And a great time was had by all! What a fun visit we had today and what a treat to meet Wendy in person! Brunch was a huge success and I ate way too much of the wrong food and loved every minute of it. I think Sue was going to split her sides laughing at me every time I tasted the chocolate mousse and almost swooned... LOL

Here are the Idyllettes just before the Michael Timothy's brunch. L to R, Sue, Deanne, Monique and Wendy
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Chelone, snicker and snort....

Taryn, nice to 'see' you. Hope all is well. Ive been thinking of you.

Later,
D

Hey, you in the NE know how to enjoy it. Thanks for sharing your pretty selves. That's what we lurk in for!!! EP

How nice it was to meet Deanne, Sue and Monique and their husbands today. We had a delicious and fun brunch; what a great restaurant Deanne picked out for us! Deanne's garden is gorgeus, such lovely views from her windows (the rain kept us from seeing as much as I would have liked). Good conversation and laughs, what a way to spend an afternoon!

-Wendy

P.S. Have not had time to read most of the weekend posts yet, but Chelone - your naughty carrot caught my eye, LOL, good trick - keep those photos coming!!

Martie, we used the conduit too.

Mary, here's a link to a company that has lots of wood cutout patterns. I've done a couple of Christmas ones in years past, "snowy hug" and the gingerbread toyshop. We do have a light shining on the witch but I'm not happy with it. The light bounces off the black too much or something. I think the cutouts might show up better with the light shining from behind them. I'm going to have Brad move it and try it that way.

Deanne, I don't remember reading about posting less pictures either. I LOVE seeing everyones pictures!!!

Cynthia, sounds like you're already getting the new guy shaped up. Hugs to all the puppers and kitties from me!

Marian, I'm glad the method I'm using with the bananas has been working for you. That means there's hope that it will work for me too. I'm kind of afraid of the going dormant method of overwintering. I just don't have confidence that I can revive them in the spring. But I know Cynthia does it too so I'm going to be brave and try...

That's a good one, Chelone, lol. Thanks for the laugh.

How's it going Babs?

And Taryn, I'm assuming if the house had sold you'd tell us? Still have my fingers (and toes) crossed for you guys!

I'm soooo tired tonight. I'm going to try to stay awake for Desperate Housewives. I've missed it the last 2 weeks because I fell asleep. Having Bella all day Thurs, Fri and Sat has me dragging on Sundays. I'll talk to you all tomorrow. Glad the NE contingent had a fun visit.

Eden

The NE Idyllettes look like they had a nice visit. :o) It is good to 'see' each of their smiles once again. Wendy, it is nice to 'meet' you.

I have no news, just thought I'd catch up on reading and pop in to say hello.

T.

What fun to see Taryn's pretty photo and the NE get together.
I just surfaced from a few hours of painting behind the furnace. The basement is coming along, ever so slowly.

Made oven dried tomatoes and turkey soup with dumplings today. Then it was cheese fondu for dinner with more dried tomatoes. They're all gone now!

A rainy day, but a gentle rain, so Charlotte and I sat on the porch and enjoyed the sound for a little while. DH was off playing hockey. DD called. A nice weekend with lots accomplished.

Enjoyed the motorcycle report from Oklahoma. Looked at the moose decoration for the lawn in winter on Eden's link too.

zzzzzzzzzzz
'bug

Chelone, congratulations on learning how to post pictures into your messages. We should have thought to invite you to brunch today. Your carrot tricks may have been a hit at the buffet table...lol.

So, we actually got a group picture where everyone looks good. Not that we don't always look good, ho, ho, ho, but usually someone blinks, squints or frowns. Was this the picture where Tom had us say sh** or the one where he asked us to say poop? What a relief to see Wendy posting-I was afraid we may have scared her away even though Monique never broke out the fart machine.

Yes, Deanne conjures up quite a vocabulary when eating dessert. I think she was calling the lemon tarts gorgeous until we pointed out that gorgeous seemed more appropriate for something you look at and not eat. The meal we enjoyed was delish but the desserts were the icing on the cake, so to speak. Among other things, I had what I think was pumpkin mousse served on a fresh ginger cookie. As Deanne would say fabu-fabu. For dinner tonight I had a half of a turkey sandwich on whole wheat and wasn't even all that hungry for that.

Deanne, believe it or not but the sun was out when we got home. It was probably nice here all day because I was gone. At least I did get out for my walk tonight-something I didn't think I was going to be able to do. One of these days I need to get serious about fall garden cleanup but I keep telling myself it's not going anywhere. No frost predicted for this week as far as I know. If that changes, picture me dashing around in the dark like a nut tossing pots into the garage.

"See" you all tomorrow.

Sue

What a great picture - ladies, you look lovely and Wendy looks a lot of fun. Glad you had such a good time together.

Hi Taryn - any house updates?

Thanks for the wood pattern links Eden.

We had a lovely evening with friends and I'm about to curl up on the sofa next to hubbie.

Nite all

Mary

Thanks for the comments on the toad picture. He did blend right in on the spout. I put the can back on the porch and when I checked later he was down inside.

GB how are oven dried tomatoes made? I made Dh fried green tomatoes the other night. He loves them. Tonite I made him a chocolate pie. Can you tell I am very grateful for him digging a trench for me. LOL

Good to see the smiling faces of a happy get together. A good looking bunch.

Chelone that carrot is hilarious. I too am looking forward to a Biggie Boy picture.

I am tired tonite so I'm going to bed early. Have a good week everyone. Norma

I've read and enjoyed all the posts and pictures. Except I can't see Chelone's and Norma's:-( I enjoyed all the historical comments and stories, dog stories, etc. Lovely ladies at Michael Timothy's!

DD1 and SIL came Friday and just left this evening. Enjoyed them SO much! Also a couple of cousins visited yesterday at different times. After the kids left, we went out and picked the tomatoes and peppers. We're supposed to get rain mixed with snow tonight and tomorrow morning. I have to go to the dentist at 8:30 in the morning:-( Friday, I got all my pots of perennials moved across the creek and buried to the rims in the sawdust pile. Four trips with the wheelbarrow full of pots! I've overwintered pots of perennials there before and they do well. This is the first winter I've overwintered hellebores. I had big plans to have their spot ready to just plant them in the ground but it didn't happen.

Brenda, thats funny about Gus thinking he's still small enough to sit on the recliner foot:-) And telling on Sarah and Jim!

Martie, what a nice bunch of plants you have! have you made any concrete plans on where they are going yet? I'm still in the thinnking stage. I'm going to talk to DH tonight and explain that my re-doing my bed section is time-critical and see if he really plans to facilitate it.

Mary, I'll be watching for the seed starting thread!

Marian, we keep Fred penned up at night. He goes into the pen by himself around dusk and I go out and shut the door. Every once in a while he decides to roost on the glider on the front porch. DH just picks him up and carries him to his house.

Deanne, I haven't been writing the Fred & Lady stories down but I will! I'm excited about seeing your driveway map!! I think it will be very helpful to me as I make plans.

I had more comments to make but i need to do some other stuff before bedtime. I'll be much happier after the dentist trip is over!
VG

Deanne, I like the drama of the longshot of Wendy in your Oct 16 Pictures. Wish I hadn't lost my Jack Frost. I have a much better spot for it now. Maybe I'll try it again next year. Norma

Someone wanted me to post over the weekend. Its still the weekend, right?

This may be a pretty selfish post. For one thing, the space bar is acting up and only responding periodically so its taking a long time to type this.

But a few quickie comments first. Brenda, has Jim been listening to WGN? Theyve been talking about keeping spiders away with Osage oranges. Youre supposed to cut them in half and put them in the corners of the rooms where you get spiders. I havent tried it, but there is an OO on my drive home and Im watching for those fruits to drop.

Looks like the NE idyllers had a great time!

CHELONE! What a riot!!! You know how to pick em, girl!

Im finally getting over this cold which really had me draggy all of last week. Now the weather has turned cold and raw. Maybe next weekend will be better for planting bulbs?

Went to visit DS downstate this weekend and had a nice time. He made breakfast for us this morning French toast made from bread he had baked from scratch the night before and homemade carrot cake. This kid is turning out all right!

Sigh th ekeyboard issues are getting the better of me. I think Ill post this and see if I can fix the keyboard.

V.

OK , I have to share one more photo, I think is cute because I'm the grandma. LOL

Whacking the Pinata
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Deanne, thanks so much for posting the link to the Oct 16 pictures. They are so pretty, and some great information thereabouts!! I will be checking back there!

The flower bed re-do is a GO! I talked to DH last night and he finally admitted that he was reluctant because he didn't want to do the dirt part this late and have a big bed of mud right by the driveway this winter. He decided that he could level JUST the flower bed and leave the septic tank covering until spring. Then DS, bless his heart, took it upon himself to clear the way to the dirt pile so they could get thru with the tractor. This involves moving our little pick up truck and its engine which is on an engine stand to be re-built, and several other huge items that I can't move myself.

So...I am hoping to get the bulbs and plants dug up this week.

Somebody asked me several thread ago if I had any special Thanksgiving recipes. Actually I don't. We don't really have a traditional meal. No turkey:-) since the family includes vegans, lacto-ovo-vegetarians and meat-eaters, we are planning a Baked Potato Bar for this year, with everybody bringing their favorite toppings. *So far*, the plan is Friday supper at DH's sisters and a Saturday meal(this will be what we call "Haystacks". It's tortilla chips topped with yummy-flavored beans,all kinds of shredded/chopped veggies--lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, olives, etc. and the dressing of your choice. Delicious!!) at our house. Everybody wants to spend the weekend at our house so there will lots of air mattresses on our floors!

My cereal is cooked so I'd better eat breakfast and get ready to go to the dentist:-(
VG

Nice to see early morning risers again on this forum! For some reason I don't like to be the first to start the day. Well this morning there was a race track on top of our bed. Three cats and a dog charging all over at 7am. I can imagine how I'll feel about it when the clocks change.

Such a sweet photo of the pinata! Love your GS's expression. Norma, I would suggest trying the Jack Frost again. It does return late for me, so mark the spot so you don't think it is missing. There are other new forms of the plant ("Looking Glass" is a sport of JF) that are slightly different, but I still like Jack best.

V, I hope the day/week improves, your cold disappears and the keyboard gets replaced. I've been able to buy new ones for about $10 in the past. It is worth it! Sounds like your DS is majoring in culinary arts. I should have married him...but he has a lovely girlfriend already.

Off to do breakfast and get DH off to his meetings. Poor guy has had a rough 3 weeks and it continues on. Then it is more painting in the basement for me. Sigh.

Have a great week everyone, smile and enjoy life.
'bug

So while I'm elbow deep in cold, wet soil and nightcrawlers, in the drizzle with S*^* in the forecast, and then removing a leaky toilet, my new NE gardener friends are enjoying a lovely brunch complete with desserts to die for. Hmmmph. Told DH that next time, we're going. He saw the pic, remembered what I looked like when I came in yesterday, and agreed that would be a good idea :-)

Added a few things to the plant list over the weekend and the ONLY newbie permanently placed are a few peonies. Put in about 200 bulbs and ordered a few more. Took stock of indoor overwintering space and had to barter for a few more square feet of DH's office.

This needs to be quickly -- I'm on the road today and hope that the sun stays out just enough to enjoy what little color there is ...

All Stay Well!!

Martie

Good Morning, It doesn't look like the sun will be shining here today. I did get a sinkful of dishes done already this morning and had a cup of hot chocolate sitting out in the garden, or should I say what's left of it. We still haven't had a killing frost, but things are definitely in decline. I have a Thompson Morgan seed order ready to go in, just a few things though. I'm being good. Bordines, one of the local nurseries, has a 1/2 price seed sale in Feb so I'll pick up most of my annual seeds then.

Norma, What a cute picture of little Wyatt.I love that look of happiness on his face. He looks like he's really shot up and is getting tall. They grow up so fast! Jack Frost is definitely worth trying again and I like Looking Glass alot too. Chocolate pie, yum! My grandma made the best one, she used lard in her pie crust and baked them on the back of the upside down pie pan. They were so light and flaky and she made her chocolate filling with the Hershey's chocolate powder in the can. It was sooo chocolatey. I wish I had learned from her exactly how she made it.

Marie, just think how good it's going to feel every time you go down into that freshly painted basement this winter. Hope Ric has an easier week ahead.

V, ds sounds like he's really settling down and growing up. It's so nice when that finally happens after those rough late teen years and we get our original kid back again. And his cooking sounds divine, french toast from homemade bread, yum again. I must be hungry, lol.

Martie, good lesson learned. Never pass up a meeting of the Idylls. A good time is always guaranteed, as is lots of good food and drink.

VG, sometimes the hardest part of a project is getting the dh motivated to get started. Glad to hear yours is a GO!

Sue, if we don't get to fall cleanup, we can always do spring clean up, right? We've still got November though...

Coffee's done brewing so off I go. Have a nice Monday everyone. Eden

Have been up for quite a while and Partner has the coffee made. VG ... I was the one who asked about Thanksgiving foods. The 'Haystacks' sound interesting so might try that. Is there any special way that you fix the beans? The baked potato bar sounds nice too. I usually don't do a lot of cooking but like to have ideas for family celebrations. They usually like to begin nibbling immediatly when they arrive. We are getting into more vegetarian preferences too. I do make a turkey for Thanksgiving. Our daughter usually brings the foods that they prefer.
Norma, the pinata picture brings back a lot of memories. Right now we are trying to decide on the next home for a 'life size' teddy bear that has been camped out in the corner of our computer room for a few years. His 'boy' is into studying engineering now but G'ma didn't want to give up the bear (or the boy!) but G'mas have to eventually 'grow up' too. Enjoy it 'all you can' 'while you can'.... Always interested in what the 'working girls' are doing.. keeps us in touch with what our daughters might be doing comparitivly.. one a nurse and one an accountant...and our 'grown up' grand daugthers are now working women too.. one a reporter and one in retail sales. We don't have a lot to chit chat about but do hope to be reinforcing to others. Yesterday on the Oklahoma Gardening presentation on TV the host did the 'persimmon seed' experiment (cut open the seed and see if the embryo is in the shape of a knife (indicating wind and cold) , spoon (indicating lots of snow) , or fork ( indicating ice and cold). Most of the results demonstrated the spoon. We've had milder than usual winters the past couple of years. Getting ready to snuggle in for whatever it brings. EP

Good morning!

Norma, that little guy is adorable!

V, I was glad to see that you had an opportunity to check in. Is this the keyboard on your laptop? Hope it is an easy fix.

Mary, how did your book club gathering go? I thought you were calling your neighbor a cute little toad! I got such a kick out of it, even though that wasn't your meaning. A jigsaw of your own? Neat! I have a toolbox & tools but the only power tool so far is a drill. Jim is always borrowing my tools and quite often they are missing for quite awhile. I've put a T on them in permanent marker but I'm thinking I need to buy a can of that rubber coating dip, in pink, so that my tools have a better chance of not migrating into his toolbox.

Our daughters and grandson are coming over this morning to spend the day. I found out about their plans last night so haven't anything prepared or on hand for a lunch. I guess it will be soup and toast. Perhaps we can make cookies or something fun while they are here.

I hope everyone has a great Monday.

Hello to everyone!

T.

Hi. Warning, this will be an all about me post. I've been enjoying the pix and tales, tho. Just checking in after a busy weekend. If I dont post regularly for the next few weeks, its b/c Im racing the calendar and weather to get my garden to-do list completed. At the rate Im going, Ill be planting bulbs in the snow!

Our trees are mostly still green here and leaves have just started to fall so usual garden mulching with shredded leaves is quite behind schedule. In DDs town, folks blow their leaves to the curb for city pick-up. Im going try to get over there and scoop up as much as possible. DD has lots of trees on her lot, so when they come down, Ill bring the shredder over there, shred and bag hers and haul them back here. Ive got two neighbors giving me their bagged leaves for shredding. One has a Sequoia next to his garage and hell give me the needles for mulching my rhodos and azaleas.

It was supposed to rain all weekend and when it didnt, I got DH to help me till-in 10 more bags of soil conditioner in an area about 8 x 12 in the back of the garden, and we pruned a number of trees (with more to do). I made 2 trips to the nursery for more pine bark mulch/soil conditioner. Of course, each time I came home with more plants. Im incorrigible. With my Garden Club discount and the sale, I got 2 gal. pots of May Night, a 6-pk of Sedum Angelina and a Tassel Fern for $5 ea., a really nice Sweet spire "Little Henry" for $9, and more bulbs. I need more bulbs like a hole in my head. Sheesh.

I raked and bagged the leaves that fell behind my garden in the commons and now have 4 stuffed contractor bags ready to shred. DH and I reorganized the garage to store containers, cages and plant supports and got the leaf shredder down from the rafters. Today hopefully, Ill get the area we tilled measured and sketched so when it starts raining I can work on drawing up a plan. I still have a couple more hostas next to this area to divide and move, as well as move a couple more plants on the house side of the serviceberry area. I have one more Dahlia from the container by the front door to dig, clean and prep for storage. Its still blooming up a storm and didnt get zapped in the frost Sat. nite so I hate to cut it down.

Over the weekend, we spoke to our friends in Florida about their plans to take cover from Wilma. Their gorgeous waterfront properties have far less appeal to us than they used to. Were a little worried about one couple that has a home in the Keys. Theyve just rebuilt since being devastated a couple yrs. ago.

Im concerned about our NE Idyllers with more rain in the forecast. You guys certainly dont need more precipitation! I was glad to hear they built a rock dam below the old wooden one in Massachusetts, to protect the downstream residents. Hopefully, it will hold thru Wilma.

I loved, loved, loved that great pic of the NE Idyllers! And th pic of sweet Wyatt. Ennyhoo, it's finally up to 50. So I'm going to bundle up and see if I can get something done outside. Thinking of all. TTYL, Honey

Gardenbug, I've experienced that morning race track when we spend the night at DD1's. She has two huge cats:-) How big is your basement? Is it *finished* or are you painting a block wall? We have to do that one of the se days too.

Martie, it sounds like you're moving right along on your garden projects. It's cold and rain mixed with snow here this morning, so i will be working inside.

BTW I am back from the dentist, Just had a cleaning and he said they looked good. Yeah!!!

I was so engrossed in thinking about my flower bed re-do on the way home from the dentist that I missed my turn and drove about 10 miles out of my way!

Eden, a seed order already? Oh dear! I've been telling myself that I can't get anything new until I find homes for all the refugees in the coldframe and nursery bed:-( I agree on the hardest part of a project!

EP, my family prefers Refried Beans but most of the others like some chili beans. i got my refried recipe from The Moosewood Cookwood by Mollie Katzen (sp?) and tweaked it just a little. I used to fix it for Christmas dinner every year for the tree planters when we were out on the road. It's pretty neat when the Mexican folks ask for your refried bean recipe LOL! That persimmon seed thing is interesting. i wonder if it is true?:-)

T, chuckling about the pink handled tools:-) Have fun with you family today.

Honey, Wow! You are getting so much done! If we weren't getting rain and snow I wuld be out there digging up daffodil bulbs. Maybe tomorrow. No wait, I think we decided to do another big batch of applesauce tomorrow. I'll have to check the weather! i hope your friends will be OK. I have a friend in Homestead, or used to be friend. She lived just down the road and we were friends. She and her husband divorced, she moved away and I haven't heard from her in years. i think of her every time there is a hurricane there.

I need to get to work. DH and DS are working on finishing the sheetrock in the master bathroom and i might even get to paint the walls and ceiling before bedtime!!
Hi to everyon. Marian, are you OK?
VG

Vegie girl, just enjoyed some black beans mixed with an Oklahoma brand of salsa with tortilla chips with some honeydew melon. good! I've enjoyed a lovely morning trimming plants. EP

Well I've "enjoyed" finishing the first coat of paint behind the furnace. That means the first coat on the walls is DONE. I am considering leaving things with only one coat for the time being. It is only an old basement after all. It looks cleaner. I then swept the floor as best as I could considering there are hoses from all sorts of places (furnace, water tank, etc) along the wall. My lungs are full of dust now. The walls were expecially difficult because they are over 100 years old and very rough. No type of roller could be used, even the paint brushes were very difficult and slow going. Next I must move old tables and shelves to another room so that I can wash the cement floor with acid and rinse it. Then paint it once it is dry. Maybe I'll be done by Christmas? I do hope sooner!

Norma, was it you who asked about oven dried tomatoes? I only make them at the very end of the season, once, because I hate to use the oven for such a long period of time. I slice the tomatoes into thick slices, about 1/2" or less, or chunks. I put them on a cooky tray spread with olive oil, then spray them on top with olive oil. I put them in the oven at about 200F for about 6-8 hours, watching them every so often. We like them when they are still rather moist. I try to make 2 full trays of them. They disappear ever so quickly.

Froze up the rest of the green peppers from the garden this morning, saving 2 for stuffing for our dinner tonight.

Honey, plant those bulbs ASAP! I am already excited about how they'll look next spring. This is what carries me through the awful time of year!

DD is starting a new job today working on a 6 month contract for the Dep't of Fisheries in Edmonton. I haven't quite figured out what fish are in Alberta yet...I wish she had finished writing up her thesis before starting, but money is useful for them it seems.

Must go breathe outside and clear my lungs with Charlotte as my companion.

Marion? What's up?
Babs? Taryn? Lauren? Jerri? everyone?

'bug

Got blown off by every single client today and, Oh Shucks, had to stop in at a few nurseries along the way to kill time and thus my budget. Ended up with a bunch of Digitalis s....(the true perennial) and some Patriot and Minuteman Hosta. What can I say?? We live in New England and there are just plants that are obligatory :-)

VG: Yes, the garden plans are progressing but that's about it. While I keep gathering plants, DH has sights set on doing things inside the house. Can you imagine?

When I came home today two toilets, one on either side of the driveway, complete with mums installed, greeted me. I had been saying how great some Della Robia would be down there. This is DH's answer. Had to laugh -- he actually went and bought mums!!!! (Toilets are going to freecycle sans plants.)

Norma: I love seeing pics of kids having fun. We are at that inbetween age where our kids aren't quite ready to give us grandkids. It's great to be in a place where I can grandmother vicariously through you guys!

'bug: Careful with the acid on the floor, please, particularly an old floor. I can't imagine how you managed to paint 100 year old walls. Pat yourself on the back for the one coat :-)

EP: Not being facitious ... Is there a difference between OK type salsa and other types? I'm not a cilantro lover and most recipes I find either use that or a ton of hot peppers, which I can also do without.

Great everyone-can-eat-it Thanksgiving side dish: Get a bunch of different hard squash. Cut them into 1" cubes. (Do this ahead of time.) Blanch in boiling water. Put in a baking dish with pats of marjarine, a small amount of brown sugar, real maple syrup, and top with a hefty layer of wheat bread crumbs. (IF YOU CAN'T FIND maple syrup IT I'LL SEND SOME TO YOU), cover and bake for at least a few hours at 325deg without uncovering. Squash should be fork tender.

Leftovers get mashed, put in a savory pie shell, just heated, and taste better that way than the original.

Going to eat, now :-)

Martie

I'm okay , VG and Marie ....just 'laying low' . I apparently have ruffled at least one person's feathers with a comment I made about the nasty-mindedness that I'd encountered on a couple of conversation forums . I e-mailed the one that I am sure took offense , and asked her to correct me if I was wrong . I offered to stop posting here if my being here was causing her to go elsewhere . I haven't heard anything either pro or con .
Also , I think there were some other 'foot in the mouth ' comments by me .

When , and if , I feel comfortable about my place on this forum , I will return . I do not want to be where I am a nuisance .

Marian

re salsa: Many products are available in our local markets and farm stores are made in Oklahoma. This one is made in Moore, OK: ingredients : tomatoes, onion, lemon concentrate, garlic salt, peppers, gourmet extracts, distilled vinegar. Have no idea what 'gourmet extracts' means. Sometimes they include 'spices' with nothing exact defined. I don't like cilantro either. I always check ingredients when buying salsa. The oven cooked tomatoes sound good. Never have tried that. Enjoyed a lot of time outside today with short intervals inside. EP

I grew up in the southwest and remember that sometimes coriander (the seed) was used in Mexican recipes but until we came here I had never seen or tasted cilantro (the leaves of the plant). (Also had not known that coriander and cilantro are from the same plant). We used comino (cumin), garlic, onion , red and green chili. My sister learned to make tamales from a Mexican friend during the mid 1930's . I still use a modification of her recipe. (using commercial sauce in the preparation).The first Christmas food I remember was green corn tamales. We had Mexican food at Christmas. We got our tortillas fresh from the factory. Now we see Mexican food products everywhere. Also here there are many Mexican restaurants that prepare food in different ways. Never know what we ar going to be served when we order. I always tell them 'no cilantro'. EP

Okie Doakie , I got a very nice e-mail from the one that I thought had taken offense ... and all is well in that respect . It was my mistake !

Well.. that's good Marian. We don't like to see anybody from 'around here' getting 'picked on'. EP

DS was at a conference in Orlando last week, then went to Miami to visit a former girlfriend. (One in every port says DH!) He just phoned to say he is OK. He can't fly back to Boston...no planes there. The apartment where he is staying is rather new and has metal shutters to close in the event of lively weather. He said they could definitely feel the force of the winds. Billboards, trees etc are knocked over, cell phones don't all work, power out in many areas.

I feel for those folk. Honey, I agree. I'm not sure those waterfront properties are so great after all.

EP, I just read your motorcycle link and found it quite interesting. N.

Good Morning, Marie, I'll go first for you this morning ok? I woke up with a headache. I don't get them often and I took some advil so hope it's gone soon. It's cold and rainy here but looks like you all on the east coast will be getting the worst of the weather today. Please all of you, stay safe! I need to go out and run a few errands this morning and I'd like to go junking at the thrift stores for some new(to me) bedside tables. I'd like to get 2 small tables, don't have to be matching, and paint them black. We got the aquarium set up and now today Brad needs to catch the goldfish and bring them inside. They can be wily little creatures and usually give him a hard time. I gathered together all the bulbs I've been accumulating and have around 150 to plant sometime this week too.

Marie, glad ds is safe in Florida at one of his "ports in the storm". It sounds like the basement project is coming along. No fun I know, but just keep plugging away at it and you'll feel a great sense of accomplishment when it's done. Painting the basement floor is on my list too. I'd like to find out more about the new epoxy paints for basement and garage floors. Has anyone here used them? I think it's a job that would be worth having someone experienced come in and do.

Honey, I wish I had your motivation to get out and work in the garden this year. You are getting so much accomplished and it will make such a difference next spring. I made a list of things I need to do out there and there are 17 projects. Wonder how many I'll get done?

T, did you have a fun day with your daughters and Jamie? Did you all bake cookies?

Martie, your new driveway planters sound divine, lol. Thanks for the easy squash recipe, sounds like one I'll have to try.

The advil must be working because my head is feeling better so I guess I'd better get this day started. My Bella will be here later this afternoon, haven't seen her in a couple of days. Have a good one all!

Eden

EP, your black bean meal sounds good! I too, dislike cilantro. The smell of it almost makes me nauseated. I do like and use coriander quite a bit though. Ahh, fresh tortillas!! DS learned to make corn tortillas from a Mexican lady and on the rare occasions that he makes them, they are heavenly!!

GB Its neat what a coat of paint does for a room. I painted my laundry room walls light pink and the trim will be an even lighter pink. It's just so cheerful:-) You have worked hard on those basement walls, haven't you? Do you have to do another coat? Yes do be careful with that caid! Make sure you wear eye protection. Thanks for sharing the oven dried tomato recipe. I'm saving that! Good luck to your DD in her new job!

Martie, gathering the plants is the most fun part, I think:-) My problem is that I've been gathering for about 7 years now and they are all crying out to be given proper homes! Thanks for the squash recipe. I'm saving it too. We all like winter squash at our house.

Eden, hope your headache is better by now. Good luck in your quest for end tables. I love the way you say "My Bella will be here"!

It's 39 degrees and raining. The forecast is for 3 inches of snow tonight:-( Last night we painted the primer coat on the bathroom ceiling and walls. We are also working on the arch over the front door and want to paint it today. We have the trim paint for that but no real paint for the bathroom. We have to decide on a color. I think I want it to be the same color as the bedroom walls, for which I am leaning toward a very light green. i want a neutral green if that is possible:-) I think all colors of flowers go with green. We don't want to make a special trip to Lowes just for a gallon or two of paint because it's a 90 mile round trip.

Marian, glad you feel comfortable here!

I must get busy. DH isn't feeling too spunky today. He has good days and bad days.
Hope you all enjoy your day!
VG

Yaargh ! VG .... snow already !? And in Virginia !
We had our first freeze last night . Ice on the rain barrel water , and frost everywhere . That's the end of the tender vegetation outside , including the combo on the deck that EI liked so much .
I'm waiting for my hair to dry so I can leave for the regular Tuesday's trip to town . Looks like I will have to scrape the car's windshield . Our wood heat sure feels good this morning .
I hope everyone's week got off to a good start . Sorry for any that are 'under the weather' .

Marian

Belated

Happy Birthday Cynthia!
I hope you had a great day!

Marian glad to hear that there was no problem. I don't think that most of us here are prone to upset about things others here say. Which is a good thing as it's too hard to lose any members of this group that I've grown so fond of and think of as the family I always wanted. I think when people leave it leaves a hole where they belong. I still miss Jain and Saucy, and many others who no longer Idyll.

Yes Deanne I do think fabu fabu, or just fabu even, should be added to the dictionary hall of fame. I'd like to get my license printed up and laminated since I'm such a abuser of the English lingo. I've used the made up word conundrance for years, and had to tell a friend it isn't really a word when she used it. It's really a cross between conundrum and hindrance. Here's a sample of a poetic license. Maybe I'll send away for one. ;) {{gwi:182653}}
I'm sure they make them in Canada too, lol.

Congrats on the weight loss, BTW. I have to combine anything non protein with proteins to ensure my blood sugar stays level, so I know what your nutritionist means. Food combining doesn't work for me though. :( The fat just laughs as it grabs hold and adds more pounds. :( I hope the exercise will be the tie breaker though and I'll be looking at low bf ratios like you. Or maybe the muscles will just hold everything in more and I'll appear smaller. Fingers crossed!

Hi everyone else. I hope everyone ill feels better soon and all have fun in the garden, even in the snow. Take care.

Yeona

Norma, your little Wyatt is a cutie.

V, hope you got your keyboard problem worked out, is this on your new laptop?

I'm in awe of those of you who are putting your gardens to sleep for the winter. Not having containers does have one good side to it at this time of year. I don't have a basement and our garages are windowless, filled to the max already. I'd be in a world of hurt if I need to overwinter anything. Deanne did share 5 starts of coleus with me so those are sitting in my kitchen windowsill and perking my spirits up whenever I look at their new leaves & growing roots.

Today is blustery and cool. A fine day for puttering in the sewing room. I'm making another baby quilt. Goodness but this is a busy year for babies! This is another simple one that won't be harmed by all those fluids that happen around babies.

We didn't make cookies yesterday, Eden. I made some last night after dinner. Ate 2 of them while they were still hot.....the calories don't appear until after they've cooled so if you want to eat them guilt free, you need to do it while they are still warm. Once they've cooled....that is it, the calories are stuck inside of them. It is true! Just like that 5 second rule (Brenda, I always knew it the 5 second rule wasn't true, but I'm still going to use it whenever I want to. lol)

It is lunch time.....guess I'll go heat up a can of soup. Yep, culinary masterpiece in a can.........my speciality. :oP

Hello to all!

T.

Just a quickie - someone came by the office to solicit funds for the local Christmas decor. He had a pick-up truck and had a whole box of osage oranges in the back. I wonder if the tree I've been watching has been picked clean! I'll check on the way home. They were there yesterday...

V.

Oh no, V. Hope your osages are still there...If they are you better grab them now!

T, all your talk of cookies convinced me to make a batch of brownies that have about 20 more minutes in the oven. I'm assuming the warm rule applies to brownies as it does to cookies?

Yeona, I figured you to have a poetic license. Glad to hear you're sticking with your exercise program at the Y. Good for you!

VG, I always think of green as a neutral when I'm interior decorating. It's a neutral in nature after all. I'm glad it's not that long of a trip to Home Depot and Lowes here. I'm in both stores at least once a week, usually more. That's my one worry about ever moving out into the country. I'm so used to being able to pick up and go to just about any type of store in just a few minutes. But then I start thinking how great it would be to be in the peace, quiet and beauty of the country...

I hope Marie isn't trapped behind the furnace. It's been quiet from her today.

Marian, did you have a fun day in town?

Does anyone here have a weather station. I've been thinking about getting one and was looking at them online today and there's alot to choose from. Of course, the nice expensive top of the line ones with all the bells and whistles are the ones I'm thinking I need. If any of you have any experience with one I'd appreciate some advice.

Wishing you all a restful evening,

Eden

Greetings, all. 3" more of rain and my clay lawn is ponding. Why am I not upset? I now know where to put my water features with rain catching tanks! DH and I agree! This will be a whole new realm for me and I can't wait.

T: The Rule we use is if you have "just one of each thing" it won't make a difference, so we make 20 things .

Marian: I mark the calendar with the first ice in a bucket date. Everything is happening so late, here (or am I just not used to Z6, yet??). We still haven't had a frost. Lemon Verbena is throwing new growth. Plants are confused. So am I :-)

VG and Eden: Enjoy the recipe! For sweet, add a bit of nutmeg. For savory, add a bit of lemon thyme.

T, again: No containers? There's *always* room for containers. In Z8 you wouldn't have to bring much in; many of the best container plants I've worked with are hardy to Z8. Not even tuberous begonias?? We'll need to talk ...... :-)

GB: Glad your DS is safe and sound. I have no idea why sane people (including good friends of mine) chose to live in Florida. Any place where lavenders apparently die on contact is not for me.

PLEASE HELP: I need about 100 reasonably priced tulip bulbs and haven't gotten bulbs by mailorder in several years. I'm not finding what I want locally or at Pinetree, WFF or VB. Where do you guys suggest I go? Googling only elicited about 2.3 million sites so we need to narrow it down .. ;)

All the best to everyone.

Martie

Since this is blooming now would that make it a Halloween Cactus?

{{gwi:182654}}

Bella says "Hi Idylls"

{{gwi:182655}}

Martie, Did you try Brent and Becky's Bulbs?

Oh Bella is a beauty! Your cactus is gorgeous. I have two of mine hiding in the entryway powder room (no windows), in hopes that the low light filtering in there will be enough to make the silly things bloom.

I was just given a La Crosse touch screen weather center with pc interface last night. It looks to be quite nice. The model is WS 3610, it has an atomic clock along with a number of other bells & whistles. It can be connected to your computer (thus the pc interface part of the name). It isn't set up yet so I can't tell you about it, but it looks like it will be very interesting.

V, hope your oranges are there.

I'm freezing, need to bring in some firewood and get some fires going in the woodstoves.

Later,
T. (oh, no calories in hot brownies---enjoy!)

I'm REALLY VERY ANNOYED by the surrogate court's dealings with my Mom's estate today. I mean REALLY REALLY REALLY annoyed with their meddling and insults.

OK, I'll deal with it somehow.

We have a small old weather station. I can read the temp indoors and out, in C and F. Beyond that, it gives the wind speed too in MPH and KPH. I cannot get my brain around how to get the highest/lowest windspeed and temperatures to appear, but it should be easy for the digitally inclined. I would prefer a newer model without wires running around the toaster and osterizer. ;-)

Making corn muffins now, but no sign of DH yet, so I'm on hold. They're a vegetable, right?

I collected a garbage bag of junk from the basement before DH returns so that he won't know what I've pitched. He hasn't looked at the stuff for 8 years, so I hope he has forgotten the old phones, motion detectors, etc.

Later folks, I hope in a better mood.
'bug

The day began here with a fog cover over the hills. We took a drive to enjoy the mists rising above the lakes. Trees are turning but not yet at peak. I did a quick read but didn't have anything new to share. Have been copying and pasteing the cooking tips to my 'documents' so I can print out and keep them. Nice to see Bella since we have all 'known her since before she was born'. _ T, I agree all the way about cookies. I always have the first 2 as soon as they come out of the oven and are cool enough to eat. The afternoon was beautiful and sunny so pulled up more zinnias and salvia and did some hoeing. I love it when I come in from outside. I smell like salvia and mint mixed together. I'll read back in later. EP

Here is the link to the salsa web page. The fresh uncooked element is one reason it is so tasty. They say the 'secret ingredient is attitude'. Guess that goes for a lot of things. EP

Okay, don't faint - V is going to post a couple of new pictures!

Today I harvested my birdhouse gourds. Definitely a bumper crop from only two vines, one of which I tried to kill with a major pruning mistake early in the summer. (Picture is a little fuzzy, sorry!)

{{gwi:182656}}

If you count carefully there are thirteen! Woo-hoo!

And now for some unfinished business. A belated Happy Birthday to Cynthia from some fine feathered friends:

{{gwi:182657}}

The keyboard (yes it was the laptop) seems to be behaving better today. I think I moved the crumbs to a non-critical location.

The osage oranges were still there - on the top branches, that is! I'll have to figure out how I'm going to get these down...

V.

In honor of the last week of daylight savings and my last week of being able to walk outdoors after work, I walked about 4 miles in 40 degree drizzle tonight. Since I've always been a fan of drizzly, raw fall dusks, it felt great. After the walk I did a stretching routine followed by a free weight session. This will be the winter of getting back into shape.

So, will it or will it not frost tonight? The weather isn't calling for it but it's 39 F now. Maybe I'll toss on some shoes and go out and move a few pots into the screen porch or garage. I don't want to lose the brugs or my red abyssinian banana. At this point I'm probably torturing the poor plants by leaving them out but I still say they prefer it to being tortured in the house...lol. Today I went to Lowe's and bought a bag of potting soil so I can repot some of them. Think all the potential bugs are dead yet?

I'm waiting for groceries to be delivered. The two hour window they gave me is 7-9. A little while ago I decided to start dinner with something I had rather than wait so we don't have to potentially eat at 9:30. Tomorrow night is the kick off of our physical inventory at work so I won't be home til late because we get all the reports set up to print then go out to dinner. I call it my annual date night since it's usually me and a few men...lol...perhaps I need to get out more.

Eden I have a weather station. It's a LaCrosse and was fairly expensive. I think I got it at Gardener's Supply last year. The remote unit is in the kitchen. The temp and wind sensors are out in the reclamation area on a pole. While reading the instructions we realized the outdoor sensors had to be protected from rain so we put a plywood platform on top of the pole and a birdhouse on top of that. It's fun to have.

Warm baked goods out of the oven...YUM. Time for dinner.

Sue

Hi, everybody.Just a quick post tonight. Just got in from the fields a little bit ago. Progress is good, and looks like we're going to be done really early. I'm hoping in time for me to enjoy Indian summer playing in the yard :)
Anyway, I saw Marti is looking for a bulb source, and I love to be an enabler, so thought I'd stick a link in. Bulbs have always been great for me from these folks-have fun shopping! Their sister company is John Scheeper's for smaller quantities-I believe there's a link to it on their page.
'night all...I'm bushed!
Brenda

Love Bella, the gourds, the Halloween cactus, the poetic license, the birdies, the salsa.

DH is off at hockey.

Talked to my brother in NJ about courts and estates...and my feathers are very slightly less ruffled.

The weather here looks like it may improve by the weekend, up to 55F and sunny. Hope they are right. Woody, Taryn, Janie and I would sure appreciate it!

Janie, are you locked in the garage?

Drema, where ARE you????

Good night Chet
Good night Dave

Anyone know what I'm talking about?

;-)
'bug

and Good night NBC.........

Thus ends Idyll 230.

Who will start 231?

T.