Good morning

Nothing like a little bathroom humor for a few chuckles. Still laughing at Monique's "Goundhogs Declare I've got Gas" title.

Taryn - bummer on the fireplace and heating bills - do hope they can get the insert working adn you can start saving some $$$$. I keep our thermostat at 63F when DH is gone, preferring to dress in layers but its nudged up to 64 when he's home. Its surprising what a difference that one degree can make. I'm sure the right job is out there so hang in till the timing works out. Great idea to get paid to network! Do you have a seed starting room in your new house?

V - good luck on your talk with the boss and other realignments.

Kathy - I envy you many of the tender Salvias which were my favorites when we lived in San Diego. Do you grow others?

I talked to my sister Ruth yesterday and they are coming up over President's Day weekend for some fun in the snow. The little ones want to sled on our slope and Ruth is hoping to ski with Annie and David. We can also celebrate her birthday together - I can't wait.

hvae a good day everyone

Mary

Hi Martie - some neat finds. I've grown Hibiscus Red Shield and it is definiately a foliage plant but a great one at that. Your other seeds look intriguing.

Mary

A swearing machine? LOLOL No need for that...I'll just go into work...lol.

Looks like a relatively gorgeous day here on tap for today-sunny and a high predicted close to 30 F. Not a speck of wind (Martie you really have to move south).

The bad news here today is all early indications are pointing to Zoe in the early stages of canine dementia. I won't go into the whole story but in the past week she's developed some strange behaviors like wandering aimlessly around the house, the other night she got stuck behind the couch upstairs. She's been having trouble negotiating stairs and has become obsessed beyond belief with food. I couldn't get an appointment at the vet until March 2nd but did some internet research and she definitely fits the profile. At the vet appointment they will do blood work and rule out any possible health issues. She just turned 9 and seems to be in perfect health so this is quite distressing for us. If it's not the dementia, it may be something simple like an infection or something awful like a brain tumor. Let's hope it's something simple.

I'm sure T is reading and will be back with us soon.

Happy Thursday!

Sue

Quick check in -- been to PA and back & then a couple of days of intestinal bug had me off from work ... only to return to running frantically yesterday to make up... aargh... sometimes one doesnt want to be missed.

Cynthia - that is indeed weird re no scraping of windshields in your area... it's a daily event at my place unless the sun comes up early enough to defrost it -- I feel blessed when it does that & that my exposure is such that I have sun hitting the windshield - a few cars down & they're totally in the shade for most of the day... on occasion, my house windows fog or get ice but I put down to crappy old windows....

No seed starting here (as mentioned before, no space & no luck w/ it)... I fear I over ordered on the woodies & perennials -- but a lot of stuff died last year from the heavy torrential rains in June & I suspect some more stuff will be goners this winter from little snow cover before the horrible winds.

Im getting my monies' worth out of the down coat - good thing I didnt decide to wait too long for a "bargain" -- it's come in very handy the last couple of weeks. We had about 2 inches of snow yesterday & there are rumbles of something next week.

Confession -- I did order that Prospero rose, Kathy, and impulsively ordered the Mdme Alfred Carriere also -- gonna move that Sombreuil & let the MAC loose (I hope she doesnt take over the whole side of the house....)along with "Little White Pet" that I'd ben looking for a few years - will be interesting to see if MAC makes it here. Also ordered 17 clems -- nutso....

Deanne - I am so amazed at the 'tude you get from those birds! They must know you're there to take their portraits - simply stunning. Thanks for sharing - hope the personal crapola gets resolved -- we're glad you checked in though. Hope the others will too - just to let us know they're alive and kicking!

Well, I've got a ton on the plate again at ofc - it almost makes it a pleasure to be in the ofc though rather than on the stinking metro each day -- the trains do not handle cold weather well - they either get offloaded when they break or run far, far apart (yesterday I was offloaded on 2 trains & then stood for 20 mins for another; today it was 2 trains ahead of mine that got offloaded & all those people ended up on mine - but at least mine ran the whole way without trouble -- & I even had a seat for the trip - one counts one's blessings how they can, LOL).

I wonder how many machines Monique will manage to sell today, heehee, from our lurkers? Bathroom humor is soooo popular -- remote control -- now how could they possibly improve on that product? What a hoot!!

Brrr, counting the days to Spring - surely we're in the home stretch?

Cindy

Sue, You must be so worried about poor little Zoe! I don't understand you not being able to get her in to the vet for so long. That's over 3 weeks. If it is an infection shouldn't it be taken care of ASAP?

Deanne, spectacular shots! Especially love the doves and the chicadee. My sympathies on the buggy plants. I've been through it. Remember last year I had to toss all my coleus because they got mealy bugs?

Cindy, 17 clematis huh? A clematis to grow through every shrub and rose bush?

Well, you guys have influenced me with all of this seed starting talk. I stopped in and got a few packs this morning, half off. Mostly annuals. Has anyone here tried the lemon cucumbers. A friend of mine grew them last year and they were really good. I got some of those. And some basil, parsley, and chives to let Bella plant up in pots and grow under a light I have on the kitchen counter. I think she'll have fun playing in the dirt and keeping them watered. Got to get her started early, right Cynthia?

Chelone, my camera's broken but we're almost done with the room. I hope we can finish it this weekend and then I'll have a friend take pictures with her camera so I can post them.

Lots to do so keeping this short...Eden

Hi. My name is Honey and Im a packrat. I keep shopping bags, newspaper articles, catalogs, papers, receipts and all stuff that I might need someday. You might not know that about me b/c I shove it in boxes, drawers, cabinets and closets. Dont open a closet or youll be caught in an avalanche! So in keeping with my new years resolution to de-clutter and organize, the Great Purge is on. Im going to tackle at least one area a week, hopefully something every day.

Over the weekend, we got our tax stuff together and shredded tons. I also started organizing photos. I have boxes and boxes and more boxes. After 2 days of sorting on the DR table, Ive at least got them in a rough sort. I also spent hours on the puter last week on digitals. Both are not done but are in much better shape.

Monday, I tackled the dreaded bathroom vanity and got rid of 2 trash bags of junk. The good thing about having a 6 vanity is all the storage. The bad thing is that Ive filled it with makeup samples, cleaning supplies, giveaways, extra buttons, etc. I found specialty buttons Ive been looking for and mended stuff along the way. Sheesh! I tackled a few dresser drawers, trashed the old, washed the goodwill and keep pile. Ive set aside all those beautiful wool and angora sweaters for my niece. I cant wear the wool anymore. Oh, and T-shirts! I have tons. Theyre still TBD.

Yesterday, I went thru the sweaters and shopping bags. I had enough shopping bags to equip a small dept. store. Most bags are going to a local charity store.

DH and I took down the old cornice board and window treatments in the MB. Habitat for Humanity picked them and the old headboard, comforter and decorative pillows up this morning. We also donated a bunch of old light fixtures.

In between, Ive been babysitting for my DGN. Boy, does she ever keep me hopping. And Ive been searching and booking flights for our vacation in July, checking availability for my nephews wedding in Sept. at Emerald Beach, NC, and a visit to my friend in Fla. in a new weeks. Life seems to be on fast-forward these days.

Love all the photos, Deanne. Thinking about and saying Hi to everyone. I'm off to donate a couple boxes of stuff. I'll be back idylling regularly soon. TTYL.

Honey

Afternoon all,

Thanks so much all for your kind comments re: birdie pics. I've been trying lately to get some in flight shots of the little birds but those guys are sooooo... fast you need shutter speeds of 2,000 or more to stop the action which requires lots of sunlight. Not much success yet.

Eden, yes I do remember the mealy bug thing last year. That was awful! I'm beginning to think I need to do the same thing and just toss everything and start out with new plants. I've stripped all the leaves off all the coleus and sprayed with a Safer houseplant thing so all I have now is a bunch of sticks,we'll see if this works. If I get any bugs back it's into the bin with the lot of them.

Sue, that's just awful about Zoe! when did that start? She seemed fine at Christmas. Crossing my fingers that it is something simple and curable.

V, sounds like you've been stretched a bit too thin for a while now. I'm glad you are realigning things. Any chance we'll see you in March???? I can't believe it was a whole year ago you were out here.

Mary, how neat Ruth is going to come up for a visit. Hope you get some warmer temperatures to enjoy some winter sports. Doug says it's been mighty cold out there this week. I think you are running about ten degrees colder there than it is here.

Wendy, are you going to be able to make the party????? I think I read something about your coming???

Speaking of which, anyone else care to join the fun???? Hmmmmm????? I have two guest bedrooms that are on a first come first serve basis.

OKie dokie, must run. I have to go and cut some mats for a class I'm teaching. Have a great day all, stay warm...

Later,
Deanne

Sue -- I didnt see the msg re Zoe before (other than earlier post re her acting so spry) -- I hope it's not what you fear -- altho I wanted to post a bit of encouragement that I do have a friend whose Corgie had this issue (altho I think she was diagnosed about 12) and they gave her some meds (similar to stuff given for human early Alzheimer's I think) and my friend said it really did make a difference to Tina's cognitive wellbeing - I think it was a bit pricey but they were happy they did it -- she only last autmn passed on at the ripe age of 17.... however, I will hope that it is something more generic like her eyesight and a touch of Winter Cabin Fever or something like that.... I tell you, some days I wish I could go hide behind the sofa myself.....

Honey -- do you think the Pack Rat problem goes hand in hand w/ plant-aholics? We have some OCD thing to just collect and doesnt matter what it is? Sometimes I wonder -- I did however recently throw out a bunch of makeup that was under the vanity and Im sure more than 5 years old - even assuming the "look" might some time come back into fashion, I suspect it would not be so healthy to wear by then, uh?

Taryn -- brrrr and groan - Im hearing that major jingle of $$$ outgoing w/ all that oil & inserts....

Kathy - only someone in California would turn down a paid trip to go to the warm climate of Florida at this time of the year!!!! We can live vicariously w/ you tho exalting in those temps of 70 -- (Marian, I hope you're sending the 60s in our direction too, but that's not what Im hearing from the forecasters.....).

With all this talk of indoor bugs, how do ya'll who are seed starting manage to fend those little "buggers" off til April when you put the seedlings outside perhaps? Inquiring minds want to know....

Cindy

Cindy it's Anipryl they prescribe for the dog alzheimers. It's a Pfizer drug also used for human alzheimers and Parkinsons. The condition actually has a name-CDS-Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (link below). Before I agree to any prescription drug though I'll need to research the side effects. As with humans, side effects can be worse than the actual problem you're trying to fix. One of the women in my rescue group swears by a holistic vet she uses. Depending on the outcome I may end up there.

Deanne, she started showing the real noticeable symptoms about a week ago. She started refusing to go upstairs months ago but we thought it was the bad knee. She's always been somewhat of a spaceshot but lately I have noticed her sitting and just staring into space more often. The constant walking around the house is driving me nuts. It's not pacing in a frantic sort of way-just walking around and around the rooms. She also has developed this compulsive behavior with her water bowl where she runs over to it, takes a couple of quick sips, trots around the kitchen then runs back over to the bowl for a couple of quick sips. Last night the kitchen floor was soaked.

Eden, I am a bit perturbed with my vet but she's very good and obviously very popular so appointments can be tough to get. If things seem to deteriorate I'll call and an appointment sooner. As it stands right now I really don't think it's and emergency or anything health related.

Thanks for all your concerns. I lost my Zak prematurely to kidney disease at age 8 so I'm beginning to wonder if there's a black cloud hanging over our heads when it comes to healthy dogs.

Gotta run-auditors are here and we took the boss out to a long birthday lunch so I'm running behind.

Later,

Sue

Too tired to type, but sending good thoughts to Sue that Zoe's condition can be improved with or without drugs. I'm a big fan of the miracles of medicine, but think a lot of the issues we have with our pets are inflicted by the processed foods we give then. A consult with a holistic vet might be helpful. Sue, do you get Whole Dog Journal? That's opened my eyes to a lot of things. I call Dannie (my newest dog) manic depressive. But on a raw diet and supplements (not drugs, her first owners tried drugs on her and it made her worse), she is vibrant and coherent 95% of the time. I have pictures of her when she came here as my foster. Laying on the floor shaking and dripping onto bath towels I put under her. She was a mess. She still has 'days' like that, and it scares me that the 'real' Dannie won't be back the next day. But I didn't mean to digress. I just hope you can figure out how to help your little girl Sue, and I know you'll learn a lot in the process and hopefully share it with us.

Glad that Friday is just around the corner. What a hellish day today ! Had to take a couple employees out to a nice lunch including a glass of wine to get us the rest of the way through it. (we rarely have wine at lunch-maybe twice a year on special occasions-dont want you guys to think Im one of those two martini people !!)

Still raining here which is good, we needed it . It will last through the weekend on and off, so maybe Ill have no excuse not to finish painting the home office. Maybe Ill buy the bookcases too -gonna do Office Cheap-o RTA stuff. That and a couple of cheap lamps from Target and a chair and Im good to go. Also have another several orange crate labels to get framed for that room.

Sue, my dog is diabetic and her first symptom was frequent water drinking . The vet told me to keep an eye out for confusion or dopiness as a possible blood sugar issue. I give her insulin shots twice a day which has worked well to maintain her health and appetite.
However she did develop cataracts and is now blind. She gets around really well as long as I dont move the furniture ! Shes now starting to have some other issues and I can see a time in the not too distant future when I will have to make a decision- I always try to be mindful of her quality of life. I wish you and your Zoe the best

Mary ! I too am a recovered San Diegan ! Lived there for 10 years in the mid-70s to mid 80s. Both my kids were born in Pomerado Hospital in Poway . Worked at Nurseryland in Escondido and Rancho Bernardo.and I do have quite a few tender salvias. Black and Blue , Argentinian Skys , Limelight (gets HUGE) S. Ugilinosa (think maybe this one only goes to zone 8 ?) S. Greggii Argentinian Skys might be a tad invasive so it may have to go this year.

Cindy , hope Prospero does well for you..and I have always had Madame Alfred on my short list (which is actually a long list ) . 17 Clematis- wow! I ordered 17 Dahlias!
Our 70 degree temps are gone for now. We are in our normal dingy gray wet winter mode.

Eden I have grown lemon cukes , they are really easy and prolific, but what I really like best are the Armenian cukes. I dont have room to grow them right now so I buy tem at the farmers market. Lemon cukes I find are "seedier" than the Armenian.

Honey I am truly impressed at your 12- step pack rat abatement program. I did the bathroom vanity thing last year. God, what a bunch of crapola I had under there !! I did all three bathrooms on the same weekend. My DD had recently moved out and I could not believe the inventory of shampoo and conditioner she had stashed under the counter in her bathroom. We could have opened a roadside beauty supply stand. I called her up and told her she had a problem with hair products. It was pretty funny; I still tease her about it.

Well , time to read the paper and eat some dinner hello to all I missed

Kathy in Napa

PS how about a pic ? This is the HT Romantica "Michealangelo" from last summer

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Good morning

Sue - I'm so sorry to hear about Zoe and know you will be doing everything possible to help her.

Honey - you are too funny. We are pack rats too, but no where near as neat as you are. You'll inspire me to declutter a few closets:)

Cindy - my indoor starting rarely produces any bugs, perhaps a few fungus gnats if that. Maybe I've just been lucky so far.

Hey Kathy - we were San Deigan neighbors separated by a decade. Annie went to Kindergarten at Adobe Bluffs School in Poway - we lived in Rancho Penisquitos. Now talking about winter temperatures doen't make me jealous but telling me Argentinian Skys is too invasive leaves me green with envy LOL! Beautiful rose!

Yesterday evening the 7 kids doing Odyssey of the Mind were wild. They came up with all sorts of great ideas and were hilarious, but keeping them on track took some doing. It has been too cold to go outside at recess - what a difference that makes to the children's energy level. Had we had more time I'd have bundled them off outside to play in the snow but we are only a month from the competition so time is precious.

This week has gone at lightening speed - is it really Friday already?

have a good one

Mary

Yes, Mary, it's Friday already.

TGIF!

Last season Salvia Black and Blue seeded all over the place in a couple of parts of my garden. It will be interesting to see if it happens again this year. With this extended cold snap I'm thinking no. The one plant of Argentine Skies I planted in 2005 in the patio garden spread by runners and formed a large floppy clump that will be coming out this season. I've also had Salvia coccinea seed around.

Cynthia I have heard of Whole Dog Journal. The commercial kibble I feed now, Wellness, is on their top 10 list-or at least it used to be. Lots of mini schnauzer people feed natural diets and swear by them. The raw thing would take some getting used to on my part. Monique feeds some raw diet that she buys pre-made in bulk. I should look into that. Some woman on my mini schnauzer list recently lost a dog because a raw bone (supposedly an "approved" bone) sliver got lodged in it's intestine. I realize that may be an isolated incident but it made me think twice about considering a weekly raw bone for dental health reasons.

Kathy, I do keep a fairly close watch on water consumption because diabetes is somewhat common in my breed and I don't believe Zoe is drinking excessively. She seems to be playing in the water more than drinking it. Oddly enough, Zak never drank alot of water even when he was in final stage renal failure.

Allrighty then, I'm a couple of days behind in my work and have to leave around two to go to the doctor so I'd best get cracking. Tom will be checking into a local hospital tonight for a sleep study. The snoring has just gotten to a point where I can't stand it anymore. I don't think he has sleep apnea but they want to rule that out. He does have a deviated septum. Something tells me the only cure for the snoring would be to cut off his head but lets let the doctors get richer in the meantime...lol.

Sue

Good balmy morning! I think this is the first morning that we are out of single digits for the early school run - I didn't even wear my "goony" hat! The days are definitely getting longer, I almost don't need headlights when leaving work at 5pm!

I am getting sick of winter too, but we have been lucky so far in terms of snow. I saw on the news that part of upstate NY has 6 feet of snow, and more on the way. The kids got really cool snow tubes for Christmas 2005, and have only used them once or twice. DD is happy, she has not had to wear the new boots I insisted on buying for her. Can you imagine, we stood in the middle of the shoe section, and she says to me "I don't need boots, I'll be fine in my sneakers". This after I said to her and DS, "Let's go to Target to shop for boots." I think her pre-teen brain only heard "shop" and "Target", because when we got there, she immediately headed for the CD section! Needless to say, none of the boots at Target were acceptable to her (too shiny, too colorful, too furry). We finally found some plain, dark boots at Kohl's, and she hasn't even had to wear them!

Monique, thanks for the link - I had no idea that a fart machine was such a subtle and elegant device - I pictured something more like a whoopie cushion. Good idea to use it to get smiles out of kids for pics - we could have used it recently! We had a grandchild family portrait done with a professional photographer at my SIL's house. There were 6 kids ranging in age from 18 down to 9 months, and it was tough to get them all to smile. Towards the end of the session we were desperate for smiles; the older kids were quite tired of hearing the 4-year-olds droning "cheese", and the puppet that cracked the younger kids up was making the older ones roll their eyes too much. The fart machine would have been just the thing.

Mary, how nice that you had a snow day with no snow! Sounds like you and your kids made the most of it.

'bug, my sympathies on the tax audit. I am loving those frost pictures, you are making me take a second look at the frost on my windows!

Deanne, your birds really are amazing. The pic of the doves looks like they are back-up singers. You really do have birds with attitude. Sorry about the bugs, I know how careful you are when bringing things in. I think the warm weather in December and January are a factor; I had small infestations of mites and aphids, but managed to get rid of them (I hope) by rinsing the plants and spraying with Safer. RE: the party, I only saw the date this week, I'm sure you posted it before but I am guilty of skimming at times. I am trying to make arrangements for my kids so that I can come, and maybe DH too. I'll let you know when I'm definite.

Sue, I hope that you figure out Zoe's troubles soon and are able to help her.

Kathy, that Michealangelo rose is gorgeus, I caught myself trying to lean into the monitor to give it a sniff!

Waving hello to everyone!

Have to run off to work now, see you later!

-Wendy

Dont have time to say much but Happy Friday and thinking good thoughts for all here and just lurking.

FYI, David has posted some fantastic pics of his garden in the regular forum -- wow.....if anyone wants some daytime dreaming & has not yet noticed them.

--Cindy

Sue, you crack me up - "the only cure for the snoring would be to cut off his head". I can picture it now; his head would probably just go on snoring...

Nothing too major at the optometrist; leave the distance prescription as it is since the change is minor, and add some reading glasses. They should be ready in about a week. Other than that, everything is AOK. But my eyes are still trying to recover from the drop they used to dilate your pupils for the glaucoma and macular degeneration exams.

I retuned home to find my 58 yr. old helpmeet scooting down the eastern plane of the roof to assess the sagging gutter, plugged with ice. "Umm, honey, I don't think that's a great thing for you to be doing", I called up to him (there is still frozen snow on the roof). "Yeah, I was thinkin' the same thing, I'll be right down". The sag in the gutter is right over the front door (convenient) and there is an icicle that is akin to the sword of Damocles. Very welcoming. The cats were having a sensational time racing around on their roof with their Daddy there to watch!

It is nice to have a bit of break from the intense cold. I cracked up at Wendy's mention of "shop" and "Target" and the adolscent ear pricking it elicited. :)

Not much going on at work; am presently working on the padded "bumbers" that line the aft deck of a power cruiser. The foam is glued to a board that is mounted to the boat, and the vinyl is stretched over the foam and stapled on. Pretty boring; except I'm using a tricky fabric (called roll and pleat) that is pretty stretchy and can be fiddly. I'll be glad when the project is finished. Not rewarding aesthetically.

My sympathies on chilly homes. The shop is always chilly, the thermostat is in the sunniest part of the shop and there is so much crap piled in front of the baseboard that what little heat is called for rarely makes it to the cold spots. Our home is warm; because of its relative youth and the woodstove. I'll be interested to find out what the insert guys have to say about your new purchase, Taryn.

I've got to gather some bills together, balance my checkbook, and see if that doesn't help reveal the desktop once more. Go for it, Honey! I've been doing a similar exercise around here in the past few weeks. It's part of what V. calls the realignment. Feels good, doesn't it?

Sue, I hope Zoe is OK; a title to add to your reading list: "Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats" by Pichard H. Pitcairn, D.V.M., Ph.D., and Susan Hubble Pitcairn. c. 1982, Rodale Press. Interesting and fun read with some recipes they'll actually eat! :)

Sue, I posted the link to the BARF diet I feed the dogs called Bravo-the company is located in Manchester/Vernon, CT. We get 2 lb tubes of raw chicken, turkey and lamb that are mixed with veggies, ground bones, and organ meat; they are fed portions of this for dinner but we add supplements like Canine complete, fish oil, Fastrack, yogurt, etc. They get chicken necks in the morn. The meat is antibiotic/hormone free and is USDA approved. There is a list of retailers on the website.

Well, one step forward, one back. DH said he didnt like the comforter and said that it made the room look dreary. He was right so I returned the set. Im going to search for something brighter as soon as the credit hits my acct.

Im feeling sooooooo proud of myself. Yesterday I dropped off two more bags of clothing to good will, and gave my SIL and niece a carload full. I still need to go thru my closet again, but I can actually move things around in there! Chelone, LOL re realigning. Yes, it really feels good to pare down. I still need to tackle the worst part -- piles and piles of paperwork. Im going to try to do a little every day b/c its just so darn tedious.

Chelone, your cats actually run around on the roof? Oh my. Seriously, keep DH off the roof. No gutter is worth a serious injury or worse. I know exactly what padded bumpers are. Theyre a pain in the neck to clean, too, especially the crevices around the seaming lace. I was elated that our Chris didnt have them. They had a better idea in 67.

Sue, Im so sorry to hear about Zoes problems. Im wondering, too, if it could be sugar or cataracts. Im sure your vet will want to do a full work-up to get to the root cause. Shes such a sweet thing and Im sure youre as distressed as she is.

Hmm, Mary, San Diego to upstate NY? That first winter you must have felt like you landed on another planet!

Wendy, good thinking to use a fart machine to make kids smile for photos. You guys crack me up!

Kathy, keep those fabulous pix coming. Love that yummy yellow.

OK, Ill have to check out Davids photos. Thanks. Cindy.

Wendy, those doves DO look like back-up singers, lolololol.

Deanne, you werent serious about tearing out some of your garden? Its perfect.

Hi to anyone I missed. TTYL.

Honey

Chelone I ordered the Pitcairn book on Amazon this afternoon. To qualify for free shipping I tossed in "Palms Won't Grow Here and Other Myths". Maybe I'll be able to find some new tender plants for my increasing collection. Good weather to think about it anyway.

Where has Michelle been lately?

The doctor's office called this morning to confirm my 2:30 appointment for Monday. I thought it was odd when I didn't get a reminder call yesterday and did plan to call before leaving this afternoon. I know I wrote down the date right when I made the appointment so it must have been an office error. No problem, Monday is better for me anyway.

Honey, Emerald Isle is where we're going in NC the last week of April. Have you been there before? I don't think Zoe's problem is vision but nothing would surprise me and until the vet does her thing I'll rule nothing out. How has Bullet been feeling?

Sue

Hi everyone

Wendy - we have snow here but nothing like an hour away where Oswego is buried under 8 feet of snow with more on its way.

Sue - perhaps Tom and my DH are related - DH is checked into the sleep clinic next month. His snoring has become so bad I can hear him from the guest room one floor away. We can compare notes LOL!

Speaking of DH - here is an article about him with a link to his photos. Unfortunately he has never been moved to photograph gardens and there is nary a flower amongst his pics which are all the same rather cool. (I might be biased :0)

Mary

We have a ladder set up on the deck that allows easy access to the roof, which is not very steep (5:12), the ladder is braced under the deck railing shown below and provides an easy climb to the roof:

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It was set up to facilitate gutter cleaning and the cats got the biggest kick out of running up and down it, so we simply left it in place for them. ;) They go out on the deck, go up the ladder and run around on the roof and then come down. They look pretty cute stretched out on the dark shingles, soakin' up the rays on not so cold days. But I didn't much cotton to the helpmeet up there this morning! But the problem remains... how to clean out the gutter, replace the hangers, and get it back to a semblance of straight so melt doesn't pool, freeze, and create an ice dam? Not very simple with 24" soffits! Ahh... the joys of home ownership.

My brother had to take Mum to the doctor for a routine visit. He administered the tests for dimentia, predictably, she flunked every one of them. She announced that she "didn't like" the doctor and that she knew "he'd do whatever he wanted, anyway". Poor thing; we're sympathetic, but the reality is that SOMEONE has to do for her what she is no longer able to do for herself. I told my brother not to waste too much angst on it; she's forgotten she's been to the doctor at all by now! He laughed; I hope I'm able to offer him more support than he did me, by virtue of my time "in the trenches". No good will come of being "pissy" because he was of little support to me. He didn't "get it" then, but now he's gettin' it now, loud and clear. And I will help him any way I'm able. He's my brother and I love and respect him. He would have stopped IMMEDIATELY if he saw Michelle pull over with a broken windshield. Or happened upon V., had she spun off into a ditch. We were raised to be kind and decent to other people.

I've been wondering about Michelle and Norma, too! I figure Nurse Ratchet is torturing the kids, and Yeona will bob to the surface when she's good and ready... wonder about Ei., too... and what's up with the job hunt. Good to hear an update from Taryn, too.

I was thinking about heating costs and using a woodstove to defray them. We have a nice stove, very efficient and a "tight" house... to rekindle a fire from a small bed of coals we generally crack the slider to the deck. You can really feel the rush of cold, fresh air into the house, the established draft being in direct line to the woodstove (provided the stove's door vents have been opened and the catalytic combuster disengaged). We cut and split our own wood, using 1-1 1/2 cord/yr.. People tell us all the time that wood is "messy" and a "pain". They do have a point, but it's nice to be cozy when it's cold outside, and the whole cut/split/stack thing is only as odious as you make it. I like knowing we will be OK if the juice goes out for an extended period of time. Bein' cold is a drag.

I have done zippo with respect to uncluttering my desk, Honey. But as Mum used to say, "the mess will be there when you want to address it". I have to address the books in the library, too... lots of crummy old paperbacks and stuff we never use... . What do you guys do with old books?

Friday is a wonderful gift for which we should all be grateful.It's 5pm an the SF radio station I listen to always plays "Smoke Two Joints" at 5 every Friday to start what they refer to the "Attitude Adjustment Hour." Brings me back to the olden days !

Mary, I absolutely loved your DH's pics. Talented photographers see things that rest of us don't..I especially liked the mop, the O'hare pic, and the homeless man. Really wonderful-thanks for posting the link. I actually lived in Poway, way down at the east end where the road turned up to go to Ramona and the back way to Lakeside.My favorite thing about San Diego was the fact that it only took 15 minutes to get to the ballpark, and the Padres were so bad back then you could always get good seats!

Sue-yep, those floppy stems and runners on Argentinian Skies is just what I'm dealing with. Too bad , because that is a color you just don't see in Salvias. I'm going to give it one more season and will dig it out this fall if it doesn't behave.

I am really interested in the dicussion about natural foods for our doggies-I wouldn't be surprised if the
canine diabetes issue is similar to the adult onset diabetes issue in humans- bad food, not enough excercise etc.

Chelone, our library has a fundraiser booksale about 3 times a year and there is always a bin in the lobby for donations. That is what I do with my old books , though I keep most of my books because I like to re-read .

OK ,todays rose pic is "Paul Bocuse",a Generosa.

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Kathy in Napa

Greetings, Idylls. time for me to stop by so you will know I didn't fall off the face of the earth.

Several things led to my being to involved to get here, and then most of you know it is sometimes hard to get started again.
We had a little incident that involved the fire department but resulted in only minor damage thanks to my deciding to stay home instead of going with DH to pick up the new tv.
He had only been gone 15 to 20 minutes when I smelled smoke unlike the usual smoke smell if a little escaped the stove door. I started checking things out but couldn't find anything inside or out. After checking a round the second time and seeing visible smoke in the living room but nowhere else I decided it was time to call 911. Then I started to get what I considered the most important things out of the house. I had what I thought was absolutley nessecary out by the time they arrived in less than 20 minutes. After checking the flue which DH cleans regulary and finding nothing they were hanging around checking to see that the stove cooled down. (it did have a pretty hot fire in it) They sent a couple of guys up to check the upstairs wall above it with the heat detection light. They said"I think you better come up here". I was one of the first up the stairs. I had totally forgotten that there was a sealed off tee in the flue pipe because we had thought we might want a stove upstairs sometime in the future. I had a picture hanging over it. The picture was scorched and broken and a spot in the wall was heavily scorched. The picture was the only one I have ever paid much money for and was my favorite. But was nothing compared to what we could have lost had I not stayed home that day. Needless to say they chopped a good sized hole in my wall and found that creosote had collected in the tee and caught fire.
So between all the repair work on the wall and hooking up the new electronics (that I do because DH doesn't have a clue) I have been staying busy. The last coat of mud went on the wall today so now I get to paint. Oh yeah! It is a rather large and tall wall and I'm sure I will have to do the whole thing as paint never matches up exactly.

We have been really cold here like so many others. GB I am fascinated by your ice crystal pictures. I hope you are staying warm enough.

Mary thanks for sharing the link about your DH. I have always wondered about his job and the connection to photography. He is very talented in both aspects of his job. You must be proud. And yet your family is very grounded in all you do. You can be proud of that as well.

Sue sending good vibes for Zoe.

I will try to catch up with everyone a little at a time.

A tired Norma.

LOL, Kathy. The optometrist asked me how my eyes felt after he put in the drops to dilate them for the glaucoma/macular degeneration exams. I replied that they felt the way they've felt when I've been "one toke over the line". He cracked up and said, "Good, that's what we're lookin' for!".

Wonderful picture, I'm jealous. I'm biased against roses and the whole, "I'll get fungus" thing associated with them. I'm too lazy to deal with them; convince me I'm being unfair and I'll try again. I won't "mollycoddle"!

As one with a woodstove I understand the attendant risks. I'm glad to see your name again, and SO GLAD that things turned out the way they did.

It serves as a reminder of how lucky we all can be... even as we enjoy good fortune.

SO nice to see you again, Norma. REALLY.

Chelone, I hate having my eyes dilated.I'm very nearsighted and have worn glasses since 10 yrs old, but when they want to dilate, I say no thanks !
As for the roses, no molly-coddleing here. I am organic and don't spray at all. They get a dose of alfalfa meal in spring when they start to leaf out and and organic rose food (Dr Earth)after the first flush and thats it. My garden is heavily composted and that keeps the weeds down. One thing I do spend time on is "grooming" i.e. deadheading etc., but I find this activity very pleasant and soothing after a day at the office. It can also be done while drinking wine and/or beer.

Norma, as one who has experienced two house fires-one as a child and one as an adult, it's great to hear that fate was on your side with this one. There is nothing scarier-though earthquakes can be a bit off-putting...

Kathy in Napa

Who would have thunk it? Mary's husband has an entire page of bum shots!

V.

Oh Sue, I am so sorry for you and Zoe. So hard to see a pet go through any illness.

This article talks about using antibiotics for Alzheimers.Antibiotics, doxycycline and rifampin slow down Alzheimers Disease in people. "Fifty-one of the participants were prescribed a daily regimen of 200 milligrams of doxycycline and 300 mg of rifampin." Maybe something like this can help with Canine Dementia. I've read that a combo of regular and holistic meds, coupled with a good diet, and extra vitamins works best if just diet and vitamins don't help. I'm sure the Dr will help you to choose the right treatment.

Thanks for the his everyone. Its sunny for the moment but that wont last, and not too cold. The winter has been weird, but right now were in typical Vancouver winter mode. Rainy with pouring rain breaks, followed by more liquid sunshine, ie rain. Did you know it rains lots here, lol?

Chelone I think the rock I hide under starts out as a pebble, and grows as big as the world. I admire that you're not letting your work situation turn into a huge boulder. I hear that playing nice works for some situations but not all. :( Sometimes you have to stay and work it out, and sometimes you have to get out. I know youll decide on the right thing to do.

Cindy, I think youre right about the makeup going bad after 5 years. :) I dont know how true it is, but my daughter says that mascara lasts only 3 months. According to the article I found, other stuff, like lip liner, can last up to three years. I didnt know that.

Cynthia having been very ill, much like your dog, I'm a definite advocate of healthy living. I'm glad you were able to find an answer for her that worked. I wish diet alone would cure all illnesses. My sister wouldn't be where she is now. I do think healthy eating and extra nutrients help some though, if not all the way.

Deanne are you saying you need new neighbors? That you'd prefer gardening Idyllers? Pick me, Pick me. :) I hope the neighbor and family things are quickly and smoothly resolved. Sending good dharma your way.

I hate the deep dark evil clouds of starlings, but accept that theyre here to stay. Apparently a disease is leveling their numbers somewhat, but I dont know if its enough to give our native birds a chance to reign once more. Nature will decide, not I. I do miss seeing the Robin Red Breast the most. Hey maybe kudzu will catch the disease next and loosen its hold on the South.

Thanks for the bird photos. All the photos are simply outstanding, as usual! I love that feeling of freedom the soaring bird photo evokes in me. Those mourning doves probably heard me sing, and wonder, why does she even try? The Tree Sparrow and chickadee are precious. Im glad they pose for you. It looks like the Tree Sparrow is listening to you too. Do you talk to the birdies, too, like Doolittle? :)

Eden glad the rooms almost done. Cant wait to see the pics. The room that were fixing up is taking forever, and Alena is very impatient with us as she wants to Ikea it when its painted. It will be the room she uses when she stays over.

GB your photos make me sing! :) I love that your eye recognizes the art and that your camera ensnares the art for us. Even cold creates art where you live. Not much pattern in our frost, and we don't really get it on the house windows. Richea is a heat lover. The heat goes on and stays on when he's home and up. The minute he goes to sleep I turn it down again.

Hope the audit is over quickly. Been there done that. Hate it, but what can you do?

Honey I used to be a packrat. Then one day, out of the blue. I decided to get rid of anything I hadnt used in three years. I found three year mark to be best for me. I never miss things I havent used for three years, but many times have missed things, and replaced them, after a year or two. Now the only thing I seem to collect and not dispose of in a timely fashion is recyclables. :( I scan newspaper articles that I want to keep and only keep a few shopping bags for doggy doo cleanups. I also scan family pics, but keep them, anyway. Sentimental things are fine to keep, to me, as long as theyre in order, and not overwhelming.

Kathy I dont get the balminess of your area, but I do get green, green, green. We have milder temps usually, when were not having a greenhouse effect winter.

Martie thanks for the pink, and for the rose. Both are faves of mine.

Are you a member of the Polar Bear Club? You must be if youre swimming in a "balmy" 10degrees. If you wore a Shark proof suit, like the one my DD, Alena saw being tested on the telly, you could be one, and not have to worry about being bit.

Mary do you have time to send those recipes we talked about before. In between being wife, mother, mom's taxi service, cleaner, cook, nurse, gardener, or garden dreamer, right now anyway, and last but not least, Idyller. ;) You know when your kids grow up you'll still be doing some driving and care giving. It doesn't seem to stop. Oh well, I signed up and so did you. I'm not sure I read all the fine point, though. ;)

Glad youll soon be getting some sleigh days in with your DS, Ruth. Sounds like it will be a Happy Birthday day for her.

Your comment a while back on the difficulty of integrating a husband and father back into your lives, reminded me of a childhood story of Richeas. He used to live in a very rural part of BC, as a small child, where his fathers family had made their mark in the logging industry. Theres even a road with their name on it. Anyway his father worked away in the bush, logging, year round, and only came home on Sundays. So when Richea was three he saw his, one day a week, father, coming down the road toward him and ran into the house and shouted to everyone, here comes that man in his truck, again. He was always very impressed with the trucks his father owned as a child. Now theres the epitome of the absent father. He never stays home long enough to be called dad in the real sense.

Moniques contribution makes me lol. Although I do have a degree of bathroom humor discomfort, like Marian, I think if done to everyone at one time or another in a family or close-knit group situation, it can be done in the right vein.

Sue if a die hard gardener like you gets "gardened out", then its no wonder that someone like me, who has the staying power of a gnat, has a midseason stall. I just took a tour around the garden and was gratified to see many plants have their spring heads on. Thats what gets me gardening in the first place, the spring thing.

Taryn sorry about the money drain. Too bad solar power wasnt cheap and easy. I hope the job hunt turns up what you want to do. Not easy working for others, and not easy making money, when self employed. Ive done both and still prefer the latter.

Re the homemade fart machines, Ive read that eating slowly, and chewing well, helps to cut down on the air we swallow, which cuts down on the gas that builds up. Too bad its not methane and cant be used for free fuel. :) ;) :)

I hope stopping the pics helped with the downloading of Idylls. I've missed your writing. What's Idylling without its Idyllers. It's always interesting to hear about your life and to share about how the road to better health is going and also how the family and home are doing.

V glad there was no repercussions from your spinning top car. I dont know if chains would have helped. I think the new winter tires with the plastic studs work well and dont eat up the roads, so are okay to drive everywhere with. Hope the work worry smoothes out soon. I feel that way at every tax time for a bit, until I start. I hate the feeling.

Wendy now theres another scenario where the fart machine might work, with a bunch of kids of different ages, lol.

I know that most boys really love that kind of humor, but do most girls. I dont remember the other girls' humor from my childhood, so do you, yourself enjoy bathroom humor, or you with girls observe them giggling at that kind of stuff. Of course on the Simpsons, there is some of that, and I remember Alena laughing at it, although I didnt particularly care for it. I think my upbringing has made it difficult to see humor in things that might potentially hurt another. I dont clearly see the distinction between funning and hurting I think. Again it comes from the approach of the jokesters, and the jokesters I knew growing seemed cruel. So the humor seems cruel to me. We are all sensitive to different things and our sensibilities seem linked to how safe we felt or actually were in our childhoods. Thats my theory anyway, and Im sticking with it.

Woody the cedar table project sounds nice. I dont have a nice garden set, but have been on the lookout for one. I love the look of wood and turned wrought iron together, but love the comfort of deep cushions. So far I havent found both together in a style I like.

About music, I wish that, like Chelone and Kathy, Id done the learning thing as a youngster. I played the clarinet for a micro second, and wished Id just kept it up. I never did pay enough attention to learning to read the music though. Im still deluding myself that I could learn to read music and play an instrument, and learn to sing properly. I really am delusional, arent I? Lol.

Again with the singing thing, I like this article about singing. Now to find a nice teacher like this.

LEARNING TO SING IN TUNE.

"Usually, singing out of tune follows a certain pattern:

The person has no confidence, as he's been told he "can't sing", "has a tin ear", is "tone deaf". (I really hate that one, implying a physical condition, and is a nonsensical term, as anyone who can hear at all can distinguish pitch to some degree, such as a squeak vs. a growl.)

The keys typically chosen when theyve sung are not in a comfortable part of their vocal range. They take a wild swing at singing a few notes, they don't connect (and they know it), and then they lose their nerve and pretty much quit. A few experiences like that in front of other people usually get enough negative response so that the person assumes they somehow "can't" sing in pitch, and they should stop trying. So they do, and I see that as a small tragedy."

There's some Tuning voice gizmo gadgets, here, lol. I don't know the company, so am not sure if the products work. Just found the concept interesting.

I also found this idea of learning how to sing as easily as you speak interesting, but I am verrrry skeptical. There are lessons on disc by some apparently well known Hollywood Voice coaches, Seth somebody, the teacher, and Brett, somebody else, the former student of Seth, lol. I wonder if any of it helps the untrained ear and voice, or if anything does. According to some psychiatrists, Biofeedback and performance imaging, like the athletes use, are supposed to improve the singing voice by a million percent. Would that make some of the voices on American Idols acceptable by the judges, or just make them not horrible, I dont know.

Hi Jerri, Michelle, Drema, Ei, T, pm2, Norma, Babs, Brenda, and everyone else I missed, and miss hearing from. Hi to Saucy, Jain and other occasionally visiting Idylls. Hi to the many Idyllurkers, too.

Yeona

PS I know nothing about the Sharksuits or any other company I linked here, so if you try the sharksuit and it fails, don't come looking for me. ;) It's just for fun and interest. :)

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Happy Birthday Chelone!

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Eden

~~~Happy Birthday Chelone~~~

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Hi Yeona, an insightful post as usual from you. Stay dry. LOL Norma

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Happy Birthday Chelone!

Morning!

I have (the other) Chelone all over the place here, but only one picture to be found, and not a good one but how could I resist? :-)

Norma, what a frightening story! And it could have been a disaster for you. I hope this doesn't make you paranoid about using the woodstove, though it does sound like everything has been fixed. Huge sigh of relief here for you!

Deanne, I love that chickadee turning his back on us, and I will buy your book! Actually, I'll buy more than one copy and give as gifts, so go for it.

Honey, thank you for your confession! I too am a pack rat, and never would have guessed that you are. I've have been working at solving the problem for years. I try to remember that even a thing of value may have more value if I get rid of it, lol. Intrinsics like free space and fewer boxes of 'things' have value too, but I have trouble with the calculation sometimes. So have to work to keep it under control. Who asked where old books go? I take those to Goodwill too.

Oh I'm gushing over the Generosa Kathy. I forgive you for being in a much warmer place!

I hear you on the bones Sue. A lot of people feed weight bearing bones like chicken quarters, and consider them 'safe.' Those are the ones that can cause trouble. You can always grind the bones. Raw bones are soft. I feed only whole backs and wings, rabbit when I can get it. Fish once a week. Sometimes bone-in chicken breast but then have to add extra calcium. That's a rare meal. They have baked beans, salmon, veggies, eggs, turkey necks, green tripe, a mix that's mostly veggies for one meal and supplements, yogurt, apple cider vinegar (tons of good stuff in acv). I go to the oriental grocery and most of what I buy is for them. It's become a hobby, so even though it's work I enjoy it, and the results have been amazing, expecially with Dannie. Between exercise and diet and structure she's a whole different creature. Monty is a confirmed kibble man, and his teeth prove it. He has to have dental twice a year, while Katie has never had a dental.

Hi Yeona! I agree, it's not just diet of course, and Dannie still has bad days, but fewer of them. Monty was on Deramaxx for arthritis when I adopted him. I don't think he's had one in a year, and that's just the glucosamine chondroiton doing the work naturally, so there's no pain to treat anymore. I just ordered $200 worth of supplements, which will last 4 months. But it's cheaper than vet bills!

Mary! Your husband's photos kept me up very late last night. I went to both sites linked in the article and looked at everything. He is an incredibly talented artist! Please share his amazing photos with us often!

I have tons of seedlings and am happy to inspect them all twice a day :-) Thanks for all of the seed talk, it does get me through winter. Marty, hellebore seed needs to be fresh, so if yours don't germinate, I can let you know where to get fresh. Give them at least a year though. They need moist cold and moist warm.

I have to get cleaned up and outta here. Home Visit in the city at 11:30, and need to leave by 10:30. I don't know what the temp is out there, I've stopped looking, but it seemed kinder this morning. Maybe low 20s?

By all and have a good week-end!

Cynthia

Happy Birthday Chelone!!!! Looked and looked for the one pick of turtleheads I have somewhere but couldn't find it. Know the thought was there!! Do something wonderful and frivilous today.

Sue: I'd move south in a heartbeat but it'd be about 500 miles south of you! I was far north yesterday, but Rich said it got to 22 on the northeast thermometer at our house. Where I was, two zones away, it was 12.

Looking forward to a predicted 32 deg with no wind today. Am hopeful to get some of the grasses hacked down.

When my mom raised Collies and Beagles "back in the day" she made her own dog food. Some of it was dry and smelled worse than dirt while cooking. Other was a mix much like Monique suggested. All I know is that the one chore we never were asked to do was feed the dogs. That was her to do because "they are what they eat." Hope Zoe gets back to her normal self, soon. Do mini-Schnauzers have a long life span?

Good to hear from the too-absent Idyllers! Glad houses are relatively intact and people, too. I've had fires and it still sends shivers through my spine when I recall the "moment" I realized what was going on. Isn't it amazing what becomes "most important?" Beyond the typical papers, etc., I always grabbed my grandmother's cookbook.

More seed packages mysteriously ended up in my hands and then my car yesterday. Simple stuff mostly -- Sweet Peas, Spinach, more Zinnias. What I consider a find is Primula acaulis 'Gold Lace'. I know I'll regret it in five or so years, but I have a perfect spot for them. Also got some mixed Geraniums (regular kind) and I've not done those before. Any suggestions?

Also got a brand new pad of graph paper. Is there anything more heartening to a gardener with lots of placement to do out of nursery???? Rich LOL when he saw it, shook his head, and suggested that if the gardens actually ended up looking like the plans he'd take me out for a special dinner :-)

Need to run for errands. Have enjoyed reading everyone's everything and am so thrilled for all with great kids, DH's, bosses who will listen, and animals to love.

The links have all provided amusement and insight. Mary -- where did you find him???

Best to everyone! I'll post a pic of the thermometer later for Kathy to print out and paste on an outside wall for commiseration.

Martie

Marty, the pelargoniums need to be started around the holidays. The Christmas holidays! Ok, i'm gone :-)

Happy Birthday Chelone !!!

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Chelone your down east voice always reminds me of home, so heres a nostalgic picture for your birthday:

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(DH - then boyfriend - took that one at my grandparents place when I first took him home in 1979)

Mary your DHs photos are wonderful! I showed them to DH last night and this morning he asked me where that web site was so he could look at them again!

Sue poor Zoe; poor you Like Kathy, when you described her behavior, diabetes was the first thing that came to mind. I think you should be pushing to get an earlier vet appointment and get the blood work underway. Regardless of what it turns out to be, earlier diagnosis is likely better.

Norma that was a close call re the fire! Im glad youre safe.

Kathy the delphinium discussion in combination with all the roses you grow vividly brings to mind the loveliest rose garden Ive ever seen. Back in early July, 1988 DH and I were visiting his parents who were living in BC at the time. We took a trip to Vancouver Island and visited Butchart Gardens. The rose garden was in full bloom when we were there and all the roses were planted with delphiniums it was a breath-taking combination of color, shapes and fragrance! Ive never forgotten it and, if I ever had a rose garden, Id plant it with delphiniums. I dont know if they still use that plant combination or rot maybe Yeona can tell us? - but here is an entirely inadequate picture of part of one bed:

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Its still way too cold here and no relief in the 5-day forecast so Im still in sulky hibernation here!

What little snow we have is melting!!!! Rich handed me a piece of paper and pen with the instruction to "make a list" of things he could get for me at Agway on Monday!!!!! Kyle voluntarily offered to chaparone 40 kids to the monster trucks with a few of his education-major friends!!!! Too much good stuff for one morning. LOL

But the amazingly best of all: Got a registered package this morning from an unknown address. Inside was a copy of "The New Garden Encyclopedia" published in 1946 (fourth printing). "Written by a Group of Horticultural Experts and Edited by E.L.D. Seymour, BSA." Along with it, a note: "Dear Martha, You have no idea who I am but when you were in college you helped my mother with her garden one day after she had been ill. The kindness was never forgotten, and in her will she left this book to you. It had been given to her by an Aunt who shared a love of gardening. Enjoy it, share it, and laugh along with some of the 'modern' suggestions. All the best ...."

A telephone number was given, and it turns out that this woman tracked me down through my college's alumni office. While I don't specifically remember the day, I do remember the house and the multitude of gardens surrounding it. You just never know .......

Love the idea of Bella starting herbs, Eden! Another suggestion would be Sensitive Plant (Latin is flying out the window today). Easy from seed.

Deanne: If I haven't added my Wow's to the comments about your pics, consider them included. I would never have the patience, nor the talent, to "see" them the way you do. If Yeona for some reason can't be your neighbor, I'll get in line and never complain about the Wisteria.

Taryn: Don't know about in Canada, but here there are specific laws about energy saving claims made by manufacturers. If the insert is only jacking up the heat by 2deg, I think you have a reasonable complaint. Good luck in the effort! Do you miss seed counting for EBay ;-)

GB: One of the frost pics you posted is now my work screen saver. When I come back frozen I look at it and realize that being in a warm office isn't half bad. Good luck with all your trip planning to Alberta. What wonderful reasons to travel!

Sue: I'm jealous of your NC trip. My fav place along the eastern coast is the Outer Banks. Have you been in Woodland Gardens/Manchester in awhile? It's rumored they have Impatiens repens if you're looking for it. Less expensive than Logees.

Wendy: Your poke in comments crack me up.

Kathy: Would Michaelangelo be hardy in a strong Z6 spot? I'm looking for something to replace 'Golden Showers.'

Monique: Thought of you today when I ordered a 'New Dawn.' Now all I need is the shed :-)

Cynthia: Okay. I'm way late to start the Pelargonium. Maybe I can edit out the summer colors and use them for Thanksgiving centerpieces??? It'll be more of a "can I do it" start (sounds like a good excuse, anyway) LOL.

Mary: What is the O. of the M. theme this year? The whole program fascinates me and I've gone with my sister several times when she's coached. I always liked the "impromptu" best, when the kids have just a few minutes to come up with something. Let'em loose!! Thank You, too, for being involved with this!! I'll bet Annie and David are looking forward to a ski visit with Ruth than you are :-)

I'll probably be back later when I remember what I forgot.

Martie

Hi everyone, The room is mostly done but now that I've started painting I can't seem to stop, lol. I'm moving on to another room this week.

Cynthia, did you get your hellebore seeds from the place in Tasmania? I've been thinking about trying some but need to decide soon since I think they only ship until March.

Sue, I know you'll find the best solution to help Zoe but you must be so worried about her. I laughed when I read your post about Tom's snoring and Brad asked what was so funny so I read it to him. His response was 'poor Tom'. I guess all of the snorers must stick together.

Martie, your dh and son both sound like sweet guys. You're a lucky girl! Have fun with all of your seeds!

Woody, delphiniums amongst the roses! I love that idea. Maybe I'll have to run out for some delph seeds tomorrow. I usually start some every year or so too but wasn't going to this year. But now I just may!

Mary, what talent your dh has! I really enjoyed his photos. You must be so proud of him.

Norma, wow, close call. I can't tell you how relieved I was to hear that you had minimal damage. Thank goodness for that!

I'm going to keep this short. I just put Bella down for a nap and am not feeling quite up to snuff today so I think I'm going to grab a nap for myself too. It's a little warmer here, not in the subzeros anymore, and the sun's shining brightly so that's a good thing.

Eden

Spring must be closeby. Earlier this afternoon a huge flock of Grackles and Red Wing Blackbirds descended on my backyard. There goes the birdfood budget. Usually I don't start seeing Grackles until early March. Then they hang around for a few months and make nests in the tall trees around my house. Every so often a red tailed hawk will raid one of the nests and they all go crazy and cause quite the commotion as they chase and harass it. I can always tell when the hawks are around.

It's fairly pleasant here today. I'll probably extend my walk to an hour and a half. Tomorrow we're going to head up to VT for the day and do some skiing.

Hey Martie what a neat surprise to get that book.

Woody, Misty got adopted last Sunday to a woman in her 20s who saw her picture on our website and fell in love with her. I think we're down to 4 dogs 10 or older now-one with diabetes that the owners tossed when they found out she had it. That story actually made the local news. Her adoption is pending.

Tom got home from his sleep study at 6 AM, got into bed and was snoring by 6:30. So much for a good night of sleep for me. Nick got up at 2:15 for a tour of the house and again at 4:30 to stare at me until I got up to feed them at 4:50. At least Zoe settles down and sleeps soundly through the night. I can't remember the last time I did.

So Chelone, anything special on BD celebration agenda?

Cynthia, I'm certainly impressed with your efforts to feed the dogs so well but I would be afraid to get involved in something that time consuming this early in the process. That Bravo diet Monique uses would be more up my alley as far as convenience and balance. Last night my friend actually gave me a tube and a half of it she had in her freezer from when they were trying different things on her son's rottie that has all the food allergies. As it turns out she can only have duck based food. If the natural diet cured the bad breath alone around here I'd be happy. Nick just had a dental last month and his breath reeks (of course he's my poop eater, yuck, yuck, yuck). Zoe is due for hers now.

Hmmm, only an hour til walktime. Where did this day go?

Sue

Chelone, Happy Birthday.

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Since you HATE dogs! ;) That's my Juliette, whom I'm sure you've seen before. I hope you have a lovely day. No dancing on icy roofs now! ;)

Norma, thank goodness that you stayed home that day. I'm also glad that there was little damage and that everyone's all right! Fires scare me so much that I never can sleep when we have one in the fireplace, until it's completely out. I'm glad I don't have to heat my home with it. I know I'd have to have a complete system put in to offset any chance of fire.

Kathy two fires, how scary! You must healthy respect for fire's power. I'm with you on the diabetes diet connection, for humans and animals.

Mary your DH is so talented! I don't think you're biased at all. Those photos are stunning. I agree with Cynthia, keep the pics coming.

I hope I don't have to wait until I'm 60 or whatever age Grandma Moses was to paint with music, at least for myself. I have a guitar and my voice, so maybe I'll wait until I'm sixty to start on the piano. :)

Cynthia I always am buying vits and herbs for one thing and another. I find the glucosamine and chondroitin work well for my osteo arthritic knee. I think I'm going to be giving it to my golden, Leah, soon. Goldens get hip problems, due to a genetic weakness. She's a little stiff on rising in the morning, but no pain yet.

Sue my Ds Dorthe has to take sleeping pills, and is closely monitered for problems by the Dr, or she doesn't sleep. I wonder if you could use something once in a while to get enough sleep, with some earplugs, lol. Lack of sleep is one of the reasons cited for depression, so it's that important. Maybe you need an automatic dogfood dispenser for Nick and Zoe, too, lol. The things we do for our pets. Of course it won't work for a raw diet, unless there's a raw dogfood dispenser, like an ice dispenser, on fridges. Someone should invent one I think. ;)

I hope I didn't go too far with any of my comments in my previous post. It's hard to know if one's comments or jokes are taken in the vein meant, without a face to measure with. I know I have a skewed sense of humor, and don't know if others get my humor at all.

It's sunny here, for the moment anyway. I'm off to de-doo the lawn. I just pretend I'm mucking out the stables, for some royal horses, or something, and feel less of the yuck factor when I do so. Shrug. It works for me. I use the rake and roll method of de dooing. :)

Hope everyone's having a grand day.

Yeona

So is it finally time for a chatty post from V.? First of all, I am totally done with this cold spell. Now if only Mother Nature would go along with me. My morning routine consists of getting armloads of cloths out of the closet, donning most of them and dashing out to start the car (which starts with a deep shudder), then thawing the frozen hair with a hair dryer before driving to the office. Many nights I climb into bed with my socks still on. Well, at least it hasnt slipped below zero yet tonight!

I thoroughly enjoyed the article about Marys DH as well as his photos (including bum shots). I liked his comments about using both sides of his brain in his work.

Norma, Im glad you found the fire before things got out of hand. What a frightening experience!

Chelone, I despise having my eyes dilated! Last time I had it done, I stopped at the grocery store afterwards and I had to wear sunglasses throughout the store because the lights hurt my eye.

Thats how far I got last night when DD arrived home for the weekend. I stopped and visited with her until bedtime. This morning it was seven below zero again, but it rose to a whopping 11 degrees this afternoon, so we went cross country skiing, over to the prairie area, across the pond, around the back field and back to the house. About a 45 minute trek, and I only fell once, when I slid downhill backwards. DH is in the doghouse for laughing uproariously!

I had a nice chat with my boss Thursday afternoon. We agreed that, although there had been a lot to handle and some things got a bit behind, overall we have the worst behind us. There were a lot of things that had been neglected for far too long that are getting cleaned up, and we both had to take a step back and recognize what had been accomplished. So I think my work frustrations have been "realigned" and we are re-focused on where we are going.

I will be able to get the first Friday in March off, and I am making plans to head to New Hampshire that weekend. When we discussed the day off in our Friday planning meeting, someone asked why I was headed to NH. I replied that I was going to become an Obama groupie and I would be following him to NH for the campaign. I think for a brief moment one coworker thought I was serious!

I am attempting to make olive loaf from scratch, so I will have to run shortly. I think I will post this and then read some more later. Stay warm!

V.

SighIve been tormenting myself looking at garden mags and books as the rain comes down and spring fever strikes. I noticed when I was painting upstairs today that a neighbor across the street has daffodils blooming. I also was surprised to see my Clematis armandii is budded out and ready to open .. I was going to take a pic but its too dark out today with the rain . It is comforting to know that the rain has arrived and we are descending into a normal (albeit depressing) wet winter weather pattern.

I am nearly finished painting the home office at long last. I need to do the trim and a few touch up areas, should complete that tomorrow . And I left my Felcos out last weekend, so I had to spend some quality time today with 3 in 1 oil, a sharpening stone and steel wool. The company I work for is on of the largest Felco dealers in Nor Calif, and we stock lots of parts so I could have taken the easy way out an just got new blades (mine are #2s) but I needed to do penance. Must be the Catholic upbringing !

Yeonathink that the storm leaves your neighborhood and then stops by mine! I think were having a similar weekend, rain here is expected through Tuesday. How interesting those links were on singing in tune. I think Im in tune all right, but I have no range and no vibrato. My BIL loves to sing along and he gets grief all the time from the family because he is so flat.
How bittersweet the story of Richeas dad. And to think of a life when you can only see your family on Sundays..

Cynthia, my doggie only has 8 teeth left. I am going to really read up on dog diets before I ever get another one. For awhile I was cooking rice, barley , peas and chicken for her .My parents raise Irish Setters when I was a child and they used to get raw horsemeat.

Woody , I visited Butchart Gardens in 2003, and was really blown away. I s was Sept though , so the big attraction was the Dahlias, there were some roses blooming in that awesome rose garden.. The combo of delphs and roses cant be beat IMHO. I like to throw in some lilys too..

Martie, I know there are Z5 folks who grow Michelangelo , so I would think you would be okay in 6. However he is a hybrid tea, not a climber, so if you are replacing Golden Showers with another climber M. would not be the best choice.

V, I just cant find those bum shots you were talking about re: Marys DH. I better go back and view the site again. How did the olive loaf turn out ?

OK time to gosee yall on the morrow

Kathy in Napa

I hope you had a good day Chelone.

I thought I could stretch the leftover paint I had by thinning it a little. Still wasn't enough so had to make a trip to get more. Will have to do another whole wall coat tomorrow. Did I say, "I hate to paint". Can't wait to finish this repair job. Although like Eden I think I will move on to another room. Might as well "get er done" while I'm stuck in the house.

V, I used to cross country ski. Thats a good workout. Bet DD enjoyed it too.

The seed starting talk is stirring me up. But I am barely keeping the cuttings watered. The plants have become to big for the small amount of dirt they are in and they dry out in a days time. Time to take new cuttings and repot the old ones.

Deanne, keep those bird shots coming. I would be one of the first to buy your book also.

Hey T, we need you to check in just to say hi is enough.

Later everyone. Norma

Happy Birthday Chelone
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Good morning

Chelone - hope you had a great day yesterday. Birthdays here are the best as we all get to enjoy the cards.

Thank you everyone for the comments about DH's photos. I must admit I am enormously proud of him. The great thing to see right now is his enjoying photography again. There was a decade when DH stopped shooting his own work - overload from his job and starting a family left him without time or motivation. But the photography muse has returned and I love seeing the results.

Kathy - the Bum Shots (of which DH is a specialist) are in the digital railroad site linked in the article, tastefully titled "rear ends".

Yeona - nice to hear from you. Here is a recipe I've had success with:

Almond Flour Bread (Gluten-Free)
Dry Ingredients:
1 cup of brown rice flour
1 cup almond flour
¾ cup white rice flour
¼ cup tapioca flour
2 ½ teaspoons guar gum or xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast

Wet Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice
1 - 1 ¼ cups warm water

Mix dry ingredients in food processor. Add the wet ingredients. Process until it is thick like a cake mix. Add more water as needed. Pour into pan and rise as high as ¾ of the pan. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

For cinnamon raisin or date loaf, add ½ cup of soaked raisins - (5 min in boiling water) and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. For pizza, spread the dough onto a cookie sheet using lots of olive oil to press it down. Bake at 400F for 10 minutes. Add toppings and cook another 10 minutes.

For others check out the link below - anything on her site has been great and it has become my best source for recipes. Good luck - let us know waht you try and how things turn out.

have a great Sunday everyone

Mary

Good morning!

Hi Yeona! You certainly could learn to read music - it isn't too hard. My kids are learning in school, they have a great music program. They start them out with the recorder in 3rd grade. Just remember, "Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge!" or as DS would say, "Ernie Gives Bert Dead Fish" (memory devices to remember which line represents which note). There is also "Frogs Act Crazy Everywhere" for the spaces.

Mary, I love your DH's photos. The silhouettes are my favorites. Kathy, to get to the bum shots follow the small link in the middle of the article, and click on "rear ends" on the list on the right.

Kathy, a Boston radio station has "Attitude Adjustment Hour" too, and one of the Friday songs of choice is Jonathan Edwards' "Shanty". Certainly does bring back memories! When I was in college, a CT station used to have "Psychedelic Sunday" - a great accompaniment to breakfast in bed. They don't have it any more, I checked when I went to see Sue on a Sunday last fall.

Martie, how neat to receive that book and know that the woman remembered you. A great example of how the small things that you do can really mean a lot to someone else.

Deanne, I am cleared to come to your party, and DH will be coming with me. I'll e-mail you for details. V, good to see you will be there too! Is Obama bringing his wife?

I think I'll go our looking for some new outdoor pots later, can never have too many! Maybe I'll stop by a greenhouse to see some color and smell the dirt.

Enjoy the day!

-Wendy