Hi Marie, I don't think T's birthday is for a couple of weeks???

Cindy, I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your garden pictures. It's just beautiful!!! More pictures please!

I'm just getting ready to put Bella down for a nap. Then off to clean the kitchen. What fun!

Eden

Oh well, I still wish the hardworking grandma well! I guess others are also confused.
May birthdays are coming up. We sure need the flower photos!
'bug

Jeez! some people will do anything for a birthday... ;) (is that Pulsitilla?).

Ei, do me a favor and pull up the lyrics to "Pictures of Lily" by the Who, willya? That's a great song and an oldie, my brother had it on a "45", I used to play that one and a Kinks' tune back to back, can't remember the name and can't find the CD ("my girl friend's run off with my car, gone back to her ma and pa, tellin' tales of drunkeness and cruelty..."). "In the Summertime"? I've never sold a house before, but lookin' around here I have great respect for the amount of decluttering and "picking up" involved! Our new neighbor is a realtor and he maintains that while the market has cooled greatly, a nice property that is well maintained and priced appropriately always sells. Good luck!

I loathe meeting with the financial planner, too. I do try to pay attention, but my eyes tend to glass over pretty quickly. And, I too, always feel that no matter how much we manage to salt away it will never be enough and we'll wind up eating tainted catfood anyway. I don't feel hopeful, and I'm unable to "blow it off" entirely the way so many people I know do. So, I stagger on and look for cheap laughs everywhere I can, hoping they'll legalize assisted suicide. ;)

Mary, the Brittany is on the box of Hannaford (big chain in New England) medium dog biscuits. We had a Springer for years and the dog on the box doesn't have enough "soft" around the mouth to be a Springer. If Clousseau is halfway as alert as the dog on the box, you have your hands full! LOL. How are the violin lessons going? I feel the need to remind you that I am making a formal request for "Turkey in the Straw"... with or without Deanne; so rosin up the bow!

"Georgette" is a very light, filmy variation of crepe. It ravels hideously, stretches out of shape at a glance and the bias should be a real delight. (That's why I'm here, procrastinating). "Hand hemmed" simply means the hemming has been worked by hand and the stitches should be minimally discernable at a glance, unlike a line of machine stitches. "Hand rolled" requires that you roll the minimal allowance as you secure it with hand stitching. It's fiddly under ideal circumstances, and georgette or chiffon are not ideal. I plant to put the gown on the form inside out, trim in place and roll and stitch while it hangs (stretching periodically, Jerri!). I always use my blindstitch machine or hem by hand, any drapery panels. It IS the mark of skill and attention to detail, you're right about that, 'bug! But if the minions aren't wise to it... who are we to argue? My Juki lockstitch cracks off 5000 stitches/minute, the blindstitch about 3000, both a helluva lot more than I'm able to do!

Chelone, is this the one:

"The tax mans taken all my dough,
And left me in my stately home,
Lazing on a sunny afternoon.
And I cant sail my yacht,
Hes taken everything Ive got,
All Ive gots this sunny afternoon."

Check out this link - click on the "W" in the alphabet at the top and you'll find "Pictures of Lily" there as well. I've always liked the Who, after hearing a who album on an endless loop on a bus trip with the high school band. The song "Join Together" was cranked especially loud - "I want you to join together with the band" was the favorite lyric.

I only picked up a Japanese Maple 'Bloodgood' yesterday. It was in a gallon pot and it seems tiny, but the larger size I really wanted was too much $$ (over $200). I figured that I have more time than money at this point. I was surprised to see some coleus and sweet potato vine outside at this place, it seems too early for that. Maybe they bring them under cover if the temps drop.

Speaking of plants outside, Deanne - what have you brought out so far? I have my abutilon and phygelius outside now. Can I bring fuchsia out yet? What about the brugs? DH tells me that the 2 in the large pots from last year only get one trip up the stairs from the basement, so I have to make sure it isn't too early.

Ei, I'm not a realtor, but like Kathy I like to follow real estate. We did sell our first house about 10 years ago, and our kids were a newborn and a toddler at the time. The realtor was a friend, and she encouraged me to set limits on the showings, like no "last minute" stuff. (some realtors would call the homeowner and say "I'm in the neighborhood, can we come by - and can you leave!) Luckily the house sold quickly, so it was pretty painless.

Have to run and pick up my car - it is making a junkyard clanging noise when it hits a bump, and the guy can't find anything wrong! I'm not sure if that's good or bad...

Bye for now!

-Wendy

Yeah! thanks Wendy! my brother is 9 yrs. my senior and so is the helpmeet. He was stunned that I knew all the words to tunes that were really pretty obscure, not to mention my knowledge of big band/jazz. I love the Kinks, the Animals, and the Byrds. I still remember the moment it occured to me that the stains on the slab in front of the Who were actually pee stains... LOL. Duh. :)

Deanne, Monique, Sue... anyone want the Perovskia?? I have 3, and would love to see them go somewhere that would offer them "a good home". Please?

I'm SOOOOOO behind!!

Chelone-can you do an initial 5/8" long machine stitch from the raw edge to help stabilize while rolling? You'd fold on the stitiching and press then stitch close to the fold,trim excess with small scissors and do a final roll and either hand stitch or machine stitch the final fold.(Personally I'd machine stitch if it's just for prom-just me; )) Does that make sense(I'm turbo typing wheeeee!: )
Sorry to limit my comments but I only have a quick minute to get back to those from the last thread about Ryan's dog bite. Yes it was superficial-just two punctures as opposed to what it could have been(those imaginary images freak me out). Still, he was quite frightened and there was in fact blood drawn. Chelone-Thanks for confirming what I was thinking too. I'm so concerned that my sister will not have the dog properly and consistently trained-that's a very big worry. Having the dog on a chain for half a day like that probably did make him irritable so really my sister should have made note of that and done something about it. She's the kind of person that does things her own way and doesn't accept suggestions because she knows more than the rest of us: )
BUT one great thing did happen-while we were on vacation during Easter break Ryan met a very sweet Australian sheep dog. OH-he was SO well trained. The owner rents out three cabins/cottages on his property and he is the caretaker of all of them. His daughter's sheep dog follows him around the grounds but the owner trained the dog to never enter the cottage areas in case people don't care for dogs. When we arrived the first day there sat the dog waiting at the edge of the driveway and wouldn't come closer though was wagging his behind in excitement. Ryan took to him instantly! We petted him and talked to him and soon he was on his back asking for a scratch(not Ryan-the *dog* lolol). It was such a good experience for Ry to have and I'm relieved that he didn't shy away or freak out. This is a rough job lol.

Good to see Brenda,Jerri,and those we haven't heard from in a while! It still feels like home here.

HEY SUE! How's it going?

GB I love the pretend bday card; ) Can I fool you and say it's my birthday(again)? Wait-no!then I'd be even older-nevermind.

Time to make dinner...I hope I can sneak back

~Babs

Hello!

I like the way Mary started her day.

No time for chit chat, but enjoyed reading (skimming actually) and will be back....when I'm back :-)

PS Very pretty wildflowers Cindy. lol

And for your planning pleasure, here are the May and June birthdays:

Just T 16-May
Yeonna 20-May
Woody 24-May
Sue 4-Jun
EP 8-Jun
Da 10-Jun
Martie 10-Jun

Am I still welcome? I have had such a nice evening browsing the latest Idyll. Please forgive typos - I'm on an unfamiliar laptop.

I feel really bad about just leaving and sending a message through Taryn. Nick and I have been through a rough 6 months, but I'm seeing sunshine on the other side. We've been very busy....started our own company and it's doing CRAZY well!

I cried happy tears reading the latest idyll....I like that nothing has changed (as in writing) yet so much has changed (as in life).

I'm hoping that I can get back into a routine of checking in with idyll and sharing my days as well as being a part of yours.

I have missed you all.

Saucy

HI all, A big hello to Saucy!! Great to hear from you and that you are doing well. How exciting about the business.

So here are the promised spring photos

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Happy Spring to all
Deanne

SAUCY! SAUCY!! SAUCY!!!

You are ALWAYS welcome!
This is the nicest surprise in ages.
Starting a company is among life's greatest stresses. I know from experience.
Doing so with a spouse...well it is even more stressful! (Right in there with DH teaching you to drive)

Let me tell you, we are in the process of closing down a company DH started years ago, and that too is very stressful. Lots of ego mixed up in it all.

Please try to join us as often as you can make time for. How are the kids? What are they up to? DH? The dog? And most of all, YOU????

Happy belated birthday! (You must have had one since we last spoke!) ;-)
'bug, Gramma to be

Hi Saucy, Your always welcome here. Congratulations to you and Nick on your own company.

Brenda good to hear from you too. Sorry about your mom. She sounded like a neat lady.

Cindy nice wildflower pictures (tease). I wish I had those , leucojum aestivum, instead of LOV. I only planted it where nothing else would grow, but it is moving into places I don't want it. GRRR.

It rained, so I stayed in and cleaned house. I moved the light plants outside come what may. I've already lost so many plants whats a few more. I kinda feel like I'm starting over this year. I think it might be a good time to revamp some spaces and lessen the maintenece.
Some things are showing signs of releafing. I don't think the iris will do much, but I'm hoping the daylillies will do ok even if the leaves are ratty looking.

Good to read about everyones activities. I feel like a slacker lately.

Hope all the under the weather pets are holding up.

Thinking of all. Norma

Wow! Deanne.

Thank you Deanne! Yummy!
Thank you Cynthia! Nostalgia reading the list!
Howdy Norma! Chin up! :-)

Way cool read tonite on the Idylls..don't have time for a lengthy post but have given myself a 4 day weekend so will try to do a mega-post tommorow...

Saucy ! I was just starting to post here when you went away for awhile. Nice to see you back...
Deanne great photos.. both of birds and plants.Especially love the tulips..

And as for the Kinks..love 'em. But I graduated from HS in 1969 so there you go-they are in my orbit...

Hope to talk to you all at length tomorow...

Kathy in Napa

OMIGOSH Deanne! Your pictures are stunning. I love the way you made the backgrounds kind of fadey (my word) and black...really makes the subject stand out. I especially love the pic of the white crocus with the shadow of the flowers cast on each other...true artistry! :-) I don't even know what to say about the birdies...amazing! Like little jewels clung to branches. The color, the detail...amazing and I really love the closed buds of the flower branches with them - really sets them out.

Hi Saucy...it's great to see you! I'm so happy to hear that your business is doing well...congratulations to you and DH! :-)

Babs - so glad that Ryan met a dog that was gentle and well behaved. At least he gets the message that not all dogs are rough and scary or will bite. Poor guy - that's a very scary thing for him to have gone through, especially to be bit in the *face*. Well thank goodness there will be no permanent physical scars and I know you will take care of making sure there are no emotional ones.

Can't stay as I have a busy day. Need to get mom to the senior day care and then to take sis for a scan. She had a questionable blood count report on her last two visits to the doc, so they want to take a scan and make sure nothing is going on. I'm hoping for the best and that it is minor or explained some other way, or at the worst, at least it was caught early. In any case, I'm just not going to start second guessing, worrying and having negative thoughts. Whatever it is we will deal with it together. Anyway, don't really want to talk about that right now...don't even know why I mentioned it.

Anyway, here's for Chelone:

The Who
Pictures of Lily

I used to wake up in the morning
I used to feel so bad
I got so sick of having sleepless nights
I went and told my dad

He said, 'Son now here's some little something'
And stuck them on my wall
And now my nights ain't quite so lonely
In fact I, I don't feel bad at all

Pictures of Lily made my life so wonderful
Pictures of Lily helped me sleep at night
Pitcures of Lily solved my childhood problems
Pictures of Lily helped me feel alright

Pictures of Lily
Lily, oh Lily
Lily, oh Lily
Pictures of Lily

And then one day things weren't quite so fine
I fell in love with Lily
I asked my dad where Lily I could find
He said, 'Son, now don't be silly'

'She's been dead since 1929'
Oh, how I cried that night
If only I'd been born in Lily's time
It would have been alright

Pictures of Lily made my life so wonderful
Pictures of Lily helped me sleep at night

For me and Lily are together in my dreams
And I ask you, 'Hey mister, have you ever seen'
'Pictures of Lily?

Thanks for having me check on that Chelone....reminded me of another song I loved...The Magic Bus...but I'll save that for another time...along with Traffic's Low Spark of High Heeled Boys...LOL! I don't know why I've always loved that song, the lyrics really don't make that much sense, but I do love it. :-)

P.S. Thanks Wendy for the advice. Yes, it would be nice not to have people just calling at the last minute. I can imagine what a project that would be if you have little ones. I only have Scout to consider, but I wouldn't want to leave him here when people are coming. Not because I think *he* would do anything wrong, but because I wouldn't want them to do anything wrong to him...LOL! I know, I'm way over protective!

Have a great day all!

Ei

Okay...gott

I lost a long post that I was even typing in Word, but I closed out another word document and accidentally lost my post. At home I can recover the document but I was unable to here.

Ei, hoping the best for your sister. To answer your question, Im heading up a Bridal style show and luncheon as a fund-raiser and its Saturday. I think you asked also if I had made the floral arrangement on my kitchen table and the answer is yes.

Norma, I know what you mean, I have lots of foliage with brown tips, bummer huh?

Saucy, good to have you back and great news on the business.

Eden, 24 piece puzzles at 2 years old is pretty impressive.

Deanne, Im just blown away by your photography skills. I planted those purple-striped crocus last fall but dont remember where and see no sign of them.

bug, Ill ask my mom to snap a few photos at the style show. No fieldwork started here, as it has been fairly wet. Maybe in the next few days.

Babs, great to hear that Ryan doesnt seem to be overly traumatized by the dog bite.

Im quite please with the return of most of the plants and all the shrubs including the bargain ones I planted last fall. Some were even quite late in the fall. All the clematis that were new last year have sprouted as well.

Later
Michelle

Hi, all!
DH finished up around to a.m. the other night. It was raining fish hooks n hammer handles when I went to pick him up. He got the whole field done, though! We slept in yesterday :)

Thanks, Deanne, good to see you pop in! The pictures are, as usual, gorgeous! I don't know how you manage such wonderful shots of birds, but I always love to see them.

Eden-I LOVE Jeopardy, and like Bella, I don't understand why it isn't on every night, lol!

Ei, thanks for the boost to the farmers! I have to say, at least this year, it's paid much better than it has in the past. I really would like to see the bio-fuels take off. Not just for our monetary gain, but would be nice to not need so much oil. There are a few bio-fuel plants opening locally, so should be good for business! Makes the long days and nights much easier to take when you also have enough money to pay the bills ;) I won't even go INTO what the fuel bills will be this spring....blech!

SAUCY!! So good to see ya!!!

It's been a pretty laid back day here...wow, two in a row! Did my yoga, some cleaning and settled in to cross stitch and watch the Daily Show and the Colbert Report. Part of my daily ritual when I can work it in. I've got some beef cooking to make sort of a stir fry thing for supper..DH's request. Think I'll head off to tan-I'm trying to avoid the hideous farmer tan I get every year. There's just no way to even that out once it's set in, lol!
Have a good one, all!
Brenda
PS-Jerri, if you have access to yoga classes by all means try one. I can sure see where it would be better to have an instructor help to make sure you've got the pose right. Unfortunately, it hasn't caught on in my neck of the woods yet. I keep telling DD she should get certified and open a yoga studio. She's got scoliosis and it's helped her quite a bit, when she's consistent about it.
Later!

Just a quickie...
Hey Michelle...that's neat! I'll wish you good luck, but know you won't need it...you'll do terrific...you *are* very organized & creative! Would love to hear if they show any "mother's of the groom" and what they were wearing and especially mother's of the groom in a wedding that is burgundy themed. :-) I still haven't looked for a dress and the mother of the bride has not either, so I have no idea what color she is wearing. I'm still thinking of your Royal Blue/Navy Blue dress...it was so pretty and think that is a color that would go well...but I have no clue...I am totally wedding challenged. :-) P.S. Thanks too about sis.

That's great Brenda...I'm glad that things are looking up in some respects. I would love to see biofuels take off too...for you and for the rest of the world! :-)

Well, gotta go make dinner...have a good night all!
Ei

I'll be really happy when DH is home tomorrow. I don't even have time to catch my breath!

Attention Brenda:

I hope Wild Divine is good. I'll need to de-stress if I ever get this program installed! LOL
Did you have any problems with the installation?

Jerri

Brenda-I see I missed earlier that your mom passed on. I'm so sorry-I hope you are OK. It sounds like you have been very level headed & compassionate in how things went. I'm glad your mom was aware and able to know her family was around her as her time came. Maybe the stress of losing your mom caused your DS to lash out at you? I hope she comes to terms with it all. Some people don't know how to grieve I wonder if that has some bearing. Hang in there-it's good to see you back here!

Hooooowdy!Saucy!!! So good to hear you again. Sorry that you have been going through challenges. I hope all is well now? Stick around please? : )

I need to get going-bedtime kisses for Aj and getting ready for tomorrow(laundry).

Deanne-where the heck have you been young lady? Thanks for the birds and blooms pics...lol something tells me that that camera of yours actually improves on reality! Those birds are so crisp and clear! It must be the photographer.; )
I cringe when I say this but our new hard drive fell off its stand and bit the dust. -eek! I lost several picture files...some of the boys and holiday stuff : ( we don't know if it's retrievable...the guy who does it charges 50 bucks an hour.....hmph.

HI MARY!!!!!!!

HI IDYLLS!

~BAbs

I couldn't post sooner because I've been zoning out to that first goldfinch photo. I don't think it could be more perfect or stunning. The little rosy glow to the right of the bird's head is especially nice. Reminds me of an oriental painting. The crocus and tulips aren't too shabby either Deanne :-)

Where's tha TGIF woman? I hope she's feeling 100% on the way back to her usual 120% feelin' good.

Saucy, just keep popping in and don't worry about when you were here last or if you have time to respond to anything. Keep us updated on what's going on in your life. Any vignette in your day is fun to read. Tell us about your new company (if you feel comfortable sharing.) Are you doing HVAC?

Michelle, I must have missed the original explanation on the Bridal thang too. Glad Ei asked what was going on there. Yep. Fun but a bit of stress I can imagine. Don't worry! If anything goes awry, you'll have a good Idyll story to tell! :)

Bella, you go girl! 24 piece puzzles and Jeoppie.

The whirly twirly girl Katie is down for the count. When the weather turned cold Tuesday, she remained loggy, and has been extremely hesitant going up and down stairs. Just stalling out at top or bottom and not wanting to proceed. I took her temp Wednesday night after she came over to the couch and moo-moo-roo-roo'd to me when it wasn't potty time. I took her outside thinking she'd missed her after dinner potty. I did the same thing when Monty had his crisis. I seem to be incapable of thinking anything is wrong with my dogs that a trip to the potty won't cure!

Stayed up working half the night so that I could watch her and worry (she did have a temp). Vet thinks slipped disc. No stairs for a month and now I have two dogs on steroids. So I'm carrying her up/down the stairs to my office or to bed, and feeding her in dining room as basement stairs are too narrow. Picture me falling down those stairs with her in my arms and crippling both of us. She only weighs 55 pounds, which is perfect for her, so I'm back to my weight bearing exercise :-) Sheesh, I hope Dannie can stay healthy, the morning and evening medication routines have become daunting. Whirly-Twirly is Katie's personality so this is really sad. I just want her to feel better soon.

End of quarter so it's been a long long long week here and it will continue next week. Wake up Sue, I need the ....!

TGIF!

Wow, so great to see old faces returning!

I'm back at work half days as of yesterday. Am taking alot of sh$$ from the rule followers about breaking my no driving restriction...oh well. Wednesday night I started back on the treadmill too-just a mile, then a mile and a half last night. No sitting around for me. Except for some swelling and numbness around my incision site I feel great. Unfortunately gardening and heavier exercise are still out and will be for quite some time. I'm trying to relax about how behind the garden is getting...

OK, I'm here for work right now.

Deanne, love the pictures.

Later,

Sue

Cynthia, so sorry that Katie has a slipped disc. When it rains, it pours, huh? Be careful when you carry them. I thought carrying my dogs for long distances were bad and theyre currently 27 and 37 lbs. I cant imagine 55 lbs.

Brenda, so sorry about your mom.

Sue, I knew you couldnt sit still. On the treadmill already-geez. I have NOT been gardening at all except for last Saturday. I found that I couldnt concentrate and was not motivated while I was worried about Emma. So Im probably more behind than you are LOL However, the plus side is I lost 3 pounds since my appetite was nonexistent also.

Deanne, beautiful photos.

Thanks to those that expressed concern over Emma. I was a basket case Sunday and Monday b/c she didnt improve and was actually getting worse after the 1st surgery to repair the large compressed disc. She was basically paralyzed and her head/neck were getting stiff. So they did another MRI on Monday and found that there was still 3-4mm of bone left that could be causing issues. They did the second surgery on Tuesday and she came thru it fine. Wed they called to say that she was improving steadily during the day. Hubby went to visit her after work since I had to go home to take care of our other dog. Emma actually prefers him (she like men better; she was punished constantly by the woman who owned her from 8 weeks of age until we got her at 8 months) so he was the better choice to go. He said she was finally moving her front paws (after a week of paralysis) and was lifting her head, neck and upper body more easily. Yesterday she continued to improve and was crawling around in her cage, as much as she could with a urinary catheter in. Today she took a few steps and they are going to remove the catheter later today to see if she will urinate on her own. If she does, we can take her home tomorrow!!!! Im so relieved and excited.

The carpet was installed Tuesday and it looks great with the tile. As soon as I take some after photos, Ill post photos.

Hi Taryn!

Good luck Michelle-Im sure it will be spectacular if youre in charge!

Thought of you Cynthia when I was working on getting these Goldfinch with Forsythia shots yesterday... Next I'll try to get some finches in the 'Roll-o-dendrons'!!! LOL
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Monique and Cynthia, so sorry for your doggie's health issues. I can image how worrisome and stressful it is. I know what I'd be like if one of my kitties was sick.

Monique, all of the Burgundy Glow Ajuga came back variegated so far except for one clump that I'm going to remove. You are welcome to have some starts from the variegated ones if you'd like.

Wendy, I've only brought out a few of the fuchsias so far. I wouldn't put out the Brugs or coleus or anything tropical for another couple weeks, they just don't like any cold. I'd say it's fine to put out all the fuchsia though just make sure to put them under cover if we get a late frost.

Sue, let me know if you'd like any garden help.

Mary, Doug is going out to Rochester next week and I'll send along a coleus care package for you. He said he can bring them over on Tuesday evening.

Well I'm still feeling a bit under the weather. I think I attacked the gym a bit to aggressively early in the week and now I've got a scratchy throat again. Jessh.... I'm thinking I'm going to go and have a nap, I didn't sleep well last night and that can't be helping shake off this virus, whatever it is.

Hello to everyone!!!! have a great day,
Deanne

Just great shots Deanne! I so agree about the backgrounds too, so soft with their muted colours. Get on top of things soon, OK?

So sorry about all the pet worries. I am concerned about Charlotte but not at the frantic stage yet. Next week she'll see the vet.

Mother's day arrived early here. Yes, real bullsh*t (mixed with sawdust shavings)from DH! LOL!

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This will be a crazy weekend with DH away, me pet sitting a neighbour's cats, curtains to finish for DDS's baby's room, and more things in the garden if time and weather permit.

'bug

Outstanding to see Saucy's name reappear! I too, would like to know what the company is... very exciting. The kids must be huge now! the broken arm is all healed? anything else broken in the meantime? ;)

Thanks for the lyric to "Pictures of Lily", Wendy and Ei.. Kathy, my brother graduated in 1969, too. He was a wild man. He was really into music and had all sorts of stuff and was really great about showing me HOW to work his "hifi" and take good care of the records. Sometimes I hear a song from the '60s, close my eyes and can still see his room in the clearest detail. He was very kind and patient with me.

The helpmeet went out last night and spread the crabgrass preventer knowing the rain today would rinse it in. I'm on lily leaf beetle detail; haven't seen any yet, but know they'll appear anyday.

Deanne, the photos are just great. I love the Forsythia and Goldfinch. I snapped a few shots yesterday, knowing the heavy rain today would wreck the daffodils. Would you like some Perovskia for your hot, driveway garden? if you don't want it it will go to plant sale/swap (there are 3, all decent size). Things are exploding out of the ground now... it's almost scarey. :)

I think you received a smashing Mother's Day gift, 'bug. That would thrill me, too.

It's been a long couple of days, time to sack out for a little while.

Wow, dog woes continue! Mind your own back, Cynthia... how long before the drugs begin to help Katie? And good thoughts to Monique and Emma. I hope she's home soon.

Sue, you have to be a good girl and follow the recommendations. If you would like some help in the garden, say the word, and I'll be an obedient slave.

Hi, all!

Jerri-Did you get Wild Divine installed? What kinda trouble are you having? I got installed okay, but I seem to remember there was something a little wanky about it, but can't for the life of me think what it was. Lotta help, ain't I??

Babs-Thanks :) DS has never been the greatest at handling stressful situations. I did get a decent email from her today, and responded in kind, so I hope things are on the right track.

Cynthia-you be careful on those stairs! I never thought about a dog having a slipped disc before...ouch!

Sue-Too bad we aren't all close enough to come over and catch your garden work up for ya :(

Monique, thanks:) That's great news about Emma!! Hope you get to bring her home tomorrow!

Geez, Deanne, I'd never get a shot of a bird sitting still, let alone on a color-coordinated bush ;) Your pics are always a delight!! Take care and get feeling better.

'bug-can you believe that there are actually people who would NOT be happy that pile was dumped in their yard, lol!?!

Today was a cold, overcast day. Got DH to do yoga with me this morning. I coerced him with promises of breakfast at the buffet at Golden Corral. We did some shopping, and got a new table for the porch. I didn't like the chairs they had, so will have to see what I can find elsewhere, but it's a start. Came home and listened to DD complain about DS for a couple of hours. They got the crazy idea to live together for a while so they'd both have cheap rent. They get along about as well as you would expect. Fortunately, they don't have a long lease, so I'm guessing they'll write it off as a bad idea and move on. I have to admit I was skeptical when they proposed it.

The weekend weather here sounds great, and since we ended up with about 2" of rain, I'm pretty sure I won't be in the fields, so I should have at least two days to work outside. YAY! DH got the mower serviced and started mowing. The grass was WAY too tall and wet, but he seemed to be enjoying himself. And, it was fun to watch..our oldest dog, Gus loves to follow the mower around. Then he'll get in front of you and act like he's going to attack. Breaks up the monotony!

See ya later!
Brenda

Hi everyone

The world has lost one of its voices, a voice both beautiful and bold. The great cellist and humanitarian, Mstislav Rostropovich, died today in Moscow at the age of 80. Much to reflect on.

Mary

Greetings and salutations Idylls..I am halfway through my four day weekend, and what a warm day we are having here. My weather station says 81 right now at almost 6pm. Kind of pleasant actually ! I gave Lady Banks a major haircut this morning- I have to do that every year and wait till she is done blooming. She gets so huge that she shades out some of the other roses. I now have a pile of Lady Banks debris in my utility area so I will be spending some quality time chopping her up and putting her in the yard waste. (which is almost full)

I have good news on my pet illness frontBoo-Boos issues were dental , no tumor . He had abscess that went up into his nose ..I feel bad because it must have been quite painful for him. Cats can be so stoic. Many years ago I had a cat with an abcess and you could visibly see the swelling, and he started hiding under the deck. We had one hell of a time getting him out to take him to the vet. Boo-Boo acted pretty normal though the whole thing. Anyway, he spent the day at the vet yesterday, had x-rays and two tooth extractions.I kept in on my lap most of the evening, he was very groggy and couldn't walk without falling over. He got a special treat of being allowed to sleep on the laundry in my closet. The vet wants him on anti-biotics for a full month because of the serverity of the infection. Off course the whole thing was very expensive. Oh well.

Glad to see that we are now all sporting a Home Cheapo logo today.

Brenda, the company I work for offers a thirty minute yoga class every Friday to to all employees free of charge. I dont go because I like to keep my work life separate from my personal life , but many others take advantage of this.

Cynthia, poor Katie ! You have certainly had your share of pet woes lately.

Sue, glad you are feeling well enough to begin an exercise regimen-I hope youre not overdoing ! It would drive me nuts to be stuck in bed or a chair.

Monique, good vibes for Emma, I hope she gets to come home. What a scary chain of events.

And Deanne- that goldfinch/forsythia shot is wonderful. I hope you get to feeling better soon, spring is in full swing here and cant be far behind for you.

Okay, this is about all I can manage tonight.

His to everyoneand here is a pic for Eden

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Kathy in Napa

Okay okay I do notmake it in here very often,, forgive an old old gw girl,,,
So many names and I barely know,, but Sue and Taryn,, my gals from way back,,Heck Sue let me shock the hmmm out of you,may you recover quickly,, hmmmmm
My guys have out grown pond digging by the way,, lol,, one is teaching at college and working for nasa part time,, one is working full time withbig pond diggers hmmmm okay oaky large trac hoes, and cats,, lol,, even the baby is grown up working on his mechanics stuff,,, eak huh,, I even had a b-day last week made another year,, hehehehe
thought I would drop a note here, so much easier,, hmmm.
myself we have a photo shoot for natural homes next month, for the 2008 garden edition,KInd of scary ,, okay major stres since the house is still being finishd,, ugh and eaaaaakkkkk
hopefully I can make it in to chat at some old friends ,,
' hmmm
Mary
aka
JWJ

Mary (JWJ)...good grief, I feel better already! How the hell have you been? Sounds like everyone is doing well. I want to see pictures of that house too. Got any to share?

OK, now that I've recovered from that shock...good morning everyone! I'm not even going to try and catch up because the way things are here lately I'll never stay that way.

Jeez, Cynthia, now Katie is having problems. When it rains, it pours. It's a good thing I don't need to be carrying dogs right now. Both of mine are over my restricted weight limit. Hope both she and Monty are feeling better soon.

Thank you all for your offers of garden help. Thankfully I got 95% of my cleanup done last fall and before the surgery. It is very frustrating to see something I want to do and not be able to do it. I can't even dig perennials right now and it's prime time to be moving them. Slowly I'm coming to the realization though that the worst thing that can happen is a plant will be in the ground in the same spot it was last year for one more year.

Today my mother and her entourage arrive to spend the night as part of their semi annual trek to and from FL for the season. She was planning to stay two nights but I nixed that. Besides the house being in sorry shape, I'm just not up to the emotional drain they can sometimes be. One night I can grin and bear it. Just too much on my plate to deal with right now.

So, keep the pictures coming. Maybe I'll get out there and get some of my own today or tomorrrow. All of a sudden the garden seems to have just sprung to life. Nothing like some rain and few warm days to jump start that process.

Later,

Sue

I forced myself to sit down and balance my checking account this morning. I have been pitifully slack in that aspect of things lately (it's been 3 months), and was pleasantly surprised that my natural inclination to detail in things pecuniary has "paid off" to the penny!

Sue, you're doing a good thing for yourself by limiting the familial stress to one night. Who needs that garbage when you're "mending"?! I understand the acceptance of plants remaining where they are; it's been 4 years for mem so I KNOW you'll survive one. :) I also understand the frustration, this is the first year in 4 that I've had the time AND the inclination to rearrange/rework things. And really can't with the spectre of construction looming large on the horizon. I'm glad to hear you're returning to your old self. Low grade stress and worry is the pits.

I bid adieu to another prom dress yesterday afternoon, bartering the price of the alterations for a summer's worth of swimming at the largest pool in the area. :) I am keeping it a secret until the helpmeet comes home from work and laments that there is no place to swim... . I haven't immersed myself in water for 4 years now... it's about time to get back to some of the activities that used to delight me.

Mary, I listened to the memories of Rostropovich on NPR yesterday morning, and was irritated when my boss trivialized his death ("why is that news?"). She is very demeaning in her references to classical music/opera and it frankly irritates the hell out of me. I politely keep my mouth shut when I'm forced to listen to the seemingly endless monotony of Clearchannel stations or 5 CDs worth of Celtic music on "random". I think it's time for me to purchase an iPod so I may listen to what I want. ;) Thanks for the link. I was surprised to learn he was so active in the political movement of the time... sheltering Alecsandre Solzhenitsyn in his home. He was one of the first major artists introduced to the west after the death of Stalin.

I have a "beauty parlor" date this morning and haven't read replies nearly carefully enough. Probably won't get to that today, either... but no matter.

Thinking of Michelle and her "big day" today.
Wondering how things are in the "world o' V.".
Hoping to catch a glimpse of others... Taryn? Da? newly reemerged Saucy? :)

Time to get a load of laundry hung before departing for the "rounds".

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And to quote Kurt Vonnegut's last words: "Thank you for your attention and I'm outta here."

:)

Good cloudy morning here,

The weather gurus originally said rain for the whole day but it looks as if it will remain cloudy for the AM with no rain until afternoon so methinks some more spring cleaning is due here. Im trying to figure out a plan to get the pond up and running and keep it from ever having a leaking issue again but Im beginning to think it is going to take more time and energy than I have available. It might be time to dig it out and start over again. Arrrrgggghhh!!!! Must be done because Im not going to spend another summer worrying if it was going to pump itself dry and kill the fish. I know they are just goldfish but Im quite fond of them and a couple of them are seven years old now.

I was looking at the climbing hydrangea on the oak tree and it looks as if it will finally have a truly beautiful display of flowers this year. Its now about twenty feet up the tree and is one of my prides and joys in the gardens. Im hoping to be able to plant a few pansies out front today before the rain starts this afternoon so at least there will be a bit more color. Its also time to get the alyssum in those beds that ring the rose garden. ~~ Im enjoying the last year of blossoms with my Weeping Cherry tree now, its so pretty but the poor thing is diseased, suckering like heck and Doug and I are going to "cut down the cherry tree" as soon as its done blooming. Ive been pondering on what to replace it with for a long time now and Ive settled on Picea orientalis Skylands. I know that the Picea will eventually get large but that will be twenty years from now so Im not going to worry about it. The cherry tree is on the corner of the foundation plantings and the opposite corner is a Japanese maple so Im thinking Id really like an evergreen to anchor the opposite corner. Ive never been happy with the look of the two deciduous corners in winter so an evergreen it will be. ~~ Hoping that Doug can get my cold frames set up today also so I can get the darned plants OUT OF THE BASEMENT!!!! Im at that time of year when I cant stand to keep watering the three billion plants I have under the lights. (well that is only a slight exaggeration in numbers LOL, more like hundreds but it seems like billions right now)

Anyway, spring is finally in full swing here and with the rain the last couple days everything is growing at light speed so I really do need to finish up cleaning out my beds and getting them mulched. Speaking of which

Bug!!!! Love your pile! LOL only another gardener can appreciate a pile of composted bull $h t. I never got mine ordered this year and Id better get that done or Ill miss my window to get the beds mulched because things will be too tall. Too much to do and too little time.

So a big hello to Mary aka JWJ, maybe we should call you JWJ here because we already have a Mary from NY??? It wounds like youre really busy in your home and gardens with lots going on. Do you have photos of your natural home?

Kathy, thanks for the beautiful rose photograph. You must have them everywhere! Its a beauty! ~~ Thanks for the good wishes, Im a bit better today but still have this pesky low grade fever and sore throat, Ive been wondering if Ive got mono or something No clue as to how I got whatever this is but Ive been under the weather for almost three weeks now and this is getting old. ~~ So happy you like the finch/forsythia shot! It took me two days and hours in the blind to get some decent photos with the forsythia. ~~ OH no about Boo-Boo!!! Yikes, poor kitty, our cat Luke had to have six extractions two years ago and then again this year had to have one of his canine teeth in the lower jaw extracted so I totally understand where you are coming from. Veterinary dental work is really expensive. I could have had a nice vacation for what we paid for Lukes teeth. LOL

Mary, that is so sad about Mstislav Rostropovich. He was brilliant. ~~ Did you read my post about Doug coming to Rochester and bringing you plants next week??? He can either bring them over to you on Tuesday or if you have no time next week he asked if you could meet him at the airport on Monday night.

Brenda I LOL about your children renting together!!! Yep, sounds like a drama to me. ~~ Thanks, so happy you like the birdie pic, I actually have a spot in the back yard that has a good background for the photos, I put the feeders near a shrub, then I picked some forsythia stems and attached them to the branches that the birds perch on under the feeders.

Chelone, yes, thanks I certainly could find a spot for a Perovskia. ~~ Do you know I found some lily beetles last Monday??? What a pain, like you I police all the areas I have lilies to get rid of these early ones as it keeps their populations down later on.

Cynthia, be really careful carrying Katie up and down those stairs! So sorry about your doggies health issues.

Monique, how is Emma doing today? Did you want to come up to get the Ajuga or are we doing a road trip to CT? Ive got a few plants for you guys and you should be able to keep them out by now. When is your safe frost date down there.

Babs, Yikes! You dropped the hard drive???!!! Oh my! Doug just bought me a new 500Gig storage unit for my photos. When shooting RAW at 10mpx you chew up memory at an alarming rate. Ive gone through 60 gigs of memory on the hard drive on my lap top since October when I bought the new camera. ~~ As to where Ive been? Well a long story that I wont go into details over but weve had a tough winter with problems with a next door neighbor over a property line issue we cant seem to resolve, and MAJOR, hideous problems with DD that have left me a weeping puddle most of the winter. You never, ever stop being a mother.

Michelle, thinking of you and wishing you the best of luck with your show and luncheon today. ~~~ Bummer about the lost post and the missing crocus. ~~ Thanks! Glad you like the pics

Eileen, as always, you are so sweet! The fadey (good word) backgrounds have to do with using a very long focal length lens with a wide open aperture setting which causes a very short depth of field, so the fadey backgrounds. That out of focus effect is called Bokeh in photographic circles.

Sue, sounds like youre on the mend, good idea with only one night with the mom and boyfriend show.

Chelone, gorgeous daffodil display!!! Thanks for the sunny pics.

OK time for me to get dressed and use the dry part of this day to get something productive done here. Have a great day everyone!!!

Deanne

Today's projects include constructing a bubble to keep my one remaining healthy dog safe, mowing the front field and finding a place to repair the vacuum!

I can't decide which photo is most exciting: the goldfinch in the forsythia (stunning!!!!) or the pile of manure (enviable!!!).

I listened to Rostropovich all night last night. Chelone, the proper response to you boss was to laugh in disbelief.

Cynthia

Good afternoon

Deanne - thank you and Doug so much for your coleus offer. I would be happy to meet him anywhere for a pick-up especially if I could save him a drive. We would also love to have him over for dinner one night if he had time - I'll email you to arrange details. Your latest photos are stunning beyond words - we are so lucky to have you here sharing them with us. I can't wait to show DH. Do you take a big mug of coffee into the blind with you? I don't envy you guys the job of digging out the pond to find the leak, especially with all the other spring tasks (like a gazillion coleus LOL) on the horizon.

Saucy - welcome back!! You are always welcome here however sporadic your posts are. I've become more of a "pop in when I can" poster due to my new job but do my best to keep up. Its always a treat when the weekend rolls around to sit back and enjoy a thread in detail. What is your new business? It sounds very exciting.

Hi JWJ and welcome. Hope you'll have some photos so share with us sometime.

Monique - I do hope little Emma continues to rally and that she is home with you right now. What a stressful time for you all.

Cynthia - ditto your two poorly greys. Take care of your back now - 55 lbs is no small amount to be lifting upstairs.

Chelone - perhaps with the right pieces you could enlarge your boss' appreciation of music in general and classical in particular. I cannot tell you how much I have been enjoying my violin lessons. I go once a fortnight which gives me a chance to prepare. Getting my playing back in shape has taken a lot of work but I'm thrilled to start feeling the results. its a bit like returning to working out - muscle memory and strength. My fingers are starting to move again and the bowing feel more fluid. I have just started the Bach Partitata in E major - for me playing unaccompanied Bach is one of the great pleasure in life and I can't wait for my next lesson to get some further insight. The only downside is I still feel ridiculously guilty about spending the money on something for myself.
GB - there's nothing like a nice dark pile of muck for mother's Day. I had my annual truckload of leaf mulch delivered last week and I can't wait to get my hands on it.

Sue - wonderful to hear you are up and about and able to start walking. Hope you survive the family visit.

Eden - how wonderful that Bella enoys jig-saws and is so good at them. its an interest I'm sure that will last a lifetime. Annie enjoyed them from the youngest age and a great pleasure now is doing a 1000 piece one together.

Hope MIchelle is having a good time today.

Babs - ouch on the dropped hard drive. We went through the recovery part with my sister's flooded harddrive from New Orleans - possible but VERY expensive.

Kathy - what a beautiful rose!! Mine are just starting to leaf out and I'm filled with expectation even though I'm a pretty poor rosarian.

Hi Brenda, Ei, Cindy, T and anyone else I've missed commenting to. Here's a big wave to you all.

We're back from guitar lessons and I have a couple of hours in the garden before taking David to tennis. I'm planning on digging some home-made compost into the sweetpea trench and planting out the seedlings. They've had just over a week hardening off and I thinnk are ready for their new home. It's just the sort of cool, damp weather they love adn their tendrils are looking for somewhere to cling.

Happy gardening

Mary

I went to the beauty parlor and the place was BEDLAM... evidently tonight is the PROM in my town (have done no alteration work for "townies" this year). When did prom night turn into an industry of its own... manicures, pedicures, having your hair "done", riding in a limousine?? When did getting to drive the "nice car" go out of style? And how is it that you never really realize how much you needed a haircut until you get one? LOL

Deanne will appreciate this (probably Babs., too!). I've been struggling along with going through all the UNNAMED pictures files I've accrued in 3-4 years... one by one! Holy Moses, what a lot of work. I've been deleting things and freeing up storage space. I've been dealing with 4-5/day and am more than halfway through with it. Now I have another mystery on my hands. Evidently, I've managed to do something to my camera to boot up the resolution... I've gone from a capacity of roughly 35 shots to roughly 17... I have NO clue what to change, and the manual for the camera is quite a tome in and of itself. That will wait for a another day, methinks. The next major step will be to figure out how to move the picture files to the helpmeet's computer (new, FAST, custom designed for digital music recording) so they can be burned to a CD. I could use some thoughts from you, Deanne... am I on the right track with this thought process?

Deanne, you want ONE Perovskia? just one? (maybe I should pot a couple up for Mary and have Doug deliver them??? yeah... maybe?). Sometimes you just can't give it away. :0 Anyone else within reasonable proximity want 'em?

Mary, it so delights me that you've granted yourself the luxury of music lessons. So often we put huge portions of our creative selves "on the shelf" for the silliest of reasons (I should talk!). In the final analysis, it's the creativity in our lives that keeps us vibrant, exciting, interested and INTERESTING. This is a truly wonderful thing you're doing. I shall try to find the Bach piece you're learning. (Baroque music is my favorite... esp. Handel, Vivaldi, and Telemann). My boss is one of those people who fancies it "cool" to be dismissive of things. Funnily enough she played flute, but dropped music many years ago. She'd rather listen to Blues, Celtic, Rock, and more popular stuff... which is fine. But my fondness for jazz (more swing than bebop and modern), classical, early R&B, and country/country swing, Dixieland is dismissed with comments meant to make me feel "small". I shrug it off for the most part, but it does "rankle" every so often. For a non-musician, my tastes are pretty varied. And one of my fondest memories was being about 10-11 and being introduced to opera in a way that made it FUN. Would I listen to it all day, every day? NO, but I'm able to appreciate it and enjoy it as the specific form it has become, and I definitely prefer Mozart to Wagner. ;) (She doesn't read for pleasure, either, but I DID "turn her on" to NPR!).

I've been eyeing some Adirondak style chairs I pass every day on my way to and from work. I stopped today to "price" them. They're made of that new wood/plastic stuff (20 yr. guarantee) and come a wonderful assortment of colors. The styling is VERY traditional, they're made in RI and are rather pricey. My question is this: I'm drawn to the pastel models. Do you think it would be too "frou-frou" to have "Easter egg" pink and blue chairs parked in a deeply shaded corner of the yard? Give it to me straight, kids... I respect your opinions/insights (and will do what I damn well please, anyway). ;)

I'm back from the dump. What a relief to get rid of boxes and boxes and styrofoam chips and other crud. Fed my friend's two huge cats, picked up stuff at the pharmacy. We had the guy come give an estimate for painting the house this Fall.(never too early to book the GOOD person)
"I guess you want it done last thing in Fall so your plants will be OK?" You bet he's my man! He even arrived early for his 9AM appointment.
Also picked up a rental car so DH can go to his conference and I can still get around. Somewhere along the way he has lost his driver's license, so QUICKLY he must get a temporary one.

Chelone, long long ago we had old telephone wire spools that we used as tables and benches in our first garden. DH brought them home from work and I painted each one a different pastel colour: yellow, pink, blue, green, maybe even orange. They really were cute and useful, very well used. So I vote YES on the painted Adirondack chairs!

Mary, please don't apologize for spending money on your music. It is something you will always be thankful for. My Mom continued her harpsichord lessons well into her 70s. Something that makes you so happy should not make you feel guilty too!

Deanne, thinking of you often and hoping spring brings happiness your way in many forms!

Sue, here's to your health! Take it easy and enjoy spring from that beautiful bluestone patio of yours. We garden nuts seldom make use of our hammocks and chaise lounges, and that's so silly. We have to learn to appreciate the beauty as others do once in a while. I hope your beverages are not restricted!

Eden, puzzles have been a Christmas tradition for us mainly, but teaching DGS about them this year was fun. I was startled that he had never tried them before! So yeah Bella!

Happy weekend to all you busy folks!
'bug & Charlotte

What with all the pet woes 'n all, 'bug, I've been afraid to inquire after the health of Charlotte d' sticky chops. Slowing down? I remember noting that, as well. But you adjust and it shifts you into the lower gears. :(

One vote for pastels. Andtherestayas?

Traffic! my brother gave me a stereo system when I graduated from HS; Receiver, turntable, cassette deck, speakers. I was ALL OVER borrowing albums and recording them. My favorite was one with "Countdown to Ecstasy" by Steely Dan and "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys" by Traffic on the flip side! LOL ("Rock and Roll Stew" is a great cut, too). I always listened to the station that was "out there", "radical"... before ClearChannel bought it up :(. I weas able to listen to the newest rock releases and also to the newest JAZZ releases. I lived in a place that was heavily "country" and much of what I loved was called ni--er music. That particular radio station was my one connection to my brother when I was relocated to the wilds of REPUBLICAN NH in the early '70s. I learned about racism living in "live free or die" NH. LOL ;) It was my "wake up call" and it made me sick, frankly. Cracks me up the political demographic has changed so much in 30 yrs.! 'bout time.

I was outdoors with Wrecks this afternoon and I'm freaked out by how fast things are leaping out of the ground. I walk around in the morning and again when I return home from work. And the next morning they're up 2"! how does this happen?!

Chelone, I have pink chairs. I had some old rusty chairs I found at the flea market painted pink at an auto paint shop a couple of years ago. I know I have better pictures of them but this one showing just the top of one is the best I could find at the moment.

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Hi, everyone!

Kathy-Poor Boo-Boo! Having had an abcessed tooth, I can surely sympathize, but I'm sure glad it wasn't anything more serious! Nice that your company does the free yoga class. I've often thought it would be cool if some of the schools would get it started as a segment of the PE program.

Deanne-you sly thing, you! I just assumed you must have been in the right place at the right time to snap the finch :) I'm so sorry to hear you're having problems with DD. (((Deanne)))

Gorgeous day here today-and too wet to farm. DH mowed the yard for me, and I did some SEVERE pruning. Many of my shrubs have gotten WAY out of hand. Some of it actually called for a little chain saw work. DH won't let me run it, tho, so he did it for me, and did some pruning on trees that beat you in the head mowing. West side of the yard looks decent. Tomorrow, we attack the east side. Need to trim on the Rose of Sharon hedge, and eliminate two rows of horrible, nasty, useless, evil Lombardy Poplars. The really sad thing is that I'm the one that planted them. One of my first gardening moves, and I've regretted it ever since. We'll use them for bonfires....unless they prove worthless for that as well, lol!

I also got to play with a new toy today. For Christmas, Jim got me a Troy-Bilt trimmer that has interchangeable heads. I was SO excited! Very easy to start, and pretty well balanced so it's easy to handle, too. I think I'm gonna like it. Yesterday, while we were shopping at Lowes for a table, I also got a brush cutting head for it. The hope is that it will make bed cleanups a bit easier, and there are always weeds on the farm that need trimming.
Jim's got the grill going, he's doing a couple of steaks for supper, and yesterday, MIL brought us some fresh asparagus. I'm hungry as a bear, so I'm gonna hit the shower and be ready to eat and call it a day.

Have a good night, everybody!
Brenda

Gorgeous chairs, Eden. Why am I even surprised you'd post something so attractive?! The whole thing is to look for the "lines", not the crummy finish; obviously you've mastered the lfirst lesson of kerbside shopping.

2 votes for pastels... still counting here in coastal Maine...

Brenda, have you purchased marshmallows for the coming bonfire? Graham crackers and Hershey bars... s'mores... time to have the neighbors over, girlfriend! Mmmm...

Make it three votes-go for the pastel chairs, Chelone! We're in the process of painting the shed a Caribbean blue. It's bright but I like it. Anybody got ideas for a trim color. My initial thought is lime green but I'm seeing some screwed up faces in response to that choice.

Company is here. Right now they are out in the hot tub in the rain. So far, so good. I kept my mom occupied for a bit tonight with a trip to Target. We just finished a dinner of fresh grilled swordfish, steamed asparagus and salad. Between the entertaining and gardening I slipped in this morning it's time for me to sit and do nothing for what's left of this day.

No, Marie, I'm off all meds so my beverages are not resticted. There is a god.

Sue

Chelone, I cast my vote for the painted chairs . My DH made me two Adirondack chairs for me out of western red cedar. I am contemplating painting them which would no doubt cause him to turn in his grave. He was quite against painting wood ! I want to paint one one periwinkle or cobalt and the other white. I also have two ancient redwood club chairs that need attention. You must have been listening to the same Rostropovich retrospective on NPR that I was listening to. Whats up with the boss and the anti-classical thing? I listened to it from a very young age-I think maybe my Catholic upbringing and the liturgical music that was always present was part of my exposure. I never felt uncomfortable with it at all.
Prom Night here too- there are girls in gowns all over the neighborhood.

Sue, I vote yes on the lime green. Of course there is always orangeyikes ! Good show that you have the hot tub to lull the parental units into submission.

Love the pink chairs Eden ! What a find those were ..great design.

Brenda, one of our high schools here in Napa has a yoga class as part of PE, thats how my DS got started in that. Hes 22 now and has been doing yoga since high school.

Deanne, sorry to hear that you are having DD issues, neighbor issues etc. I hope all works out one way or another. Once the rug rats get to be adults one thinks that the angst is over ..yeah, right ! So hard to watch them make mistakes, zip your lip , and then decide whether bailing them out will help or hurt them . .

JWJ/Mary, nice to meet you-I think you were before my time..but I extrapolate from your rocky mountain zone info that you are Westerner! I hope you will continue to join in .

OK, I have o have dinner and watch some baseball, but I wanted to post these b-4 and after pics. Im so jazzed with how my front garden project has turned out

Before, last summer

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This morning..

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Note Boo Boo kitty resting on the blue bench in the morning sun...

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Hi - it must be spring if I am falling asleep in front of the computer at 9:00 pm. Life has been a tilt-a-whirl ride for the last week. The nice part is that I was given a incredible number of cut orchids as a thank you today and spent some time driving around town committing "random acts of orchidness". The late daffs are stunning beyond words, the forsythia was killed to the ground but is resprouting, the oakleaf hydrangea has surviving, and DH has decided to put in a natural swimming pool.

This is too weird - this post was lost - browser crashed, gone, caput, nada - and then it suddenly reappeared.

I am going to bed before it disappears again.

"Low Spark of High Heeled Boys" is one of my all-time favorite songs. Do you remember the photo of the band on the album cover? Some, um, unusual fitting pants...

V. the sleepy

I just got off the phone with my brother. Sigh. I have to put on my spiked collar and go back to pit bull mode, I'm afraid. The news from the nursing home is not good, I'm afraid. Mum has a urinary tract infection. The result of improper maintenance of her urostomy; they have not been hooking her up to a nighttime collection reservoir (something I suspected and mentioned to the nurse on duty). They called my brother to say they were unable to find an adaptor to fit the pouch she wears (there are 2 in every box of pouches had they bothered to look). They "couldn't find" the collection jug we supplied, my brother found it on the top shelf of her closet in the bag he put it in that day I he took her up. Her hearing aids went through the laundry and one was lost. They cost $3900! This means we have to replace them and they will "reimburse" us. How long do you think it will take corporate to cut the check for them?! They still have not returned her cane to her closet, in spite of my request and several from my brother (they "can't find it"). They have billed us again for April, even though the check was written on 4/3/07 for $8845 and has cleared the bank.

Tomorrow I will call the audiologist and find out how to go about correcting the hearing aid situation. I will contact the stoma nurse at the local hospital and get the guidelines for proper maintenance of urostomy patients. I will carefully compose a letter of complaint and concern and send a copy to the program director, corporate headquarters, my brother, and our attorney. And we'll see how it turns out. This is not acceptable care for $300+/day. And they need a tickle to remind them that they're performance is under scrutiny by the two people who advocate for their "ward". I am not pleased. And it's raining.

It's more fun to think about pastel Adirondak chairs. :(

I tried to locate my "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys" LP to check out the pants, V., but couldn't find it. Remember the clipped corners on the cover. "Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory" had the same style.

Kathy, your front yard makeover is spectacular! what a change. I love the explosion of color and the interesting lines. Beautiful, just beautiful.

I have to give the letter some careful thought. But I'd rather think about cheese pizza. Will someone share some funny stuff or good gardening stuff... I'm feeling pretty glum right now.

Hope your day goes better!

Chelone, your anger is a good thing and will guide you well in your response to those who need to hear. Trying not to alienate those who are the only ones who can help is an art form. Yikes I am furious right along with you. Been there, sorry to say.

For diversion:

Here is the jumpsuit I made for the "knit-along" with DD.
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The buttons are in honour of DSIL who is a fisheries officer.
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And here is a problem for all who are up to contributing. This is DD's inherited back yard, complete with pond:
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The stones will be removed and some saved to create a path or two. At present, woolly thyme surrounds the stones and she likes the idea of keeping that.
The pond needs work to make it fit into the site. DD would love it if you would share pond photos to give her ideas for making it look less like a casket/bathtub! She does not have time or energy to remake it from scratch (and DSIL rather likes it...ARGHH!) but she wants to make the edges blend into the yard and not look so conspicuous! She is thinking of removing the plastic top portion as well. The garden faces south but has lots of tree overhang. She lives in zone 3. I'll forward any photos or plant ideas you are able to share. THANKS!

I vote for:

*Pink adirondacks (and Eden's pink metal chairs - yum!)
*Fish buttons
*Kathy's front yard transformation (Amazing!!!)
*Another tier at the bottom of GB's daughter's pond - fill it with forget me nots or something that trails..
*Dieing before I have to go to a nursing home
*Yoga for all!

My Dicentra scandens did not make it through this ridiculous non zone 7 winter we had. It would have been 4th year for it. Drat. Now I must go find a clematis! Woe is me :-)

Went to Lowes for 8" carriage bolts to install black iron arch #4, and they had gorgoues ferns. I use two ferns on front entry in concrete urns each year and struggle every spring to find darn good looking ones for cheap. Bingo! And I wasn't even looking.

Deanne, I was inspecting a climbing hydrangea I put on the tupelo tree 3 or 4 years ago (it is certainly not twenty feet tall but is doing well), and found a huge section of loose bark on that tree. This tupelo has pendulous branches, so it has an unusual weeping form. Probably original to the house so 80+ years. I'm frightened of it now. Mostly because I need it for the humongous shade garden underneath it. Only incidentally concerned that it would aim at the house when it falls. Exhale. I'll have to think about having it inspected and/or removed in the fall. It's boughs are like a curtain obsuring the next property and I love the look of it in winter. Your weeping cherry seemed young, I'm sorry it's got to go. My weeping cherry is not in the greatest shape but I'm allowing it to die when it's ready and not before. There is a fissure at the base and I imagine insects will get in there and kill it within a few years. Suckering? Oh yeah, they pop up 20 feet away!

I got the side and back yard mown this morning. Front yard done yesterday and I must say dandelions look fine when they're all nicely mown to the same length. I must put a little more focus on lawn care....some year.

Back outside.....I don't have my watch on and I don't know the temperature. I think that's the way to go on a week-end :-)

Cynthia

I'm in far too foul a mood to start a new Idyll. One of you basking in spring sunlight must carry the torch!

'bug, I love the jumpsuit. It's precious! and I hope the piscean buttons are able to withstand washing... . I also hope they will be cut off when the garment is outgrown and is headed to the great compost heap/landfill. ;)

Sue, I love the lime green trim idea, but I'd also contemplate coral/orange (sorry Kathy!). When going with "bold" colors you can't "wimp out" with the trimwork. As I see it, you really can't lose as long as your trim paint is in a similar intensity to the ground color. This is a color wheel question... and which trim color you chose depends on which aspect of the base color you opt to oppose. Deanne will have some good insight, I'm sure.

OK, so I'm feeling less "speeny" about the pastel chairs thanks to my enabling "virtual" friends. :) Now, I have only to ask discreetly if payment in "dead presidents" might reduce the price a wee bit... . If not, I'll use my credit card and time the purchase to "milk" the term as long as possible.

We were supposed to spend tomorrow relocating plants and yanking fence posts, but now that I have to do so much work related to Mum and her circumstances I fear for the productivity. I am now more irritated and angry than I was when I first spoke with my brother. I sure as hell hope euthanasia and/or assisted suicide becomes an available option when I attain an age that warrants it!

Hrummph!

Summer is here! It was down right hot the last 2 days. I'm shot but survived yesterday. We had about the number of people that we hoped for and made about 1/3 more in donations than what I had for a goal. So all was a success. I will post a few pictures after I upload them. I tried once and got some weird error message that the picture couldn't be copied to my computer. I gave up. We had a busy "family" day today and so the weekend is over. I did get in about 4 hours on Friday and about 5 hours of gardening on Sat. so all wasn't lost. So much to comment on that I won't attempt it tonight. I did think of this email I got recently when I read about Chelone's mum. Sorry things aren't up to snuff.

No Nursing Homes for Us

No nursing home for us. We are checking into the Holiday Inn!
With the average cost for a nursing home care costing $188.00 per day, there is a better way when we get old & feeble. We have already checked on reservations at the Holiday Inn. For a combined long term stay discount and senior discount, it's $49.23 per night. That leaves $138.77 a day for: breakfast, lunch and dinner in any
restaurant we want, or room service. Laundry, gratuities and special TV movies. Plus, they provide a swimming pool, a workout room, a lounge and washer-dryer, etc. Most have free toothpaste and razors, and all have free shampoo and soap. $5 worth of tips a day will have the entire staff scrambling to help you. They treat you like a customer, not a patient. There is a city bus stop out front, and seniors ride free. The handicap bus will also pick you up (if you fake a decent limp). To meet other nice people, call a church bus on Sundays. For a change of scenery, take the airport shuttle bus and eat at one of the nice restaurants there. While you're at the airport, fly somewhere. Otherwise, the cash keeps building up. It takes months to get into decent nursing homes. Holiday Inn will take your reservation today. And you are not stuck in one place forever, you can move from Inn to Inn, or even from city to city. Want to see Hawaii? They have a Holiday Inn there too. TV broken? Light bulbs need changing? Need a mattress replaced? No problem. They fix everything, and apologize for the inconvenience. The Inn has a night security person and daily room service. The maid checks to see if you are ok. If not, they will call the undertaker or an ambulance. If you fall and break a hip, Medicare will pay for the hip, and Holiday Inn will upgrade you to a suite for the rest of your life. And no worries about visits from family. They will always be glad to find you, and probably check in for a few days mini-vacation. The grand kids can use the pool.

What more can you ask for?
So, when we reach that golden age,
we'll face it with a grin.
Just forward all our email to:
us@Holiday.Inn

Night all
Michelle