Oh V, I'm so sorry that life is filled with these mixed emotions. So very sad, but yes, the right place to share.

Good evening

GB - The quilt is really beautiful and I hope a great comfort to the family.

PM - yes I have Celiac Disease which means I am gluten intolerant. Annie too, and David was just tested today by his Doctor. The pasta dough was a mix of brown rice flour, garbanzo bean flour and tapioca flour.

Eating gluten sets off an autoimmune response that causes damage to the small intestine. This, in turn, causes the small intestine to lose its ability to absorb the nutrients found in food, leading to malnutrition and a variety of other complications. It is very different from an allergy.

Chelone - wheat is to be avoided, but gluten lurks in several other grains and countless hidden places. The list of things that cannot be consumed is long and boring and includes just about any processed foods. It takes as much gluten as would fit on a pin head to damage the gut so "cheating" on the diet is simply not worth it.

Learning to cook with a variety of different flours (rice, potato, tapioca, bean starch, buckwheat) is the best way to eat well. More and more gluten free products are available and I have tried many. A few are excellent, some are acceptable, but a lot really awful. They are all extremely expensive and have a very short shelf life. I have had countless disasters learning to cook without gluten but mastering something I've missed eating is well worth the time and effort. Annie has become a very good baker and this weekend made a wonderful coconut cake anyone would be proud of.

Here is a quote from my favorite GF blog about Celiac Disease:

"1 out of 100 Americans, it is estimated, has celiac disease. Only 3% of us have been diagnosed. Most of the people with celiac have belly aches or anemia or swollen joints or infertility problems or exhaustion or a multitude of little complaints that they have come to accept. They don't know that they could feel better. They could be reborn."

If you know of anyone with similar symptoms have them read about Celiac Disease and talk to their Doctor. You'll be doing them the greatest favor possible.

Mary

V - we posted at the same time and I read with sadness of the loss. Many layers of emotion I'm sure. You are right that this is a great listening post, and one that has brought me much comfort in hard times.

Mary

Uh oh, my tedious post about Celiac has killed off the thread. Having to look elsewhere for reading this morning I found this awesome site where you can make your own animated movies (just type in the script). I was so busy laughing at my own feeble attempts I'm almost late for work. I can't wait to get home and do more. (The sound effects really add a lot and the fart sound is quite realistic.)

Mary

A sunny cool day here. I must work on my knitting though as it is too muddy to work out there. :( Indoors my white Amaryllis are in bloom!

Later,
'bug

Good morning... :-)

V.....what an awful story. Life is very hard for some people, very sad.

Mary...Honestly, not only did I not find your explanation of Celiac Disease boring, I learned something about it that I didn't know. I really didn't understand that it was an immune response. Wow, the ravioli dough looks delicious considering what it is made with. I often have a difficult time digesting grains and have been on grain free diets off and on for years. I was tested for Celiac though and it was negative. We make buckwheat pancakes once in awhile, which I love the taste of. I also seem to be able to tolerate Spelt flour more than others. Almond flour is sometimes used for special diets too. I would use that more if I could find a good supplier for it.

Well...the sun is out and the sky is clear and blue...nice day out there. I took a few photos this morning. Nothing great happening yet, but things are stirring and had a good drink yesterday. I have some pansies that I hope to plant, maybe today.

Hope everyone else is enjoying some sunshine too!

{{gwi:151782}}

Galanthus planted in the fall. Happy they are coming up but they sure look small and sparse. Hopefully next year will be better?

{{gwi:151783}}

It wasn't your post on Celiac Disease that derailed the thread, Mary. I actually a lost my post this morning and had to get to work, not that there was anything particularly earth shattering to report, mind you. I actually think it's great that you've identified the thing that kept you feeling crummy for too long and instead of allowing it to confine you, you've reached beyond what appear to be limitations to discover a new way of cooking and new level of self-sufficiency. Boring? unhuh!

I was devastated to learn of my friend's suicide, V.. He was a good friend through high school, and over the years we'd periodically check in with each other, always enjoying the conversations and visits. His death, on the floor of a garage, overcome by exhaust fumes haunted me for years and still occasionally cuts me off at the knees. Perhaps it's because he called me just about the time he killed himself and I was not home to take the call. He, too, was estranged from his wife and his professional life had taken a downturn (he was a finish carpenter/furniture maker). It's a very sad and difficult thing to reconcile the abject desolation that can lead to suicide. I have viewed the world very differently in the years hence, and that's not such a bad thing. In the end, there is no changing the result and I'm sorry that you've been touched by it, too.

On my walkabout this afternoon, PM, I discovered a lone Snow Drop... how it got to that area and is all alone is a mystery. I have some yellow crocus and another pool of white ones. Two rather large clumps of Narcissus are up and budded in the fern bed behind the house. I was surprised to see the buds on them, but no less delighted. If the ground ever dries out I may be able to clean the area up a little bit, too. I have a large Holly to thin and prune and I'm more than a little daunted by the prosepect. It will be easy to put that job off. :)

Boring day at work, very quiet with co-workers toiling along on a "life sentance" and not much conversation. I hope tomorrow is more fun.

Hi Chelone... :-) Yes, I missed your post this morning too. Pretty quiet here today. I'm so sorry to hear about your high school friend. That had to be hard to take to find out he had called and you weren't home. Wish I had some words of wisdom on the subject, but I don't. My strongest feelings are often how it effects the people left behind. Especially children. Desolation is a good word to use. I can imagine life becoming too hard, too empty, too painful and hopeless. You just hope you will never find yourself there and try to keep the people around you from falling into that pit.

Isn't it nice to walk about, Chelone? Was it warm and sunny where you are today? I love the sound of your 'pool' of white crocus. I still have small little groups that I want to add to. I only have one Narcissus budding but the others can't be far behind. I think Hollies are one of the easiest shrubs to prune. They are so forgiving. If you can get your structure the way you want it and tip prune the rest, it can fill in nicely. No expert here. [g]

I headed to the nursery this morning for another tray of pansies and came home with three primrose too. I managed to finish two pots that I was adding pansies to. Knocked a few small items off my list...tied a rose to the fence. Dug out the Hay Rack, which needs a new liner. Pulled four Honesty plants that were shadowing more expensive plants and saved them for the compost pile. Then spent quite a bit of time with my Garden Journal trying to make decisions about what my priorities are. I know I won't get to everything that needs doing, so I have to do the most important. There's always something to be moved and that is usually the number one priority, before everything starts leafing out.

More rain the rest of the week but Sunday is supposed to be sunny and in the 60s!

pm2

G'bug...where did your post come from? I didn't see it before. Photos of the Amarylis?

It's sunny, but it's pretty chilly still. The wind off the water has a real chill to it and I'm glad to wear a hat when I'm outdoors! I'm a little disappointed by the dreary forecast but there isn't anything I can do about it, so it's best to look for fun and joy elsewhere, huh?

The Holly is on the corner of the house and is probably a bit too close to it, but there's no moving it now. It's a bit too wide for the site and I have really gone to town on it before so I know what you mean about their "forgiveness". I have wondered repeatedly if I could trim it in a way to encourage it to grow up, the goal being a more formal, columnar shape. One that could be sheared seasonally, perhaps. It's obviously very happy and was covered in berries (until the birds discovered them) but it really does need it's exuberance curbed. ;)

I am writing to you via a new computer. My old machine was painfully slow and made doing many things tedious and not very much fun. One of the helpmeet's friends is very much into all things "technical" and enjoys putting together computers (go figure!). So, I have a new system housed in an old HP tower. And I have a flat screen monitor. It has some nice applications and I'll be able to burn CDs/DVDs (if I learn how) but I really like that it's got enough moxie to stream radio while doing other things, as well. The only glitch encountered is the "service pack" (I think that's what it's called) for my Nikon Coolpix 4300 camera... it doesn't work with Windows XP and he wasn't able to find the upgrade for it yesterday, so he's working on that for me. But it's fast! I feel like I'm in the Batmobile instead of in Fred Flintstone's sedan. :) Best of all, it was short money!

Now I have to spend some quality time answering the e-mail from the place that had potentially useful cutting/work table options for the Salon.

Yeah! 'bug's post wasn't there when I posted this afternoon!

Did anyone see my post from yesterday with the ballet clip? I haven't taken the amaryllis yet, but I enjoyed this one. Was it V who took this at her house?

Two of the greatest of life's virtues, patience and wisdom.
{{gwi:151785}}

Congrats to Chelone on the new machine.

'bug, that photo made me do a double-take!

Speaking of doubles, we had a skinny little thunderstorm blow over and leave behind a double rainbow. Here's the end of, disappearing on the neighbor's property. It was just too cold to go out and find the pot of gold.

{{gwi:151787}}

But I found something more exciting than a pot o' gold. I found the start of a bloom on my clivia!

{{gwi:151789}}

I've been telling the clivia all winter that this is its year to bloom, and lo and behold it listened to me. There'a a story behind my clivia; it was a gift from a family friend named Fred. Fred was quite an eccentric fellow who lived in a hard-to-describe home built by his own hand. I'm one of the few people who ever actually entered his house, and that was to view all of his clivias when they were in bloom. He had around thirty of them, and it was quite the display. He shared one of the pups with me, and the next winter the house burned and all the clivias were lost. Fred took ill after the fire and never lived on his own after that until he passed away. So I always think of this as "the last of Fred's clivias" and I'm pleased to see the display.

Mary, I've been thinking of you and your lack of response from the violin teacher a while back. I've really enjoyed my on-line writing class and have had very nice comments from the teacher. Our last assignment consisted of three parts, and in her comments she asked for permission to use two of them as examples for future classes. I emailed her, gave her permission to use the pieces and asked her for a recommendation to take my writing a little further. No response...

Yours in frustration interrupted by rainbows and clivias,

V.

Mary, I am so glad David was okay after the fall. And I would love to taste your ravioli. It looks yummy.

Martie, happy to hear that you see progress for your brother. Hope it continues to move forward for you guys.

Bug, those buttons are adorable, and I love the little suit. Lucky baby to have such a talented Nana. I also thought Reed's quilt was beautiful. So much love your family is receiving. Hope Sarah is feeling fine.

Chelone, you continue to amaze with your talents. Hope you find your cutting table. The internet is a wonderful thing.

V, when you've got it, you've got it:) I have been invited to sign up for linkdin, but haven't done so. I am sort of planning to stay off the grid as long as possible, but I guss a lot of people are on facebook, etc. I read somewhere that people my age are the fastest growing group of people joining networking groups. Makes sense I guess. No one has tried to contact me, but someone did sign my guestbook at classmates.com. I would like to find out who it is, but I don't want to become a Gold member:)

Deanne, your plate was beautiful. I didn't realize you had a website, but found it online with no problem. Gorgeous work! I love the painted fruit. I have always had fruit pictures in my kitchen. I really like the sailboat painting, too.

Norma I have Spring envy after seeing your lovely photos.

Michelle, congrats on making progress at your parent's house. Funny how we get sore when using different muscles. I noticed that one day after I painted the lower half of my kitchen, and was crawling around on the floor.

I have to say that this group is one of the most talented, interesting group of people I can imagine, and I feel lucky to have met you. Funny and tolerant, too! Perfect in fact. I am off to take off the last of the wallpaper in my little tea room which is off the kitchen. Chelone, I have the kitchen painted and almost put back together. I am waiting for my new hardware to come in, and plan to get the tea room painted by the end of the week. Will post photos next week, hopefully. I would like to highly recommend triple antibiotic cream to anyone who gets a cut. The other day I cut my hand on a metal sign Skip bought at Sam's Club.It wasn't a deep cut at all, more like a graze, so I just washed it with soap and water, forgot about it. The next day my palm was very sore and swollen. Skip gave me the ointment and it was like a miracle drug. Hope you all have a nice evening!

D.

V - I know just how you might be feeling. Fingers crossed you get a response soon. I learned patience really is a virtue. Is there any writing you can share with us? Love the clivia.

PM and Chelone - thanks for your responses. I've felt self-conscious about posting too much about health related issues of late and thought I'd finally tired everyone out.

GB - I was so taken with Reed's quilt I missed checking out the ballet. It is way cool and something I need to share with David. He will enjoy the dog and skunk pic too - a wise pooch!

Marian - how are you feeling?

Chelone - hope you are enjoying zipping through cyber space on your new computer.

I am thoroughly enjoying my seedlings right now, especially as there is sitll space under lights for everything that needs it. That could change with the invasion of the zinnias. Oh,and tomatoes, I need to start those soon too. My double purple datura has stubbornly refused to germinate so will be banished to the cold for another go around. Cherry Rudbeckia on the other hand has just come in and I'm anxiously awaiting germination. Its amazing what a thrill those tiny spears of green bring.

Far less exciting, another sure sign of spring - I saw my first pantry moth this morning:0( Time to buy traps and go through my dry goods.

Mary

Drema - your kitchen sounds as though it will be wonderful and I especially love the idea of a little "tea room". Can't wait to see pictures.

Mary

A Monday that is really Tuesday is more tolerable than a real Monday . Its pleasant out this evening and I did a WALAT to peruse the 3 roses that are racing to be the first open (and a potential pic for the Idylls) and it looks like Reine des Violettes and Madam Issac are giving the Archduke a run for his money.

Mary, that was interesting reading about Celiac disease, were you diagnosed as an adult? It interests me where some of these food intolerances come from, and it sounds like this one goes way back-I start to think about ancient people and crops that might be indigenous to the area they lived in I have a friend who cant eat any citrus , and I can imagine her early ancestors coming from lands where citrus was unknown, and some sort of rejection gene being carried on for centuries. Dont you love all the cool new Rudbeckias that have been introduced in the last few years? And the Gaillardias too.

Well, lookee, we have some Pics from PM ! You know that one always seems to come home from the nursery with more than one went for , lol. Its comparable to going to the grocery store when you are hungry-especially in spring !

V, I hope you get some feedback for your writings, when I was contributing to the newspaper I always was happy to get comments from my editor be they positive or negative, it helped me to improve. You can proofread something a million times but there always seems to be something you miss. My biggest 2 rules are never under any circumstances to start a sentence with After all" and never to use the phrase Now, more than ever" . After all, I often get annoyed reading them , now more than everlol.

Hi Drema ! Glad you got your dates squared away for IU before you made invalid arrangements !
And a Tea Room ??! We all should have one of those I think- its sounds very intriguing, and Im hoping you make good with the promise of the photos..I have a home office that has yet to be completed and now is sporting DSs music equipment.

Off to work on the fantasy baseball team again. Buenos Noches all..

Kathy in Napa

Thanks for asking, Mary. Each day is a struggle. I am glad you posted about gluten intolerance. That is one condition that I have done no research on. It sounds really hard to cope with. I keep thinking of giving links to Fibromyalgia Syndrome. It is so little understood, and it is so hard taking the unsensitive remarks of well-meaning (?) friends. When they ask me how I am, I hate lying and saying "I am fine", but the responses that get to me the most is: "Everyone has aches and pains", and: "But you look so good"!!!
When at my doctors the last time I suggested that I may be helped by taking Cymbalta. I really hate taking mind altering meds, but have about reached the end of my rope. I also hate all the possible side effects, but I took the prescription that she wrote in to my pharmacist today. They were out of it, but it will be mailed to me. It is for the very lowest dosage available.
It isn't just the unrelenting pain that is getting to me...it is the mind problems, which include cognitive problems; both long and short term memory loss; and anger. Add to the other stuff, the loss of strength.
I got disgusted enough about the condition of my kitchen floor yesterday that I mopped it with my old-fashioned rag mop. The job just about did me in.... I had to resort to added pain meds last night in order to get some sleep.
I made it to the GY class today, and got my shopping done.

I am sorry about the loss of those from suicide. A man that I may have married, but chose Nolon instead, reinlisted in the Navy, and was killed. I have felt guilt about that.

We had more rain last night, and there are very muddy spots in our circle drive. We have to wade through water to get to and from our car. There was a cold wind today.
I am thinking this is one of the longest winters I have seen since moving here. Maybe it is because I am doing most of the carrying in of the wood? Nolon kindly restocked the indoor pile while I was in town today. I will wait until morning to restart the fire. It is still 71 inside, but 43 outside. The stove has some heat left from this morning's fire. It will most likely be all out by morning. I made the mistake of leaving the stove not shut down enough while I was gone, and it was too warm inside when I got home. It has got that I cannot depend on Nolon to check it, or the indoor temp. Since he wears his winter wordrobe inside and out, I should have shut it down.

Marian

Mind altering drugs have their place, Marian trust me on this). Without them I'm not sure what would have become of my very underweight and extremely depressed Mum. There is nothing like grinding discomfort and worry about other things that are largely beyond your control to wear you down mentally. I know a little too much about the latter and worry for you. Every little thing that someone used to do with regularity and reliably that is no longer within their ability puts more pressure and responsibility on your shoulders. And, inevitably, more worry. It's good that spring and warm weather are on the way, at least the stove and heat will no longer be front and centre for a little while anyway. Let's hope the Fibro. abates soon and you get a bit of a breather.

You know, I know absolutely nothing about tea. Mum adored it and it was one of the easiest ways to get the requisite amount of water into her after the urostomy surgery. She had what I called the "perpetual cup of tea"... I'd keep adding hot water and a new tea bag and she'd lap it right up! Personally, I've never cared for it, but if Mary prepared some good stuff for me in a silver tea pot and we sipped it in Drema's tea room I'm certain I'd love it. :)

I can't wait to see the results in your kitchen and tea room, Drema. It all sounds very exciting. I sure hope things are OK in your world these days. I'm still waiting for a couple of prices from the building supply place in town. The "bath designer" who took down the information was supposed to get back to me on Monday, but was also under the gun for a kitchen remodel and is attending a conference today I think, so it may be a few days. But I want to get crackin' on it as soon as I'm able.

V., I love the story of Fred's Clivia. I recall the clip of the fire near your home a year/two back... was that Fred's house? It's first flower and the double rainbow are fortuitous indeed, are they not? Affirmation is a good thing, and sometimes it's hard to hear nothing when hearing something would make such a big difference. :(

Meal Moths are the pits, Mary. The helpmeet has a special antipathy toward them having battled them when he had his store. We always wonder how they get here in the first place.

I just finished my cereal and have the nagging suspicion the milk is starting to "turn", not being a milk expert I'm not entirely certain. But think this may auger the creation of a cake since I know one may use soured milk with great results. We'll see how I feel about some baking when I get home later today.

And now, I must away to the land of chaos and filth to once more toil on the present "rock pile" (I should wear something with horizontal stripes on it). I sure hope the reply to my specs on cutting tables arrives today with good news. And I hope Kathy is greeted with some roses very shortly!

Good morning... :-)

Marian, what happened to you? You were doing so well a couple of months ago. Can you figure out what may have changed? I often try to remember to notice when I feel really good, what could possibly be the factors that are contributing to that. Then when I am not feeling well, I compare what I am doing to when I was feeling well, to see if anything is really different. It has helped me many times to put my finger on what happened. I have heard that often with Fibromyalgia, the changing of the seasons sometimes has a negative effect, but I am not sure that is true. You did say it is raining again, could all the rain you've been getting have something to do with it? I hope you will be careful with that medicine and very observant to catch any side effects.

Expecting a quiet day here. Rain expected the rest of the week. The garden can use it but I was just starting to enjoy warmer sunny days!

Kathy....hard to believe it is already baseball/rose season! You must be having a great week. :-)

Mary...I will be interested to hear how the Cherry Rudbeckia works out. What will you pair it with?

Chelone....new computer! And a computer guru friend, how great is that! I am expecting lots more photos now! :-)

Hello Drema..!

Well...I have some big news. DH and I are looking at properties in York, Maine. We have an appointment this weekend, to see the house in the link below. We are very excited!! With mortgage rates so low and home prices coming down, we are feeling like the time may be right for us. We have always wanted to move to Maine. My mother's family came from Maine. I will keep you updated on how it goes. Who knows, maybe there will be a new garden to visit this summer? :-)

On the home front...I discovered the 'Plum Pudding' Heuchera I divided last fall has survived...

{{gwi:151791}}

Have a great day!
:-)

I'm afraid I have not been a very good idyller....I have been reading, but I haven't had much to say,

I feel chatty today :)

V., always remember that any number of things could have happened to your email correspondence! Throw her off her game and ask her about it :) Maybe your email got stuck in her spam filter :)

I would like to read more of your writings. Maybe you could give us an assignment to do with you!

Chelone, you look so different in your new computer :) Your words are really fresh this morning :)

Marian, I am sorry to hear that you have been feeling down. I know that mood you're talking about, and it is not a nice place to be :)

Fred's clivia is lovely. I love the story of Fred too.

My first true love died in a work accident.

I had my first facebook stalking incident a couple of weeks ago and I was mortified. I dated this person while in the Navy, so Nick knows him well and had a good time razzing me about it. The stalker said, "just think, we could've been married all this time..." Um, no. Isn't there a way to say "hello" without being creepy? I think it is possible, but possibly I didn't date those people, lol....

Kathy, we don't have roses til June so scratch my last musings of us being 6 wks behind you...more like 8 weeks! Your pictures are looking really good! I keep meaning to bring my camera around town to join you in a photo tour, especially now that it's getting it's spring spruce up.

My neighbor is feeling good this year and I have been helping her in her garden. I think she is finally going to sell to the masses (she usually only sells to friends/referrals) and I think it will be fun. I am helping her erect a greenhouse today - we built the frame yesterday. I can use it, too, she says. Should I put my tropicals in and try to force them out of dormancy? I worry about the 40 degree nights...not sure how that works.

Well, today is magic day, and Cindy knows that means I must go clean my house before the magic comes! I am glad to know that Drema has deemed us all perfect :) I think she may be onto something....

Saucy

Chelone - the secret to a good cup of tea is to warm the tea pot first with boiling water (a silver pot might taste a bit funky but bone china will do well). Remove the warming water and add a good quality Darjeeling, Assam or Ceylon tea, maybe Earl Grey if you are in the mood for something a little smokey. Loose tea is the choice for purists but tea bags work just as well. Fill with *boiling* water (MUST be boiling). Cover pot with your tea cozy to keep warm and allow to steep for 2 minutes. Remember - tea should be brewed not stewed (ie left too long). Pour a little milk into your favorite bone china mug (preferably one with flowers or botanic illustations LOL!) and fill with steaming tea. Add sugar if taste dictates. Sit back an enjoy.

I love a good cup of tea but rarely drink it anywhere other than home. I find some of the weird herbal teas friends serve akin to sipping pot pourri, and the restaurant mug of barely warmed water with a poor quality tea bag perched on the side a poor excuse for the real thing. Just call me a tea snob.

PM - how exciting about the house. Just think how close you would be to IU6! Fingers crossed it works out. I'm thinking Cherry Rudbeckia would look good with blue Salvias which go with almost anything.

Marian - hope your new meds are right for you and help your situation. Things sound very tough right now.

Time to run - have a good day everyone

Mary

The sun is shining in and it looks like it will be a pretty day....
With that in mind, I want to thank Chelone for her understanding. It really helps to have "been there".
Pm2, the best answer to your question as to "What happened" to me is in the attached link:

I have another link I want to post, but don't know how to put both on together.....
This one pretty well sums up how I feel, and what those who do not have the condition need to understand when dealing with those who have have FMS:

York, Maine. Sounds good to me...except perhaps the winter temperatures. I have very fond memories of Stonington and Deer Isle where my college friend built her own house. I do mean she did it herself too. She also built her art studio and an outhouse just behind her gardens. ;) It was delightful finding her by total surprise 25 years after freshman year together! (Not on Facebook either!)

This has been a very difficult start to the week with my favorite little family. Monday morning began at DD's work with a former employee stopping by and asking DD how Reed is doing. Then she discovered the quilt being made for her on her forum, then a few other things. She couldn't go home either because she had already signed in for the full end of year day. Once she returned home, DSIL was also struggling. He has recently had recurring troubles thinking about finding Reed and giving him CPR. He knows that dwelling on those things isnt helpful, but ignoring those emotions isnt either. So they talked about it, and hugged each other, and cried, and promised Baby2 that they wouldnt love him/her any less than Reed, and then played cards

On the good news front, they made a body cast of DD's belly together on Sunday. DD gained 5 pounds since her previous midwife visit and that is good. Also, on the Skyler front, the process of getting a co-parenting coordinator is moving forward.

I have been assigned the job of buying 5 HUGE chocolate bars. So that is my morning mission. DH has 5 students who deserve them, some for finding bugs in a program, others for volunteering to participate in a debate/role play event with him tomorrow in front of the class. This will be the last lecture of the term.

It is not quite 40F and a bit rainy so far today...but there are robins and yellow winter aconite about!

Feel better everyone, spring cheer will get here eventually.
'bug

Marian...I do understand more than you know, about your condition and your experiences with it. I read the links you offered any way, just to refresh myself. I still have seen that Fibromyalgia/CFS symptoms are at times worse than others and are sometimes worsened by some trigger. Whether it be more exertion, rainy weather, stress, etc. I do realize that you are always having pain and other uncomfortable symptoms. My question, 'What happened to you?' sort of lost it's intention in writing that it would have had in person. Imagine me smiling at you when I said it. :-) I was really expressing that I noticed such a difference in your frame of mind [therefore the way you are feeling physically]. I also struggle with health problems and it is just my way to try to moderate them any way I can, since, for me, taking medication has created more problems than it's solved, so that is where my response to you was coming from. Sorry if it didn't help. :-( I hope you will understand that sometimes I am at a loss as to what to say. I do read what you post and do worry about you. I thought Woody just expressed a very supportive statement about you and Nolon, which I expressed agreement with. I have often thought that you and Nolon need more help than you have, but I have not said so, because I figure you must know that too and if there was help to be had, you would avail yourself of it. I think having responsibility for you and Nolon with your medical condition must put you in a position of overexerting yourself often, and must be stressful. I do sympathize, I guess I'm just not that good at expressing it. :-) I really hope you get some relief from the pain you are feeling. And I agree with Chelone, perhaps, once the weather warms up and you are no longer having to bring wood in and can go sit in the sun and watch your plants grow, maybe you will find some improvement.

Saucy...I enjoy your chatty days, glad you poked your head in. :-) How exciting about your neighbor's greenhouse. Lucky duck! Great for seed starting in the spring. Not experienced with using one for tropicals. .... I was also going to take some photos last time I was out, to join Kathy in her photo tour, but my camera was out of batteries. Oh well, next time. About your first true love...were you still dating him at the time?

Mary...I love a good cup of tea, but end up with herbals to avoid the caffeine. I eagerly await photos of Rudbeckia and Salvia. More later about the house...

G'bug...you certainly know some interesting people. :-) What an adventure that sounds like, actually building your own home on an island, with gardens and an art studio to boot! ..... I'm sorry to hear about the week DD/DSIL are having. Sounds like it may have been cathartic. I can't imagine how they would have escaped having such a week. What a shock it must have been for someone to ask about Reed though. Wow. A body cast of the belly...lol. Well, does Skyler have 'show and tell' at school any time soon? [g]

pm2

I've been a terrible Idyller lately. I've just been so busy trying to finish up last minute details in "the house" Lots of changes at work as well.

Last night we went on the webcam with Kenzie which we hadn't done for a while. For some reason they could hear us but we couldn't hear them so we had to stay on the phone with them. DSIL who is the techy at their house was flying.

It was fun to find a gardening book in my mailbox the other day. A complimentary copy of The Best of Birds and Blooms 2009. They published my container picture,recipe and quote in this book. They used it in another book and a magazine in the past.

PM, I found your comments interesting about feeling good or bad and what may have brought it on. I had an interesting experience lately with hot flashes, which I really hadn't had very often before. I usually drink green tea every day. After we went to FL I got lax and quit. I got the worst hot flashes every night. I started the green tea and also started with black cohosh root and I almost have none.

Mary, I loved your description of proper tea making. I do use boiling water and steep about 2 minutes. I do it in a travel mug instead of tea pot. I usually only drink the green since its supposed to have so many health benefits. I use a little honey and I never drink it unless I make it. Kenzie loves to drink tea with lots of milk. She asks for it every morning. She gets decaf.

Wow, how exciting to consider moving to another state. I doubt that I will ever live anywhere other than here. I supposed in retirement Minnesota would be a possiblity since we only live 2 miles from its border.
'bug, sorry to hear about the tough week. I'm sure there so many highs and lows for all of you.

Saucy, how neat that you and your neighbor built a greenhouse. What materials did you use? I still want one like Eden's.

That's all I have time for - talk to you all later.

Michelle

Greetings, "peeps" -- I've been following along (altho perhaps not so well as Im mulling who's contemplating a move to another state in this thread - oops, overshot and must re-read I guess)!

V- I love that grouping of plants you put together for your table -- ranunculus is a particular fav of mine. I confess I havent planted a single pansy or annual yet -- altho I hope to this weekend, if I ever get to the store.

Took a "cruise" to PA last weekend for family drop-in and a "garden therapy" day on Monday to recover, LOL -- had a freebie mini-shrink session w/ my DD upon my return frm PA to delouse me of all the family drama -- it's nice to have it fall away -- I hate feeling the contagion of it seeping into one's brain, despite your knowing it should not! Things are a la usual for there.... I've been dealing w/ some stupid issue re my hip and/or sciatic nerve that I attempted to ignore for too long -- hopefully it will mend in a month w/ some meds the dr gave me; in the meantime, I try to ignore it to do some outside, much needed cleanup. Luckily, no more turkeys falling dead on my front!

It's been a cool spring here and I know I'll regret saying that one of these days when it suddenly hits 80 and I wonder where the tulips went.

Drema - I am with you re staying off the social network radars -- it's odd to me how people seem compelled to return to old school or old ofc connections -- and it's certainly way too easy to find folks today. I read just the other day an etiquette Q&A about is it properr to refuse a co-worker's Friend request on FB.... how the world is changing!

Reading of tea rooms and proper methods of brewing made me recall my dear grandmother who loved to have tea in the p.m. and as a child I learned how to do it "properly" and use milk -- I have many fond memories of those tea times with grown-ups. I generally will drink it in the p.m. myself if I want something warm, altho I dont have teapots or anything equipment now to do the proper job.

Michelle -- sounds like you kept the group in proper form to get your parents house refreshed -- what a lovely group family thing to do!

Glad to learn that Mary got some line on how to "work the system" re another job, and David survived his scary fall. You guys need to send the black cloud along to someone else!

Im looking forward to this weekend that should have good gardening weather and getting a lot accomplished and really into the swing of things and put those plans from paper into action. And maybe even a photo or two would be nice.

'bug - Im sorry to hear about the ups and downs but I imagine that will happen for a bit longer; luckily Surprise will be along soon and take up lots of everyone's attention!

Just think, in a few weeks we shall be hearing of Eden's Jen and 'bug's Sarah and their new bundles of squigglies (those things that Chelone hates along with dawgs).

--cindy

Ooops -- that's what happens when one only shows up on occasion -- I meant to say what a charming story and pic, V, of Fred's last clivias... what a wonderful story and so telling of the meaning of gardening!

-cindy

I am sorry...my links seemed to be pointing at Pm2 in particular, but they were not meant to be....

Marie, I feel so badly about the hard times that all are having because of the loss of Reed. I pray that time will eventually dull that pain. ( There is certainly no meds that one can take to do so. ) It is truely sad that so many lose loved ones before 'their time' . I don't recall my mother having visible reminders of the son she lost at age 21 months, except for one framed picture. She was blessed with 5 more children, so we all kept her very occupied and there was, perhaps, not much time for remembering. I know she did mourn the loss of her mother each year at the time of her death, and granddma lived to be 87! I do not feel such a loss at the death of the elderly. After all, it is inevitable....a part of life. It is as natural as birth.

Mary, my mother was a tea drinker, but she was not as meticulous about it's brewing as you. She also put sugar and cream in hers! I prefer honey in mine, and I like a lot of the herbal teas as well. I should get into the habit of drinking more, espacially the green tea. I wonder if the decaffinated type is as good for a body?
I hope David is not having after effects from his fall. I can hardly imagine how scary that must have been for him and for you!
I would be interested in sampling your ravioli. They look good. :-)

Woody, I do really appreciate what you said about Nolon and I. Actually he is doing better than I. He is doing what he enjoys. Most of what I do is the necessities. It has got to where even walking around our yard is very trying for me. I am certainly hoping "this too shall pass".
As I have told you in the past, you are an inspiration to me. The thing is....none of us can feel what the other is feeling. I still wish my Dr would set me up for a whole body scan. I feel there is something that is being missed by her.
I love your hellebore. That is a flower that I have never tried to grow.
I love the pic of you at work, and the dogs 'resting' behind you.

Kathy, I am envious of your lilac and bleeding hearts. I have lost both of mine. I pondered buying a new bleeding heart, and will if I find an offer that I like. I have an old fashioned purple lilac in a pot. I may put it at the southeast end of our house....

Chelone, I have never grown the white bleeding hearts. Maybe I will get one of them, too. :-) Reseeding would be very welcome.
Count me in as one who is amazed at your sewing skills. My idea of patching jeans is to iron on a patch! :-(
Congrats on your new computer and monitor. Exciting to have them, I am sure.

Julie, I never responded to your question about growing a Japanese maple indoors, since I have no experience in doing that. I would think it would have be be grown in a bonsai manner. Ours, that was damaged so badly by the hard late freeze a couple of years ago, has put up gobs of new shoots. I will wait until they are larger, and cut out most of them. I have another seedling one that I got from Vernon Barnes fall before last. It does not look as though it will be as red. It is still in it's pot.

Bug, you are tempting me to get aome of those beautiful elderberries. We have the native one out back by the woodshed. I tried a red berried one, but it did not survive. You are so talented! The baby outfits are great. Our Tim had only store bought outfits.
I have to chuckle over your dog and skunk pic. Ah, yes...patience and wisdom!

V, your "spring flower arrangment" is beautiful, and so practical. :-)
Lovely rainbow, and lovely clivia. The clivia reminds me of the bromeliads that I saw in WalMart yesterday. I was very tempted!

Every now and then I read something that one of you has posted that strikes my funnybone, or some other pleasant cord, then when I go back and scan the posts, I cannot find it again. :-( Often it is an expression that I enjoy. If I didn't get so far behind, I wouldn't mess up that way!

Pm2, what is the plant in your first pic? It looks very familiar, and pretty.

Saucy, (and others on Facebook) are you getting lots of junk email with facebook in their posting name? I am so annoyed that ever since I signed up there I am getting those trashy emails. I have not done anything there except post my picture....and I regret doing that! I forgot my password there, and emailed them about it. I was emailed instructions as to how to reinstate it, but have not persued that. That was over a month ago....
I am wondering how many of the Idyll members have moved over to facebook.

Again, my apologies to Pm2, in conection to the links. If you go back to my post before your query,you will see I had already mentioned posting links. I didn't do it because of your question,Pm2. I just hope to help everyone have more understanding towards anyone who has that condition. After having it for over at least 40 years, I am well acquainted with most of it's ups and downs. I hate that it is dragging me down to being an old grouch! I am fighting that vigorously.

Saucy, when I was taking pics of my Burkwood Viburnum there was a yellow honeybee enjoying it's nectar. I thought of you. :-)

Michelle, how fun to not only talk to Kenzie but to see her while talking. I would enjoy that with my GDs .
They may be here again this weekend. Tim mentioned coming the last time we talked.
I have not renewed my Birds and Blooms, and my last issue is/was April/May Garden Special. I don't imagine I will get the one you spoke of.

I guess I have rambled on long enough. Hope all are having a good day.

Marian

Yarrgh! I have a Sears popup coming on my post, and clickable links in it! I do not like that!

Marian, yes, you can get alot of spam from Facebook that is not pleasureable. I used a "dummy" email address that I have set up for sites like that where I know there is the potential for spam.

I got started on FB because Jake wanted to try it out. We play word games together and he feels like he's doing something cool.

Michelle, it's a "real" greenhouse, lol! It's aluminum framed with 3 tiers of shelves and polycarbonate windows - sheet plasic walls and roof. I am impressed with our greenhouse erecting skills and think we should market our skills :) It's 14X20 or something close to that....

I'm whooped. Off to shower and then out to dinner!

Saucy

Five large chocolate bars are now purchased for the students...along with other groceries for us. I was sure glad to see pay day come around this month!!!

Doing laundry now, did treadmill, knitting too. I wonder what dinner will be?

My clivia was a gift too V. But it has faded now. It lives in the cold front hall year round and seems to thrive there. I usually murder indoor plants, so this mystifies me.

Here's a photo for today, but not up to Eden's cat clubhouse. This is why my bed rarely gets made!

{{gwi:151793}}

'bug

That's quite a crew, 'bug. I would be hard-pressed to boot 'em outta the rack and make the bed, too. Me Too reminds me of turn of the (last) century portraits of men with their hair parted down the middle. Vita is at the top of the shot, yes?

Last night, Spencer needed to cuddle which means he isn't happy unless he's right under my chin. He drools. I rolled over and he put his head over my ear. And then began to drool into it... a "wet willie" from a cat, lol! Nice.

The sink is still full of dishes. I forgot to set the butter out to warm this morning and if there is to be any baking it will be after dinner AND therefore unlikely.

I meant to comment on the skunk at the dog's dish. My brother has had a couple of similar experiences, one with a skunk sharing the "crunchie" bowl with a now deceased cat of his. The other one is the best, though. He fell asleep on the couch and had evidently left the back door open for the cats. He awakened and headed to bathroom only to see a skunk trundle out of the side room and casually move to the water bowl in the kitchen before vacating the house in a calm and utterly self-possessed manner. "No one goes hungry" is his motto.

:)

(just watched the ballet video, too and really liked it. It's easier with a faster computer!)

Hello, hello....

Such a long, purposeless day today. Glad it is almost over. Not one thing done on the garden front today. Tomorrow is another day.

I wonder how Eden is doing? Must be pretty busy this week.

Marian...no need to apologize. It was a good idea to post the links. It's not an easy situation for most people to understand and it helps so much when someone does. :-) And hey, I get grouchy for a lot less than being in constant pain. :-) The plant in that first photo, was Lupine, a very common plant. My daughter really likes them so I went crazy with the seeds last year. I am happy to see them coming back. Some of them will bloom for the first time this year.

Michelle...you did catch the drift of what I was trying to say. I have had a few 'Aha' moments like the one you described. I sometimes have neurological pain in my hands and feet, and there was one episode that lasted longer than usual, about 6 months and I was really getting tired of it, and despite a lot of research I couldn't get the symptoms to abate. Then one day, I woke up with a twitch under my eye. In some of my reference books, it mentioned twitching as a result of too little magnesium. I was surprised because I was drinking a lot of green drinks at the time to get the magnesium. I'd had the twitch before but had not connected it to the neuro pain. It didn't go away after a night's sleep, which was what it usually did, but was still bothering me three days later. I got pretty frustrated with it and decided to look up every food that had magnesium in it and eat as much of it as I could. Turns out nuts and seeds have the most magnesium in them, so I started eating them at every meal. I was so surprised when the twitch resolved within hours. I was so encouraged that I kept eating lots of them and noticed the neuro pain in my feet and hands was also improving. Within 3 weeks I had no more pain in my hands and feet. Needless to say I was astonished. I had already been to a neurologist and had asked about pain meds because the pain was really getting to me, and he had told me he could give it to me, but it might only give me 30% improvement and would most likely have side effects. I found a 100% improvement with no side effects just by being stubborn I guess, in looking for another way. [g] That lesson made quite an impression on me. I'm going to have to remember green tea for hot flashes. :-) Is black cohosh root, a capsule?

Cindy...sorry about sciatic nerve pain...ouch! I am still scratching my head about dead turkeys?!

What a colorful trio of felines you have there G'bug. What are each of their names?

Well, I am disappointed that no one here has made even one attempt at an April Fool's joke today?! I have been waiting all day for Chelone to get on and see my post about moving but she didn't have time to catch it I guess. Since the day is almost over, I will have to admit, that my moving to Maine was really only an April Fool's joke. :-0 Poor attempt I know. I guess it doesn't work so well on Idylls. It is that long delay, waiting for everyone to get in on the joke and dragging it out all day.

April Fools!!!
:-)

:) PM, I was happy for you to move to Maine! I am gullible...I would've believed you were moving to Timbuktu :)

I should have guessed...but I was had! I didn't think it made sense with your kids nearby, your garden work, and all that joy about packing up your belongings didn't ring true...in retrospect!

As to eating nuts...I love them!!! All kinds. My latest delight is (low cal) almond butter. For tea I enjoy herbal teas, no caffeine. I add no milk or sugar, but I do insist the water be boiling hot. If I make it in a pot, I do Mary's routine. Otherwise I make it in a mug in the microwave. I like lemon tea as well as Ginger/Peach. Some of the others are too perfumed for me, like the raspberry or cranberry types.

The white cat is MeToo, the darkest one is Minou (NouNou) and the orange & black girl is Vita.

'bug

LOL...Now that I think of it, I was not creative enough. Timbuktu...now that would have been funnier.[g] I think I picked Maine, to get a rise out of Chelone. Plus, my mother's family really did come from Maine and I have always wanted to move there. :-)

I am always the gullible one in my family, Saucy.

G'bug...I love almond butter now too. I haven't eaten peanut butter in a long time. I have a new favorite herbal tea too...Cinnamon Apple Spice by Celestial Seasonings. Very strong cinnamon taste. .... very cute names...Was Minou the first cat? I looked it up, I figured it was French. Pussy Cat..[g]. I'm sure there is a story that goes with MeToo?

Ok...that's it for me for the night. :-)

PM - moving to Maine would be something I'd love to do in retirement. I was thinking how lucky you are LOL! I've had episodes of twitchy eye and next time I'm going to try your remedy - pass the nuts.

Marian - one of the things that is so special about the Idylls is learning about the things that are part of each others lives. Link away!

In that vein, here are a couple of things I've been listening to today. Something classic: Everybody Knows by Leonard Cohen

And something classical - Pinchas Zukerman and Itzak Perlman playing Handels Passacaglia - sublime!

What have you listened to lately?

Mary

Saucy is the gullible one - she fell for it this morning when I posted on my Facebook status that my morning sickness was so bad I couldn't think up a good April Fools joke.

'bug, Clivias are known to thrive on neglect, so it sounds like you are doing the right thing!

Mary, sorry to hear that you are dealing with the dreaded moths. Getting rid of my last ones seemed to take forever. I became very suspicious of the rice mixes from Near East. I haven't bought them since the outbreak and have not had any more problems. But I think I have fungus gnats now!

Today was our first "long day' at the office, even though the work load has not increased yet. So not much else to share tonight.

Still no email...

V.

Well, PM , I must say you had me fooled ! I took the virtual tour and pondered Chelone making slipcovers for you and perhaps awnings !

I diligently went to be early last night and I had a nightmare which woke me up mid-night-one-ish. Cant remember a thing about it now (just as well I guess !) and it took me a couple of hours to go back to sleep. When my alarm went off this morning I dozed right off again and overslept till 6:30 (usually on my 2nd cup of coffee at the awfice by then) so of course I felt groggy as hell all morning after the leaping out of bed and rushing out thing. Felines were indignant at the late breakfast and awfice mates got many hours of humor mileage out of it.

Marian, thank you for posting the links on Fibro, I am very ignorant on the subject and these helped me to understand your challenges. I hope your good days can be enjoyed and its fortunate that your curiosity and interest in the natural world keeps you mentally engaged. You always sound pretty lucid to me ! When will you start moving the plants out to your deck ? Maybe if Tim visits he can help with that ? Might as well take advantage of the young and strong when they are around..

Saucy, youre moving right up there with our remodel mavens (Chelone, Mary, Michelle, Eden etc) with this greenhouse gig. ! You should definitely rate some winter space in there in exchange for your labors .. will we get to see a pic ? Cmon and get the frikken camera out !

All for me tonight- Over and Out !

Kathy in Napa

The dog and I went out to one of the outlying woodpiles yesterday afternoon and the ground is so wet there are little pools around your feet if you stand for some time in one spot. Hard to believe we're down about 2" of precipitation for the month of March. I also noted the ground is absolutely covered with acorns. It's like walking on ball bearings and I alos noted that many of them have sprouted... If the ground ever dries enough I'll have some vigorous raking ahead of me because I don't thing the shop vac. is up to the job. ;) The forecast is looking downright lugubrious for several days to come.

I'll have to see what I can scare up for china tea pots at THTTF next time I'm there. I know there is a tea cozy there, too. It belonged to either my grandmother or one of her sisters and is in the family tartan. I have two tea sets here as well as an armada of tea cups still wrapped in newspaper from 1973 and neatly packed in a carton. All those long dead ladies saw that my home was well appointed. ;) A couple of questions, though. How does one store tea properly and in what quantity does one purchase it? what is your preference for flavor? how much does one use to brew a nice, aromatic, taste-filled cup of tea (I have one of those tea balls and at least one tea strainer)? and does one always use milk and never cream? (I prefer cream in my coffee and will pass on coffee with milk or non-dairy creamer. I'm a coffee snob.). Might be a good adventure for a raw, rainy day.

I'm a bit taken aback at the quoted price for the cutting/work table legs but the shipping cost really opened my eyes, nearly 1/3 of the price. There was no photograph or sketch included with the quote and I've requested one, preferably with an exploded view since assembly will be required. Still, if they are what I need I'll likely buy them, though perhaps not in the quantity I'd first hoped. I presently work in a shop where tabling is an issue and spending money on equipment is given short shrift. I'm all for economy, but really do understand that prudent capital investments could have paid for themselves in the 10 yrs. I've been "getting by" and "making do" there. It's all about the proper tool for the job and I have to remind myself of that periodically.

OK, I have to fire up the transport pod and head to the rock pile for another day. One more after this one! (and I have set out the butter, so baking is on the horizon).

Chelone's last paragraph has me wondering if she is George Jetson or Fred Flintstone this morning!

V.

Mary...thanks for those links. I had never heard the Cohen song. I had a fun time watching the old 'Man from U.N.C.L.E.' scenes. I also enjoy Perlman. I am pretty limited in what I've listened to of classical, but I did find one album that is my favorite, which is called 'The Most Relaxing Classical Album in the World Ever' I'm sure I've mentioned that before. [g] I have a lot of favorites on it and I linked to one below.

I had those moth problems some years back. We had to dump everything of interest to them and maybe we had some moth trap that had a lure in it? We haven't had any since.

V....is pregnant? :-0

Clivias thrive on neglect? That's the plant for me.

Kathy....I almost had myself fooled. I kind of got stuck at the realtor site looking at homes for awhile yesterday...lol They had a nice $5 million dollar home on the water and I started thinking...well, maybe if all the Idylls chipped in about $20,000 a piece, we could purchase it and use it as a time share. It had acres to garden. :-) Slipcovers and Awnings, and don't forget all the clothes tailoring. :-) .... Don't you hate those nightmares that keep you awake for hours? I bet you slept like a log last night.

I wish I had a nice sunny spot for Saucy to come help me erect a greenhouse. :-)

Michelle...I meant to ask, are there any plans for Kenzie to visit yet? Webcams are just not the same thing, are they?

Looks like another lugubrious day out there [g]...I'm off...

pm2

V - is it disappointing every time you check your inbox? Perhaps today.... Annie played the same joke on some of her friends and a few were totally taken in. Not those that know her well - she has told me she has no plans to have s@x before marriage. I guess times really have changed thinking back to my college days.

Chelone - I store tea in an airtight tin. I guess plastic would work too, for some reason we've always had a metal tea caddy or container. Unlike coffee, I don't think there is a noticeable difference between fresh or stored tea. I'll bring a few hundred teabags back from England. I love half-and-half in my java but it spoils tea for me where I prefer low fat (but not skim) milk. The amount of tea required will depend very much on the brand but a general rule in England is 'one for each person, one for the pot' referring to heaped teaspoons of tea leaves.

I always like to have on hand a good English breakfast tea which is a blend containing mostly Assam tea, some Earl Grey (watch out, the flavor varies a lot depending on the amount of Bergamot oil used), Lapsang Souchang for a real kick, and a delicate Darjeeling.

PM - I LOVE Rachmaninov too and that is a beautiful piece. Have you listened to his 2nd piano concerto? It is breathtakingly beautiful. You might recognise the theme in the second movement which was used in a pop ballard. The origianl is the best though.

Saucy - I have greenhouse envy!! Do hope you share some pictures.

Work is calling my name

Mary

I will see if my neighbor will let me post pictures here...I think she will.

I'm still wondering if I can put my tropicals in....if Deanne's moving them to the garage, surely I can move them to the green house?

I never did make my succulent wreath last year and am happy to have all the ingredients to put it together this year....

I just realized that I made plans to go to Maine with 4 girlfriends for the last weekend in May and that coincides with the Tower Hill plant sale, and I am torn! I know I will choose the friends, but I found such good stuff at that sale last year....

Mary, Jake asked me about driver's ed yesterday....is Annie looking to do the same? I'm kind of excited for him....but nervous, too.

Saucy

Ha! "Lugubrious" ! I had to look that one up! Chelone, you bring new words to my vocabulary frequently. LOL
I like 'words' so that is good, and it rolls off the tongue nicely. ;-)

When I got up this mornng I was more flexible than 'normal' (probably due to the 2 sessions of meds...one before bedtime, and one at 4 AM). As I was washing up before preparing breakfast, my mind went back to my childhood and how I greeted the morning with anticipation and joy. I recalled how , as a small girl, I would arise after mama was up, and slip out the side door to go around to the front door and knock! I don't think I did it very often [I hope not, :-)]. I don't recall mama getting upset at me, so it must not been very often.
Anyhoo...how I would love to be able to greet the day with such a childish anticipation.

Pm2, I accepted your announcement with no doubt that it was true. Such a thought never entered my mind. :-)
Ah yes...I should have known it is a lupine. I love them but they will not grow here. I think it is because our soil is too acid. Ei was so kind in sending me a lot of her saved seed. They came up nicely, but soon expired without blooming.
It sounds as though you have too many health woes to cope with, without having to be burdened with mine also! It is true....most everyone has their aches and pains....they are just differant, and (hopefully) not permanent.
I guess I ought to check out my magnesium level? I do love nuts, but have to be careful how many and what kind I eat because of my gallbladder. :-(
I have been known to tell my friends that I am defective merchandise, and need to be returned to the factory!

Saucy, I wish I had had the presence of mind to use a fake email address for facebook. I guess I was just too gullible. I wish I knew how to eliminate all the trash email I am getting, without changing my address.
As for using a phoney address, how would you know it wasn't someone else's?
Since I am registered there, and am apparently stuck with it, maybe I ought to check it out. It apparently does have things of interest connected with it??

Tee hee, Marie, occasionally my bed has to wait to be made because Tommy is on it, but that is okay, I have become rather slack at getting to it anyway. That is a good looking group of kitties. The one in the middle looks a little annoyed. :-)

I do not think I could tolerate a cat drooling in my ear! Tommy prefers to cuddle up to my back. I like that.
Thank goodness, no skunks in our house, but Nolon used to see one in his shop. It was 'tame' and never a problem. Since Calliecat is gone there is no longer food out there, so no attraction for 'visitors'.

Mary, thanks for your approval of linking. :-)
I haven't checked out yours, but hope to soon. I love classical music, and have several albums.
I had a bad bout with moths a few years ago. I did use the moth traps, and have been free of them for some time. I usually put flours and other foods that attract them in the freezer, but have not used that freezer since our icestorm.
Fruit flies and tiny ants are what are plaguing me now. The fruit flies have not been bad so far this year. I make a trap for them, with cider vinegar in it.

Kathy, sorry about your bad dream, and oversleeping, but happy that you got understanding from my links.
As for moving my plants out, it will not be until the end of this month. I'd rather be late doing it than too early. It isn't likely Tim will be here at that time.

Ha! I didn't think of Fred Flintstone or George Jetson....I thought of Star Trek. ( I was always a Star Trek fan.)

We are awaiting another round of rain, with chilly weather. Poor Nolon may not be able to get to his wood cutting , and that is hard on both of us!

Marian

Marian, it is a nice post, and you are not lost in the wind :)

If you're interested in setting up a dummy email account, go to Google and get a free gmail account that you don't have to go to ever again and use that for any social networking. When you're on a site like FB then go to your settings and uncheck any boxes that will send email to you.

What you're experiencing is spam, though, and it'd be better if it were going to a dummy account that you didn't have to look at if you didn't want to....

I started making a list of Julie Jobs for the garden this morning and just came in from doing a few. :-) Breaking it down into manageable parts seems less overwhelming. Moved two small iris and just about finished the spring clean up in the front perennial bed. I see a lot of things coming back, that I was wondering about. My lavender that I started from seed in '07 already has lots of new growth on it. I thought that was really early. I think my front bed is going to be really full this year. [g] Where is Julie anyway? Probably helping DS move.

I have been enjoying watching the birds coming back to the garden. The feeders and bird baths are full and every day there are new birds. I still have Juncos, which probably will leave soon. They are so cute and two of them have been chasing each other around and remind me of precision aerial maneuvers made by the Thunderbirds, that DH used to take me to. I have a pair of sparrows taking over my one birdhouse and I just can't seem to keep them from nesting in the yard.

V....we posted exactly at the same time. I was thinking the same thing about The Jetsons. :-)

Mary...you are talking to a Motown girl. [g] Really, the extent of my classical experience is limited to two Classical albums that I have which are a compilation with the longest selection being six minutes. Then, whatever I have been exposed to from movies. I never heard any of it growing up. My parents were fans of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller etc.. I was surprised to realize when I was older that The Lone Ranger theme was actually the William Tell Overture. [g] I went looking for something classical that I could enjoy and stumbled upon these two albums at the library and was surprised to find how much I like them. So I have a growing appreciation for classical. Did you grow up listening to classical? What influenced your appreciation of it? Thank you for that link, it is beautiful and I found a few sections that did sound familiar to me. I'll have to link to more of what I have been listening to along the way, so as not to bore everyone to death all at once, and maybe you might be able to suggest other things I would like?

Saucy....I always wanted to make one of those succulent wreaths, but I don't really have a place to put one. I have so much part sun. What are you going to do with yours, are you hanging it? I love them. Where did you get all the succulents?

Marian... I have one particular memory of a bedroom I had when I was a child, that poured sunlight in the windows in the morning and always waking up so happy. .... Yes, having gallbladder problems you would have to be careful with nuts, but maybe if you start small with a couple to test it out, it might work for you. I sometimes will grind nuts before I eat them to digest them better and add them to yogurt smoothies. Yes, we all have one thing or another to cope with. Hopefully we will not all be having problems on the same day. ;-) DH and I have always been Star Trek fans. I never watched science fiction until we were dating. :-)

Still gray out there but not as cold as yesterday...

pm2