddle me" bundle of fur I've ever seen and she's a beauty as an adult too!:-)
If I were there when she was lying there like in the pic, there would be no way I could resist picking her up and shoving her little head in the crook of my neck and burying my face in her fur.

I see GB's just full of cute pictures too! :-) I'd even love snuggling Reed, although I'm certain he has no fur...LOL!

V - how neat that your DS *asked* for recipes...I'm afraid no one has asked me from the newly wed front. Guess that is why I'm uncertain if DDIL would even want a family cookbook. But maybe I'll order an extra one anyway and if she ever asks for a recipe then I can hand her the book! :-) Scary story about church...so glad no one was injured.

Thanks for asking about Scout PM2. He is doing *okay*, but has lots of health issues, the poor sweety. He *is* the joy of my life (well, at least in the top three...I suppose I can't forget hubby and of course I wouldn't forgot DS)! I've been reminiscing and reminding myself of *all* the reasons why I love Scout so much and there are many. Hope you guys don't mind me rambling a bit, but I've been wanting to put some of it down in words. Some of the things I love about Scout: Ever since he was a wee puppy...he has always been very polite and thoughtful. For instance, in the morning, if I'm slow to rise and he is hungry he'll come to my side of the bed and in a very low whisper he'll clear his throat "eeeh, eehh"; he'll say..."eeh, ehhh", but *never* would he bark...that would be rude...LOL! When he clears his throat like that I imagine he is saying...."Pssst...pardon me, I don't mean to disturb, but I do believe it is past my 6:00 am feeding time". If he doesn't get a rise out of me, he'll clear his throat again. I tell you it's the cutest thing and always makes me smile (which is a great way to wake up in the morning)!
He has the most endearing personality (at least to me, anyway). The other day my DS & DDIL were over with their new puppy. Scout was less than entranced. In his old age he has no desire to be with puppies. She kept on trying to get to him and he was standing next to me...looking up at me like "Please mom, can't you get rid of her?" I looked at Scout and said, "Well Scout...you *have* to admit, she *is* awfully cute!" I am not lying...Scout curled his lip up to the side and went "grrrrrr" and gave me the most perturbed look! Everybody cracked up! Now you might believe the timing was merely coincidental, but I like to think that Scout knew *exactly* what I was saying and let me know exactly what he thought...LOL!

Poor Paul...he just called me and apparently his flight was canceled (snow and fog) and so now he is to be flown to Colorado, where he'll make a connecting flight to Chicago (if all goes as it should), but now he won't be home until after midnight. Poor guy...I hate waiting in the airports.

Well, I guess I best be going. I think I'll throw something in the crockpot that I can keep warm and maybe Paul will want to eat some of it when he gets home.

Mary I *love* your little lady bug and would love to make something like that. What exactly is felting and needling? Do you think someone who has never sewn (except hems) and who doesn't remember how to knit, could do something like that? I'd love to learn how! Anyway, as far as victorian jewelry is concerned, lavaliere can be spelled two ways, that I know of; lavalier and lavaliere. I added a link to a neat antique jewelry website that I think you would enjoy perusing. Lots of things that may give you some ideas (not that you need any) and I'm sure you could come up with all kinds of wonderful things to make for yourself. BTW, sorry, I didn't realize that your one piece was a bracelet, not a choker. It's *very* lovely. I have to read more carefully! I just have a few lavalieres and mine are mostly the very tiny & delicate kind, and not truly the kind I was thinking of when I saw your necklace:

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This necklace is only about 1&1/2 inches long from bail to pearl end and the diamond is really not much more than a chip...but I love the dainty look and intricate design of this kind of jewelry.

Your necklace reminds me more of this kind of lavaliere...which I *also* love. I have one sterling one similiar to this one. But this one is not mine, though I wish it were! :-)

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Okay...I better be off. My arm is *aching*! I had to hurry and snowblow and shovel out my neighbor's across the street this afternoon, as they are elderly and he needed to get to his doc and was afraid he wouldn't be able to get out. After I did his, I did mine. I didn't remember until just now when my arm started aching me that the doc told me not to do anything strenous with the arm, cause it would cause it to ache, due to the tetanus shot. What a dope I am. Oh well, I'm sure it will go away....

Hope you all have a wonderful evening and "Hi to any and all I missed!"

Ei

I think I could fill an idyll of my own with tales of our winter weather. Yesterday, our Super Bowl surprise was over 3 inches of snow (on top of the 5 or 6 we had from Thursday/ Friday). Today, we had rain with a little thunder and lightning thrown in for good measure. The first lightning flash was one of those "was that just me or did you see a flash" events. Once the rain ended, the serious fog settled in. And now we have heavy snow predicted for tomorrow night. I just can't imagine what the roads will be like! I've already had an event canceled for Tuesday.

I'm not sure if it's a sign of age or if I'm just getting worn down by this winter, but the weather-related cancellations are such a relief!

I loved Aunt Rose's photo. Are you sure there's no gray, or you just can't see the top of her 6' tall head? ;)

Enjoying all the posts, but DH has now sent me on a quest to buy some red twig dogwoods. Later!

V.

Thanks for the supportive thoughts. I'm not feeling particularly brave or positive at the moment; just very nervous! I was feeling in need of a pick-me-up activity today so we trotted off this afternoon to the Royal Botanical Gardens to meet Hercules!

Hercules is a rare bit of botanical wonder. Perhaps youve heard of him and his relatives theyve been popular in the press the past few years.

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Hercules is a 7 year old from study stock:

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Hes a handsome thing:

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A closer view:

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Apparently they are easy to propagate by either seeds or cuttings so they should soon be more readily available for commercial sale. I doubt that they will turn out to be hardy in this sort of climate though. I assume part of the purpose of distributing them to botanical gardens around the world is to test how they do in various climates and growing conditions.

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There must have been a stained glass workshop at RBG recently because there was lots of glass things in various places. I liked this one in the bulb room:

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The big jades were blooming nicely too. Heres Barb with one of them so you can see how big and impressive the jade plant was:

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Salutations..we had a dry Monday , but did see the sun for a change. Rain was forecast for the rest of this week off and on, but it looks like that wont be happening. Maybe Ill be able to get out next weekend and pour some mulch on top of the weeds. The smothering tactic is about all that works when the ground is as soggy as it is right now.

Marian, glad you enjoyed Idyll 2, I came across it in a very convoluted manner ;I was trying to find some info from one of the rose forums from the olden days . Im not even quite sure how I got there ! Anyway, the 1st Idyll was there too, but the link did not work and it wouldnt open. If I find it again Ill try it again. Thanks for the explanation on the crowder peas. I have heard the terms cow peas and field peas before. It would be fun to invent a crowder pea chili... Maybe you already have. You are having warmer temps that we are right now ! Have not seen 60 around here for a while, but may do so late this week.

Ei, I really enjoyed your tribute to Scout and his winning ways. He must have had excellent human-parental influence in his youth ! Good for you with those hardy peasant genes ! We should all be so lucky . No doubt this is the strength of character that got you home at halftime in the white-out. Though we dont have those types of events here, we do have fog , which can be quite thick in the late fall and winter, and no fun to drive in.

Michelle , what exactly is hoar frost ?

Cindy, sorting and cleaning is step one on the road to pack-rat freedom. I continue to be astonished at the crapola I have been lugging around for multiple moves. I went to Staples and bought the cheapest pak of bankers boxes they had and I have them labeled with each kid and one for my late DH -old school photos, diplomas, etc. Already gave DD her box when she was here for Thanksgiving. I decided they each get one box, so I have edited and tossed plenty of stuff, trying to keep things that will be interesting for them to look at in the future.

V, thinking that Midwest-Chicagoland type weather must be really character building, and that is its reason for being.

So where is Chelone ? Trapped with a bucket of primer in the Salon ?

Thats all for me..

Oooh, refreshed and there were Woodys photos ! The foliage on the Wollemi pine is very similar to that of the coast redwood. Ive seen an article on that pine somewhere recently FG maybe ? Jade Trees will grow here outdoors in a protected area-where I grew up in Los Angeles they were often used as foundation shrubs . I hope activities like this will help you along your path , wherever it leads.

Kathy in Napa

Oh my, Susan! I wish my jade plants looked like that. How I wish I had a greenhouse. That pine is a beauty. I wonder how hardy they think it is. A you know, I love to grow the unusual...espacially any tree that was once considered extinct. I would sure like to visit a Botanical garden. There is none close to here.
(((( Susan)))) ...those are for you ...to help give you strength.

Ei, we didn't end up watching any video.Nolon has lost interest in watching any lengthy movie. I have taken to reading, and am working on another old book that I've had for some time and never read. It is "The Story of the Irish Race" by Seumas MacManus. It has over 700 pages, and I have only gotten to page 99 after several days of reading off and on. It is very tedious, and I am hoping it gets more interesting as it goes along. The names of the ancient Irish are very hard to read and try to pronounce. I have came to the age after St. Patrick arrived there and changed the entire history of the Irish.
I think I have some Irish blood, and Nolon is half Irish, so I thought a history of the race would be interesting.
Wow, I'm so glad you got home safe from the friends house. I know what you mean about being "scared stiff" because of the white out. I would have been petrified! ( LOL, I guess that would be the same as " stiff"! ) I also know what you mean about feeling proud of your accomplishment. I feel the same way when I do something really challenging.
LOL, about Scout's wisdom. We think the same about our Tommy, even more so than Trubby. He seems to understand what we say. It's too bad our pets have so much shorter lifespan than we have.
LOL about your response to the Doctor saying you need a colonoscopy. I like a doctor that I can feel comfortable expressing myself to. The one I have now is that kind. She seems quite amused at me. ( Probably thinks I am a strange old lady...lol.) You are right, drinking the 'stuff' is the hardest part. Will this be your first bone density test too? I have had 2 of them. It is a 'piece of cake'.

I am concerned about the predicted incoming weather. I need to go to town tomorrow, but the prediction is for 100% chance of severe weather, starting tonight and getting worse as the day comes on. Heavy rains, hail, and even small tornados are possible.I'd rather be at home, but do need things from town....for myself, for Nolon, and for the cats!

Is it my imagination, or was this a slow day for posting? So many haven't been heard from, espacially those who usually post early.

I am hoping I get an answer about Audrey ??

Marian

You were posting the same time as I. Thanks for the ans to my question. No, I haven't tried crowder chili, or any other field peas in chili. Out temp today got up to 68. I haven't needed heat since day before yesterday. The high Wednesday is to be in the 30s !

I've never been able to get a jade plant to bloom. They all have lush blooms at the nursery though. Hmmm. Woody, I'm glad you picked a decent day for your excursion with Barb! Right now it is raining heavily here though. Never know what the day will bring.

Today I went out and bought puppy chew toys and soft toys. Also a water bowl that attaches to the wire framed pen. Then I went and bought Nana type gift toys for DH to take with him when he visits DD toward the end of February.

Tomorrow evening we have a very big Gravel Watch gathering. The head of the Green Party is speaking to us in a fairly nearby town.

DD has been sharing the difficulties involved with constant interference from an angry ex-wife in pain. It is tedious predictable stuff which is harmful to Skyler's development I feel. They do an amazing job though of providing the kind of atmosphere that will help him thrive. I'm glad she shares with me. I'm certain I wouldn't have as my relationship with my Mom was quite different.

I miss Chelone's input also and hope all is well on the pet/work/salon/reading front.

Ta-ta,
'bug

Ei, Rick had pills that he took before his colonoscopy, but I believe a fair amount of water went with them.

V, I think our weather tracks right over to you. We had snow this morning. An accident that closed the south lanes of the expressway caused a detour this a.m. We only got about 2" of the promised 4.

Woody, thanks for taking us along to the RBG. I like the iris stained glass and the frame they have for it. I have done several iris'. One is a stained glass stepping stone. I'm not sure what the blue birds are but I've always thought that I should make a couple of pink flamingos for my tropical area. I just never seem to find the time.

Kathy, hoar frost is white ice crystals that form on everything. It seems to especially happen when you have fog. Great scientific explaination huh? Here's a photo of early in January. Notice how the trees are all white, its not snow but frost that clings to each branch. You can see that the shrubs in the foregound have it mostly on one side. It tends to do that if there is a breeze. I enjoy driving to work when it looks this way. All the fencelines, grasses in the ditch and electric lines are coated.
{{gwi:147691}}

Michelle

Shrove Tuesday. What do pancakes have to do with this? Seems every church has pancake breakfasts in our area.... OK, Google to the rescue. Milk, eggs and butter are fatty foods and therefore gobbled down just prior to Lent. I see!

Misty day today. I am searching for a smallish crate for bringing home puppy. Ours is a giant one, too big for her now and besides, I want one for upstairs near the computer while she is small. I'm too cheap to buy one for only a short time though. I've got requests out with various doggie friends. Today her name is Phoebe. Will it stick?

DH wants pancakes now...
Later!
'bug

Phoebe. Well, that brought me back, Holden's sister in Catcher in the Rye.

The hoar frost photo is exquisite.

The only bling I wear is a thumb drive/flash drive, on a halyard around my neck, to back up work off the laptop before I leave the conf. room. Just got a new one from Apple, 2 GB, that Mitch keeps reminding me looks like a suppository of some sort, insolent youth. He's been back from NYC for about a week, now building up the color side of his "book" to show photo agencies. Black & white is not happening at the moment, apparently.

I hope you make it to town okay, Marian, to "lay in some supplies." That phrase sounds so Old West, doesn't it? I'm enjoying your bean dissertation. Beans are the best. Have your read "How the Irish Saved Civilization" by Cahill? It is much shorter and might keep you from abandoning the subject entirely, then you could get back to that longish one refreshed.

V, jeez, do you have to hog the infinite variety of weather to yourself? We did get more rain Sunday, and this year's quota puts us definitely out of the drought, thankfully. We do rain and wind, then blue sky and clouds. The stars have been so clear with the air purged by the rain that I nearly dragged out the telescope at 4:30 a.m. rather than head to the computer. Almost but duty calls.

Thanks for sharing the outing with Hercules, Woody. I love the idyll field trips. Whenever I get nervous over impending stuff, I hit books hard. A book I really liked was The Professor and the Madman, about early contributors to the Oxford dictionary, really absorbing. The audiobook is very good.

Finally Super Tuesday here in Calif. Just might do a news blackout today.

Phoebe is in astronomy too, 14th moon of Saturn. That makes her shiny and brilliant. Also a version of Diana, the huntress. And much more. A fond friend of my Mom's who was Chinese and taught art history with her, etc etc...

Bling? Very very seldom here. Though some may recall a gingko necklace I purchased at an early Idyllunion. Also green toenail polish (a one time thing) that would have matched Mary's lime green attire. But I don't even wear a wedding ring.

DS & the lovely Yvonne (and Sunny) are no longer speaking. They have both written me one liners to this affect. So sorry, but better now than later I guess.

Hoping the ice melts in the drive so I can get out and accomplish a few things.

Pancakes were good, with fresh blueberries. I'm stuffed.
'bug

I suppose Ganymede won't do, lol.

That's too bad about the couple. I really liked them in the photos! Mitch had an enormous fight, permanent rupture, with the ex-girlfriend he briefly reunited with in NYC. Instinctively, I go neutral but notice that I have an underlying sympathy for the girl. When Mitch tells the story, I play devil's advocate, e.g., "Maybe what you call irrational behavior is due to insecurity about the relationship. Ever think of that?" You just can't know from the outside the synergy between a couple, IMO. And just might be TMI from kids sometimes, lol. Except between a daughter and a mom, of course!

Too funny! I tend to sympathize with the girl too. DS is 36, and there have been many lovely ladies along the way.(and one pill). He's a tough number for longer than 10 minutes. I love him dearly though!

Ten year old Phoebe had red hair. Puppy will NOT!

Ganymede is not a good call name. Phoebe is excellent.

Marian....on my posted pics...I just happened to notice the amount of KBs on the larger size and remembered that a smaller size was recommended for threads, because the larger size files [not the dimensions] slow down opening the thread for people who don't have high speed access. That was the reason I downsized the pics. Wow, that your trees will be budding up soon and bulbs are emerging. We are at least a month away from any bulb foliage emerging, I think. You certainly have a short winter!

Ei....Hope DH got home on time last night and that the streets are more passable for you today. White out conditions are very difficult to drive in. Legitimate worry to be on the roads with dangerous conditions. So many things can happen whether you are a good driver or not. We try to stay off the streets in bad weather, but sometimes you get stuck. When my Mom was alive, in the winter, when she would visit, she would keep checking the time and the weather to leave before she would get into a problem driving home. [g] Sorry to hear that Scout has health issues. How old is he? I loved your stories of him. I was always touched by that aspect of pets too, that they seem to be able to communicate with humans so well. :-)

Woody! What a surprise to see your post with pics of the RBGardens no less! Didn't know the Jade Plant would get that huge and blossom! Such a wonderful approach to dealing with stress, to distract yourself and have a chance to be with friends/family and around growing plants. I find all things green very calming. :-)

For gardenbug too....who was asking the question, what am I doing to try to stay calm inside and out, which is my new year's resolution. Taking things one step at a time and not getting too far ahead always helps me. I can stay focused if I concentrate on what I can do about something. I also find trying to stick to my usual schedule as much as possible also has the effect of making me feel more centered. Right now, I am observing what helps and trying to learn something new. [g] Just making the goal of staying calm has been very effective in helping me to remember it when under stress. I have been surprised that I have already had a few stressful situations and almost every time, I have thought in the middle of it, to try to see how I can stay calm and focused. So far it is a very interesting experiment. I am not expecting myself to be any calmer at this point, although I think I have been a little, but I am trying to be more aware of what triggers my stress and what escalates it and see what I can do to reduce it. It should be an interesting year. [g] I am sure you all have some favorite approaches you could share?

Gardenbug...it must make you feel like you have overcome something to now have a 'sharing' relationship with your daughter. The things that seem to have become the most important to me and that I work the hardest at, are the things I missed out on at some point in my life. So that seems to be the silver lining in some of the hard things we have to deal with. Don't you think?

Michelle...love that winter wonderland shot!!

Denise...no bling here either. [g] Did you already tell me about your Apple?

Blueberries, another superfood. :-)

Grown children and significant others. *sigh* LOL. So calm inspiring when things are going well, so painful when they are not. I often think it is a curse to see one step ahead of them. Or at least think you do. [g] Especially when for the most part they seem to have to learn it all for themselves. I think having someone, like a parent, to feel comfortable to talk to and feeling free to listen to the input a parent gives and free to take advice or not, is as much as you can expect, I guess.

Raining here and gray....back to computer research, making progress.

pm2

Woody, good thoughts and well wishes from me, too. I know I don't "know" you, but you come across strong to me and I always admire that in you.

Hello to everyone else, too. Missing Chelone and Deanne as my routine seems off if they're not posting in the morning :)

Bummed about the breakups....I too almost always sympathize with the woman's point of view. I really thought the canine addition to the family would be fabulous :)

Sue, remember that tripadvisor can't be all that true as people are more likely to complain than to compliment. I recently called a place I wanted to stay and told them about their poor status and I had a great stay - best room waiting with a bottle of wine chilling....might want to try it.

I'm trying to pull things together here and be prepared for next week's departure. Easier said than done. I do feel that it is a step that Nick and I must take and not let being business owners keep us from finding solutions to "getting away"....luckily we have another company that we cover when they're out and vice versa.

Good find on the first idylls as Spike switched us to a different server at one point and that made them hidden from a google search. I always thought it'd make a fun read bound together as a book....we could fund our 10th anniversary trip to England :)

I'm enjoying all the talk about beans, too. I always thought they were field peas because they didn't climb....am I just silly?

Lots of stuff going on with me that I can't share on the internet and it makes me feel like I'm not a good idyller if I can't share. That's tough for me. I'll probably be in the background for a little bit.

I'll be back before I leave on Sunday, though. Hopefully the sunshine will make my outlook brighter.

Saucy

Fly-by,
Saucy, don't be silly. Share as much or as little as you are comfortable with.
Eden? Deanne? YOO-HOO!
'bug

Hello everyone

Ei - thank you for the neat info on the jewelry and cool link. I really enjoyed browsing the link and the micro mosaics in particular and have often thought it would be fun to own one. In another phase of my life when I worked at the New York Historical Society I was fascinated by some of the oddities of Victorian jewelry including the mourning pieces and hair jewelry.

Woody - I loved seeing Barb's smiling face:0) and your photos from your trip.

Michelle - somehow a hoar forst sound poetic to me. here's an example of one from a Chinese poet I enjoy:

A Tranquil Night
Before my bed a frost of light

Is it hoarfrost upon the ground Eyes raised,

I see the moon so bright

Head bent, in homesickness I'm drowned

Marian - I love getting stuck into a long book if the subject interest me. Hope you enjoy yours.

Hi Saucy - I agree with GB - share as much here as time and your comfort level allows, but just don't feel bad about it. We'll enjoy hearing from you anytime.

Tonight I'm driving Annie and two friends to their group violin lesson. I always enjoy hearing them chat as they are so fun and spontaneous and interested in things. Before that I need to throw something together for dinner.

The soup challenge was so much fun - how about doing another this month for perhaps our favortie chicken dish, side or pasta.

Mary

Hi Idylls!

I'm getting very perturbed with myself....I *think* I'm reading carefully and then I keep on making goof ups...Sorry Denisez...I just realized that was your aunt... *not* your mom. In any case she *is* stunning and oh to be 6 ft....I am vertically challenged! :-( So is your aunt, your mom's sister or your dad's sister. Or, did you say that already and I missed that too? I hope not!

Mary - nearly all of the jewelry I own was purchased by me, back in the days when I worked in the city and you couldn't turn a corner without running into an antique store. Plus, in the town I grew up in there were many neat antique stores. I have always been fascinated with antiques and could spend hours in those stores. I always found the owners of these mom & pop antique stores to be very interesting people and really appreciated the fact that they loved sharing their knowledge. I could spend hours just admiring the antiques and learning about their history. I don't antique shop much anymore, as I don't have room for knick knacks and most of the things that I would like to have, have gone way up in price since "back in the day" (I am really feeling old these days)....I hate that! Maybe it's the announcement of my colonoscopy...LOL! Anyway, I too admire the mourning jewelry, but more just "black colored" jewelry than true morning pieces. To be honest, I get a little freaked out and don't think I could own a piece of jewelry that had someone else's hair or photo's of their deceased loved ones in it. It's just me, but it kind of makes me feel like I would be disrespecting the person. It's silly I know, and if someone didn't collect that jewelry, than there would be no history to share in the future. So, don't mind me, I'm wierd. But, I do love the micromosaics too and the petra dura stuff! :-)

Michelle...I love your photo and I was immediately reminded of a print that I have always loved. Though the subject may not be *exactly* the same...I think your photo captures the same mood and beauty:

{{gwi:147695}}
Thanks too Michelle about the pills...I didn't even know that was a possibility. How did Rick end up with pills instead of the liquid? I wonder if my doctor would be okay with that instead.

I know V...I've just about had it too! And they say we will have 6 inches tonight!?! Oh well, this too shall pass?; right? I mean it *can't* be snowing here in May...can it?!?...LOL! Oops...maybe I shouldn't have said that...Mother Nature may be snickering at me right now! :-)

Woody how you are feeling is certainly understandable and you have every right to feel the way you do right now, but I have always admired (and still do) your active role in your health and health issues and that *does* take a strong and determined spirit. Thanks too Woody, for sharing your tour of the RGB...what a lovely place! I can't get over the size of those houseplants...my goodness...I can't even keep one alive at my house! I've never heard of a Hercules tree. I'll have to look that one up.

Saucy...I'm sorry to hear you're having a rough time. I hope the trip you are planning is for fun? If so, just try the next few days to focus on that. I guess I'm a bit of an ostrich sometimes. But sometimes it works for me to just put the "bad" thing off to the side for a little while and focus on something that's going to bring me joy and by the time I have to focus on the "bad" thing again, sometimes I find they've just "righted" themselves. Don't mean to diminish or over simplify whatever is upsetting you (and I don't have any idea what it is) just trying to help...but if I didn't (help, that is)...just ignore me; okay? :-)

PM2..thanks for asking. Actually, Paul lucked out and once flown to Colorado, actually got a flight into Chicago even earlier than anticipated. He is *very* lucky as so many flights were canceled. In fact all of the flights at Midway were canceled, as well as the majority of flights into O'Hare. Dear Scout is 8&1/2, but he has had health issues nearly all is life, the poor guy. I thought I was very careful about selecting a breeder, but apparently I didn't do as good a job as I should have. Oh well, it doesn't matter...I wouldn't trade Scout for the world! :-)

GB...I *do* love that name; Pheobe! Laughing about the names because one of the young garden gals just had her first baby...a little boy, which she ended up naming Luke. She was really having a time of deciding on a name and so I'd call her every few days to suggest a new one...LOL! She did *say* she was looking for suggestions. My last suggestion was Max (Maxwell); she loved it, but hubby did not. Oh well, I think Luke is a very nice name too. :-)

Hi Marian! I love to read too, but for some reason reading always seems to put me to sleep these days. I thought it was my vision, but I picked up a cheap pair of reading glasses and it didn't really help, I *still* fall asleep while reading. Maybe I should sit in an uncomfortable chair....LOL! But I really enjoy reading snuggled up in a comfortable chair with a fire going, or up in my bed....I'm probably too comfortable. But...700 pages? That would probably take me months to read. :-) I *keep* on saying I'm going to read War & Peace...just because. But I've owned the book for many years and think I *might* be on chapter three...LOL! Yes, I like my new doctor...even if he *is* just a kid! :-) BTW, yes, this is my first bone density test. So could you fill me in? What exactly do they do?

I'd love to hear from Chelone too. What were you guys talking about "on a ladder"? I assume she is painting? Hope she can get off the ladder and come say "hi" when she gets a chance.

And I hope that Deanne's just busy and that the "bug" isn't getting her down...

Well, I better go. Need to rustle up some grub for myself, as Paul is not going to be home. There are two buttercream frosted chocolate cupcakes here...wonder if that could qualify for dinner?

TTYL! Ei

Ei, you naughty idyll! How dare you mention snow in May!

Denise, you're right that I am hogging all of the interesting weather. I really didn't mean to be greedy, so I am sending the 14" of snow that we are to get over to you instead.

Yes, I said 14"! I'm a little further north than Ei, so we'll get hit harder. They also upped the latest prediction, but don't tell Ei, it will ruin her evening. Even worse when she realizes I have eaten her cupcakes...

I had one of those "Oh do I feel old" moments this evening. I went to vote, and the election judge was one of my former Sunday school students! Well, at least he recognized me.

'bug, too bad about DS and his (ex)girl. Oh well, those are choices only they can make. I like Phoebe as a name. Ever see the old joke about the guy who named his dog sex? It's been around a long time, but if you've never seen it I'm sure Google will share it with you.

Yes, I'm wondering what's happened to Deanne and Chelone, among others.

I think I need to call the snow plower and make some arrangements. TTYL,

V.

Happy Paczki Day! DH got up early and got some for us. I wish he didnt, but geez, theyre good. This place nearby makes them from the original Polish recipe. I think I can feel my arteries clogging as I write.

The news from the front is that DH got a call back this am from the company our friend was exec. director, and has an interview scheduled for next Tuesday! This company is about 20 miles away. Yeah! We just finished up responding to ads from this weekends paper this am. Perhaps that will yield something, too. It only takes one. So were encouraged.

I just finished repairing the new foam cushion for Missys crate we bot 2 days ago. Missy Mischief chewed an 8" round hole in the side of it. Were hoping she didnt swallow any of the pieces. Were taking it away from her for now. She went to the groomer today and came home exhausted.

DH went over to help DD today. One car has a flat tire and the other one is leaking brake fluid. She cant unload them yet and get a decent car. Shes got a call in to the lawyer to see whether in this kind of emergency situation, she can sell these two cars to get one good one w/o going against the injunction or have the new car tied up in the divorce.

Update: when taking DD to the dealer to get her car repaired, DD and DH looked at used cars and found one with 15,000 miles that just came back from lease. Its like a brand new car and the price was unbelievable. And what a fabulous car. Ennyhoo, we spent the afternoon there comparing it to other cars, test driving, etc., etc., and have a deposit on it. Theyll hold it for us for 2 wks. Hopefully, by that time DD will have her settlement finalized and she can complete the purchase. If not, well buy the car and work something out.

V, how awful about that beam! Thank goodness the building didnt come down. Im hoping theyve hired a structural engineer to decide if it needs shoring up or not. Your son and fiancé might have to have a "Plan B" for their wedding. Has Mystic found that critter in the fireplace yet? Do you think a raccoon couldve made a nest up in the chimney? I hear thats quite common. Were on the same wavelength -- Im finding myself much less tolerant of this winter crapola, too. Thanks for your kind thots about Tom.

Michelle, my hat is off to you. You were still able to post after a day with a 3 yr old! Id probably need an ambulance. 25-50 deer along the road yee gads. I didnt know what a hoar frost was either. Thanks for the info. Were in-line to get the snow after V. I can hear the sleet hitting the windows now.

Oh "Bug! Theyre all so very cute! And I love, love, love the peek-a-boo pic. Sure wish we had digital cameras back when our kids were young. You have some real keepsakes.

Pm2, what a lovely pond. I never tire of looking at the water and I find it has a calming effect on me. As for DH, he took an early retirement pkg. 5 yrs. ago when the getting was good, knowing that hed have to get another job. So hes spent most of the time since at a parts supplier as a contract person. He was let go due to a staff reduction in December and cant be rehired until the judge approves and company emerges from bankruptcy -- if they elect to rehire him. So thats why hes unemployed at the moment.

About Missy and herding, from what I understand certain traits are hard-wired in the breed but shed need some coaching and guidance, Im sure. I dont think shed hurt another animal/bird, but its hard to tell. One of DDs kitties is an Alpha male and quite full of himself. It sure will be interesting around here.

Denise, so sorry to hear your Dads health is failing. Hugs to you and your family. Your aunt is truly amazing I would have never thot she was 80. What great genes you inherited.

Kathy, I think Taryn in Ontario started the Idylls. I joined late in 2003 and it had been going for quite awhile before that. At least thats what I thot. When I joined, Marian, Bug, Jain, Deanne, Sue, Monique, V, Babs, Taryn, Drema, Cynthia, Saucy and Mary were all regulars. David also popped in often.

Im so glad youre taking a breather from all that painting. Will you be able to dig and take any plants with you when you move? Good for you for editing your stuff. Ive tried to keep on top of ours but found I need to dig in and pitch every year. You commented on Vs weather. I always note V and Eis weather b/c whatever theyre having today, well most likely have tomorrow.

Marian, we use the low fat/sodium Progresso Soups, too. I have a stash in the pantry for when Im a sickie and cant or dont want to make lunch or dinner.

I havent been able to get the link to the old Idyll to work. Ill try again later.

Ei, I had to laugh at your comment about Missys puppy photo. That was exactly what I wanted to do with her but she was such a wiggle worm she wouldnt stay still for a snuggle. AND we had to keep our noses and faces out of the way of those sharp puppy needle-teeth. When she was awake, she was on fast-forward mischief like a mini tornado so we enjoyed letting her power-nap. Plants in her path were particularly vulnerable. She shredded all of them she could reach. I love that now I can lay down and cuddle with her. Heres another photo of her I just love:

{{gwi:147697}}

I hate to tell you Ei, but Scout definitely knew exactly what you were saying. Poor guy, he just wanted some peace with his people and he had to share you with an exhuberant puppy, no less, lol. I swear Missy knows exactly what were saying.

Woody, great to hear from you. I sure hope that means youre doing better and feeling perky. Great that you could get out and have fun. Interesting info on Hercules. I, too, remember seeing an article on Wollemi pine trees somewhere.

Saucy, tell us is it a fun trip? Does DH help you get the kids stuff together? Hope things settle down soon for you.

Hope I didnt miss anyone. Ok, enough of this epistle! Stay warm and safe yall!

TTYL,
Honey

All this talk of Victorian jewelry reminds me of the oddest (I think) I ever saw while working for Sotheby's -- it was a pair of authentic Victorian era real hummingbirds dangling from gold wires as earrings... they had ruby eyes inset as well - the birds had been stuffed and preserved.... I frankly found them way more creepy than any mourning hair jewelry! It was one of those "boy the things people think of" moments.... they actually brought a good price at auction - about $2,000 as I recall.... aand that was back in the 1980s --wonder where they are now?

All this talk of puppies and their antics brings back memories of Chloe's puppy days -- she was a mischief too, much like these Misty tales. Honey, sounds like you better keep that foam out of her crate -- she will be bound to eat it eventually if not already! I had another dog who love to scratch the cushions to pieces & dig the foam out....

Ok, I have to be glad (again) I dont live in the Midwest -- I guess I'd be much happier as a California girl - no big snows for me. Dont know how you guys keep positive facing more to dig out every day.

Woody - I loved the RBG photos -- those stained glass birds are wonderful. And I confess ignorance that jade plants actually bloomed -- I've got an old one but it's never done that.....

Ei -- I think your idea to focus on positive is the only way for us to get thru gloom -- I find myself trying to concentrate and remind myself of that too -- probably why I spend so much time daydreaming of the garden and future garden plans/fantasies! The one day at a time philosophy is a good one too --

Would you believe it may hit the 70s here today? but to be gone w/ t-storms by the end of the day!

Ok - thinking good thoughts for good health, good weather and good new cars, futures and jobs for all!!

--Cindy

Hi yall. Just wanted to contribute to this soup thread before we move on. Theres actually 2 recipes involved. The first is an easy, hearty dinner for winter or great for a spring or fall gardening day. I save and freeze the leftover au jus and onions for later use with a Standing Rib Roast or for French Onion Soup.

FAST, EASY DINNER

1 large 3-4 lb. Boneless chuck roast
1 pkg. Fresh pre-cleaned baby carrots
12-15 pre-scrubbed baby redskin potatoes
1 large sweet yellow onion (like Vidalia) sliced
2 pkgs. McCormick Au Jus Mix
2 Tblsp. Worchestershire Sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Line a roasting pan with foil leaving enough overhang to seal and cover for roasting. Place the chuck roast in the pan, season with pepper (no salt) and cover with sliced onions. Place the potatoes and carrots around the roast.

In a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup, empty contents of 2 pkgs. Au Jus Mix. Whisk cold water into the mix until absorbed and fill to top of measuring cup. Add 2 tblsp. Worchestershire Sauce. Heat in microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot. Poor over roast and vegetables. Add 2 more cups of water until roast and veggies are covered. Close and seal foil tightly. Roast in 350 oven for 3 hrs. or until meat is tender. Serve roast and veggies with au jus. Makes 4-6 servings. Reserve extra au jus and onions in the refrigerator. (WARNING: the aroma while roasting will fill your home and drive your hubby and animals crazy!)

The next day, skim off fat from au jus, package, label and freeze for later use.

FRENCH ONION SOUP:
(good enough for company)

Au jus with onions
French Bread cubed and toasted
Shredded Guyiere cheese

Heat reserved au jus with onions thoroughly, add toasted French Bread cubes, top with shredded Guyiere cheese. Place under broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with remaining French Bread. Enjoy!

SNOW DAY! This never happens - we closed the office at noon because the roads were so bad.

I've shoveled the sidewalk 3 times - 9:30 last night, 6:30 this morning and just now. Each time it gets worse. This last time, there were spots that were a foot deep.

Off to fix my lunch - you work up an appetite shoveling!

V.

I'm not going over DD's today to help her sort thru her stuff. It's sleeting and the roads are icy and slushy. We're just staying put. I'm hoping to get into a project DD asked me to tackle -- organizing all her photos from her wedding 5 yrs. ago. There are at least 500 from different sources and many friends and family are no longer with us. It's painful for her to do it and I said I would. It's going to take me FOREVER.

Cindy, I sent you an email. Im worried about you.

As much as I hate to, weve taken everything away from Missy but her rubber toys. She has to sleep on the floor of her crate without benefit of something soft. We cant trust her not to destroy and eat pieces of it when shes bored. The last thing we need is a blockage. I hope she grows out of this stage.

I agree with you on the Hummingbird earrings. Really creepy. I have a Victorian mourning hair ring made with my great, great grandmothers hair that looks exactly like the one in the link below. I was always fascinated by it.

I remember visiting cemeteries in France when I was 8 years old. Many of the stone decorations were made with beads and human hair...and it was fascinating to me in a creepy way.

Honey, our puppy seems to have way more toys already than did Charlotte. There seem to be a lot made by Kong, but even those tend to have a warning on them that puppy must be supervised. One good trick I think is to get one that you can stuff in several places. Ours is yellow, looks a bit like Saturn in shape, but with three holes to stuff. You then can put peanut butter and a treat in each hole, freeze it, then give it to Missy to chew. This should keep her busy for 20 minutes or so while it defrosts. In summer she might like these as "popsical" treats too.

And Honey, you really are a Honey! Doing that photo organization for DD is a real kindness!

My friend down the road thinks she can lend us a crate! This will be such a help if it works out. I'm to call her tonight about it. The weather stinks though, so I'll not be collecting it today. The name Phoebe has stuck for two days in a row...

This morning we saw the mallards playing in the creek. Now the snow has covered everything. Ugh...
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Deanne, wherever you are, I'm thinking of you!
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And just for fun, I found these this morning, all six china plates for $12. Thought Kathy's potato/Leek soup would be good in these!
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'bug

Saucy...sorry you have a lot going on and I hope things smooth out for you soon. It must be pretty stressful trying to get away when you own a business, but I think you are right to make the effort to try to make it a habit. You need time away or you wear out.

Mary....I would be willing to do another recipe swap for February. Sounds like fun. What about a Valentine's Day Meal Swap or a Chocolate Dessert Recipe Swap since it is February?

Ei.....What a striking print that is! Thanks for sharing. :-) I also agreed with your approach of putting 'the bad thing' off to the side for a little while and focus on something that is encouraging and relaxing. If it is stressing you out to the point you can't be effective, then you need a break from it for awhile anyway. Then when you come back to it, sometimes it might have resolved on it's own, or at least you are more refreshed and better ready to deal with it again. About Scout, I understand completely. Our last dog..10 years ago...was the best dog we have ever had, but he had a seizure disorder for the last three years of his life. It was a nightmare and one of the reasons we just couldn't bring ourselves to get another pet since. I wouldn't have missed having him for anything though.

Honey....great news about DH's job interview! Fingers crossed! :-) Another sweet sweet photo of Missy..lol. I just love her coat. What a bundle of energy she sounds like!

Cindy...I find that an excellent stress buster too. I know when I have mulled something over too long and it is time to think of something more pleasant and planning the garden in my head is my favorite. I have a rule for myself, that at night, after 9pm until bedtime, I never think about the problems of the day or the' to do list' for the next day. Thinking of the garden is usually what I will distract myself with and the same rule applies if I wake up in the night.

Lovely pics, gardenbug! How nice to have your own little pond there! The orchid is such a colorful one and so are the plates. I do love color. :-)

pm2

Thanks, Marie. Missy has a couple of Kongs and one she's knawing on now that's stuffed. Good idea to stuff and freeze them. She loves ice cubes and they do keep her busy. And peanut butter is a fav, too.

I got distracted by a long phone call from Fla. friends so I won't start that photo project today. But I think I'll be sorting and organizing on the ping-pong table in the basement. Thanks Marie, but you know how it is: we'll all do anything for our kids.

Great soup plates! We now have some great recipes to try.

Hmmm, I'm a little worried about Marian with all the high-winds, tornadoes etc., they're having. Marian, if you're lurking, let us know you're OK.

Time to think about dinner. Later, friends,

Honey

Good afternoon all...

I did make it to town yesterday. It turned out to be much nicer than predicted. I did all that I went to do, and was home with the purchases unloaded when the rain arrived. It wasn't bad, but plenty windy, and accompanied with thunder and lightning. We were under a tornado watch all day and well into the night. One was sighted to the south of us, in our county, but there has been no report of damage. That cannot be said of the one that hit Gassville to the east of us. It was 40% destroyed, with one death...(a 91 year old woman), and lots of injuries. It is said that several others were killed in Arkansas, but I haven't heard where.

No, Denise. I haven't read that book. The only reason I ended up working on the one that I mentioned is because I happened to notice it on the shelf, and decided to give it a stab! I have reached some more interesting chapters, but am still not past page # 143.

Bling? I call what I have just plain old fashioned jewelry ! I do not think any of it is very valuable, although some of the older stuff may be. I mostly wear necklaces and pins/broaches. My wedding ring is just a plain gold band.

Pm2, our winter isn't all that short, but we keep having false springs that trick things into growing.I never dare put my tender plants out until the last of April.

Saucy, I hope you have someone that you feel comfortable talking to. That is a real help when one is having problems. I know a lot of 'us' are good listeners. I have enough experience with troubles that I can commiserate with those of others. I agree with you about 'sharing'. I really need to do that. I am sending good wishes, hugs, and prayers to/for you.

Ei, the best way I have found to prevent making 'goofs' is to open the page twice, and go back and forth as I 'talk' to each person. even then I am capable of goofing! :-(
I have a problem getting sleepy when reading too, unless it is a very engrossing read, but I never lay down, or recline while reading. I get to hurting even while setting in a comfortable chair. I can't possibly lay down and read!
I have never read War and Peace. I may have it in my 'library'...but not sure. I have 2 or 3 of Michener's long books, and have read them.
With the bone density test, you lay on a table and the scanner moves over you. You aren't enclosed like with an MRI, and you don't drink anything.

Marie, your orchid is gorgeous! I neglected to keep a close enough eye on the plants in the bay window, and ended up with a terrible outbreak of scale! They were on the 2 primroses, the yellow moth orchid from Ei, an Angel Wing Begonia and a pot of crotons.! I am diligently removing them with cotton soaked with rubbing alcohol. I sure hope I win! I bought a new Primrose in town yesterday. It will stay well away from the affected plants.

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Marian

There's at least a foot of snow down, and still more coming. Driving conditions are getting quite bad on the rural roads because of white-out conditions. I had a scary moment on my trip home when I got to a spot where the road jogs slightly. I couldn't see any sign of the road at all, and had to look for telephone poles down the road to give myself something to aim for.

I just went out to shovel again, and took a short walk down the driveway. The driveway still looks passable, so I'll cross my fingers and hope I can get out in the morning! I was intending to go to services tonight but all the news reports are saying to stay off the roads.

I talked to my DD earlier (who was bemoaning the fact that she had sidewalk shoveling as her house duty this week!) and was surprised to hear her say that she had been listening to all of the primary results, and was keeping her own tally of delegates. She's never struck me as that political, but she is very interested in this race. Maybe it's a sign that young people overall are getting more interested in politics?

Marian, your flower is beautiful - I love the shading on the petals.

I think I'll put my free time to good use and bake a cake for the office tomorrow. And maybe I'll pack up my snowmen for the winter. And maybe I'll make a fire and throw in the snowmen (insert evil laugh here!)

V.

69 degrees here :) I went outside a few times to warm up and opened windows at 6AM as it was 64 then and the house was....55F.

Just absurdly busy time of year at work. I can see the end in sight but when I get there I'll look like Dannie and the lure. The lure is the white thing on string in front of her foot.

"It stopped, now what do I chase?!?"
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Oh shoot! That is not a Primrose! It is a Cyclamen! And it is the 2 cyclamens in the bay window that have scale! Sorry....more senior moments!

Hi Idyllswe are having very uneventful weather conditions here while storms rage elsewhere. I too was concerned about Marian when I got up this morning and heard of the tornadoes. Glad all is well with you Marian , glad you checked in. Lol, I knew you must know a cycleman from a primrose !

Cindy- I may have to google Victorian hummingbird earrings to see if I hit on a pic. Definitely a bit creepy I must say. My little doggie was very fond of scratching her bed to a fare-thee-well before she settled in. I would have to buy her a new bed every few months because she scratched the things threadbare.
Bees love jade plant blooms by the way..

Boy Honey, that French Onion soup sounds very delish right now. A girl just cant have too many onions in my opinion. I havent cooked a roast beef in years-I may just have to do so to get some of that soup !

bug , I have observed a very broad selection of bowl designs in your photos over time. Do you have a secret dinnerware addiction ? I hope you have plenty of cupboard space !

Im pondering the weather reports of Cynthia and V. I wonder what the temperature swing might have been.

Ok, gotta go

Kathy in Napa

psst, Marian - did you notice that I was studiously avoiding naming the plant while praising it? I knew it was not a primrose, but I can NEVER remember the name cyclamen. Even though there's one sitting on my counter right now.

Ha! and as I was typing this, I got an email from Logee's for their "Indestructible House Plants" sale.

V.

LOL V! I thought you were going to say you avoided naming the plant so you wouldn't embarass me! Your losing the road experience reminds me of when we were coming home from evening worship a couple of weeks ago. It was VERY foggy and I was a few feet past our turn off (just creeping) when Nolon said " The corner was back there! " Thank goodness no one was behind me, and I cautiously backed up to the road. Nolon was rather nervous about it, but we made it. That is the first time in the over 23 years that I did that. What makes it so bad is that the turn was on the right side of the road!

Kathy, would you have corrected me on the cyclamen? ;-)

The Missouri news (that is the only TV news that we get) finally told where the other tornadoes were in Arkansas. They were around Clinton and Atkins. Both are well to the east of us. All together at least 13 were killed. Our area is very seldom hit by that sort of weather. ( I hope I haven't brought it on us by saying that ! )
I had googled for the info and found it a few minutes before I heard the TV news.

I am wondering where so many of our members are??? I am missing all the early postings.

Marian

Marian, I would have diplomatically asked if you had perhaps posted the wrong photo :)

Kathy in Napa

Im guessing all the other usual posters have escaped for a mini union in the Carribean somewhere -- I expect to see pics posted from ya'll relaxing on that sunny beach!!!

Argh...I think I must have chased everyone away!

Ei