Its a super day, too bad Im at work ;o)

The excitement is that my appliance repair guy came through and the washer is fixed for a minimal fee. I dreaded looking for a new washer and then learning how to work it.

I mentioned Peter Rabbit earlier. I got the idea from the Childrens garden in Green Bay. They had a small garden called Mr. McGregors garden. It had a Peter Rabbit, a potting shed and a picket fence around it all.

I put a few more bricks in last night, but was unhappy with the curve that I made. I guess Id better get the hose and lay it out and then run past it with the riding mower to make sure it is mowable. I hate it that it gets dark so early and Im glad that they extended daylight savings time.

Wow, Deanne, that looks like my kind of place. Is that a mirror I see in your garden? I love it! The cranberry cheesecake oatmeal bars were good and worth keeping the recipe. Ill post it later.

Eden, what fun Bella must have with you. Im glad to hear that the strike was short lived.

bug, the "boys" look like they are enjoying time together already.

Kathy, Im always trying to purge, but its a slow process. Funny but I make angel food cake several times a year as its DH's favorite.

Have a great weekend
Michelle

Good evening

Lots happening here but I wanted to stop by and say Hi to my Idyll friends. Work is in full swing, DH travelling again and the plethora of children's activities that keep life full and interesting have taken up much of my Idylling time. Hopefully I'll be able to peek in again this weekend. Annie has a Bat Mitzvah to attend, and we are both playing in a concert on Sunday. (I was asked to help out the older students with one of the Brandenburg Concertos.) It's been fun practicing with a talented group of young musicans and reminds me of college days playing in various orchestras and show pits.

GB - ouch! on the hearing aid. I hope it turns up somewhere. I have a similar (but much less expensive situation) with lunch boxes and socks. The nice insulated one (lunch box that is) I bought David has disappeared already and the replacement will come from money earnt by chores. I've also bought each child 8 pairs of socks and when those go AWOL as I know they will, I've informed the kids that they will buy the next ones. Annie is actually very good with money (though not with socks). She has a babysitting job two afternoons after school looking after a neighbors daughter for a couple of hours. She has almost saved enough money for a pair of Uggs she has been longing for (soft sheepskin boots that are highly unpractical but all the rage.)

Must go as tonight I promised Annie and David a family movie night and we're watching the most recent Superman movie. It's cold and rainy and a perfect evening to curl up under a blanket on the sofa. Hope I don't fall asleep!

Mary

TGIF indeed ! Rained most of the day today-and will be sunny and low 70s tommorow. Just about perfect in my book. I dont have to water and a good temp for choresIm going to finish moving the good wine from the old fridge in the garage into the under stairs closet , and then I can arrange for PG&E (our utility provider) to come and pick it up compliments of their appliance re-cycle program. I will be happy to see it go in all its avocado green glory..

Denise, thanks for posting that link to Davids thread-I skimmed through on my lunch hour and look forward to reading the whole thing this weekend..I saw some great stories.

bug, hoping the hearing aid surfaces ! Like Mary I had many frustrations with lost items of lesser value. My DS in particular must have lost 3 or four sweatshirts every year from about age 8 till out of high school. At that point I was no longer responsible to provide his wardrobe. I used to get so p.od !! Oddly , he is careful of his things now that he has reached the ripe old age of 22.

Michelle, My DH loved angel food cake too, but he was always the one who cooked it-we were never much of a cake family, all of us like pies better.

Sue, I almost bought that S. elegans with the yellow foliage about 10 times this year but never did! One of the vendors at our farmers market had it almost every week. Ultimately I really had no spot for it.

OK, best be off now to to make the grocery list for tomorrow and prep for tonights baseball game

Hi to everyone ..

Kathy in Napa

A few shots from my garden today. There is just so much going on yet. We are getting down in the 30's at night this week, but not too low yet.

On the left the aster 'Lady in Black' which is a first year plant has gotten huge and is blooming nicely.
{{gwi:182820}}

Deanne, this is a fern that I over winter. It is so dainty.
{{gwi:182821}}

This picture shows what a beautiful day it was. Castor bean and variegated KMOGG:
{{gwi:182822}}

I have a spa pedicure scheduled for the morning and then Kenzie is coming tomorrow to go to the apple orchard/pumpkin patch. It sounds like fun!

Michelle

Lovely photos, Michelle. I really like those horizontalis asters. I've noticed the pumpkin patches around town are like a three-ring circus these days, with go-carts, pony rides, bouncing rooms, you name it.

Sue, your S. elegans is stunning. One of the reasons mine is so late getting started this year is I cut it back in irritation several times during summer. The leaves apparently taste as good to insects as they smell, and I thought I'd just wait out the mid-summer infestation by cutting the whole plant back. Still, it's riddled with holes again now. Wish I had a larger garden to give more plants to the critters and leave some for show...I've stopped growing so many of the larger salvias but have been inspired by all the work you guys do in overwintering stuff so have decided to experiment treating some like brugs, keeping them in pots and root pruning them to keep size manageable. Wonder how the bloom will be. Better, I'd think, but we'll see. I had a little species pelargonium tipped sideways under the pot ghetto after it bloomed in spring and noticed it was putting out leaves after being utterly forgotten and bone dry all summer so brought it out, watered it, and it's thriving. My version of "overwintering" a plant, lol. There's tons of summer dormant bulbs and plants I should be exploring more.

Had a very odd day reporting a union arbitration in a huge hospital that is being closed so was completely empty except for a skeleton crew of security and cafeteria employees. Perfectly good building but a business decision was made to shut it down, in a particularly needy community too. Spooky wandering the halls looking for a pack of peanuts in a vending machine. The arbitrator reminded me a lot of Carl Reiner, especially from Ocean's 11, and we got along quite well.

There's some sort of Macintosh contest going on, with film entries due tomorrow, so there's been all manner of 20-somethings with cameras in the house, the furniture pushed every which way. Lots of heated creative conflict. Mercifully, everyone leaves around twilight, when it's too dark to film anymore. Submissions due Sunday by 6 a.m. Free Mac's to the winners.

Martie, my heart lurched when I read your post. Awfully nice of you to even think such a thing. I've got an open order on the computer to Plant Delights at the moment. Anybody know Dicentra scandens? Deanne, my dahlia Bish of Canterbury finally has some blooms!

I have read nothing for a solid week now; haven't even turned on the computer!

The past week has been a pretty crummy one with one notable bright spot (much needed): the plants we purchased at the end of August are now in the ground!

I will attempt to "catch up" and post something more informative in the not-too-distant future.

Chelone, I am waiting with bated breath for your informative post. I hope it is nothing really bad that has kept you away.....

Michelle your fern is very pretty. Is it an asparagus fern ? Here is a pic of mine :

{{gwi:182824}}

Hi all,

I was really dragging today for some reason and finally figured out that Id forgotten to take my thyroid medicine yesterday. Whoops! Anyway, Ive been taking cuttings like crazy the last few days and I think Ive finally gotten all the coleus cuttings I want to keep for this year. Ive not started cutting the fuchsias back yet as I cant stand to cut off all those flowers! Soon though, Im going to have to bite the bullet and just do it. Im also working on a plan for an ornamental gate for the top of the hill to screen the compost bins. Doug will build it for me and I want to incorporate a painting of the garden in the gate frame. Im actually looking forward to designing the painting for the gate. I think its going to be neat when finished. ~~ I moved the new planter to a spot in the border next to the pond and it looks quite pretty there.

Kathy, Im so glad you can appreciate my restraint with only bringing home one container from NE Garden Ornaments. LOL Seriously, I was practically drooling over the stuff there. ~~ Jeesh, I can't imagine wanting to get rid of an old avocado fridge. LOL

Denise, funny but Doug said the exact same thing about the garden ornament place, that it looked like a cemetery. ~~ So how cool, you are from French Canadian stock from Holyoke, MA?

Bug, what a great idea to play Scrabble without keeping score. Just a word game. I like it! ~~ Id love to join a book club because I have a very difficult time forcing myself to read anything that isnt entertaining in some way.

Sue, love that salvia! I hadnt remembered that is where you bought your fountain. Did they deliver it and set it up too? Do you know the manufacturer?

Michelle, Great news that the washer got fixed! Thats a plus. ~~ Yes that is a mirror in the pic with the hanging basket. Thanks! ~~ Looking forward to getting that recipe for the oatmeal bars. ~~ Love the photographs, especially the one with the fern. Is that I. Purple Lady in there with it?

Chelone, thanks for checking in. I was getting concerned for you.

Marian, love that asparagus fern.

OK time to try to get a few more things accomplished this afternoon. Its a perfect day to work outside.

Deanne

Hi everyone

Deanne - reading about your garden activities always inspire me!

We had a very chilly night last night (down to 40) so I too need to get serious about bringing things in. For the moment I've been focussed on harvesting the last of the basil, eggplant and tomatoes. Tonight I'm grilling swordfish and making eggplant caponata. Annie and DH are out and I'm taking David to opening night of the RPO. It's neat as both of our immediate neighbors are going too including the kids so it will be a fun evening. But I need to get going with dinner first.

Have a great evening

Mary

Oatmeal-Cheesecake-Cranberry Bars
2 c. flour 2 eggs
1 ¼ c quick oats 2 tsp. Lemon juice
¾ c brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla
1 c butter, softened 1 16 oz can whole cranberry sauce
½ c sugar 2 tsp. Cornstarch
12 oz. Cream cheese, softened

In large bowl stir flour, oatmeal and brown sugar. Using a pasty blender cut in butter till mixture resembles course crumbs. Reserve 1 ½ c of the crumbs. Press remaining crumbs into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and sugar on med speed till light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla. Spread over crust. Stir together cranberry sauce and cornstarch; spoon carefully over cream cheese layer. Sprinkle with reserved crumbs and bake 40 min. or until set. Cover and chill at least 3 hours.

We had a fun day picking apples, finding pumpkins and gourds. We had chinese food for lunch since Kenzie really likes it. When we got back we all rode in the combine with Rick. It was a first for Kenzie and she was wide eyed. You sit just above and a little back from the head and you get the impression that you are gobbling up the corn. Then she could look back and see the corn filling the hopper. On the way over she kept asking her mom if the cornfields were the pumpkin fields.

I got just a few more bricks in laid and the lawn mowed and it was dark. Im actually making the butterfly garden larger and reshaping the front some to make nicer curves. Curvy beds are much hard to get looking good.

Deanne, that is Purple Lady in the container. The gate sounds very unique.

Denise, I think Cynthia has Dicentra scandens.

Marian, it is asparagus setaceus.

Good night

Michelle

Here I am at DH's office while he is at his Sunday hockey game. Our computer at home, or possibly the satellite, is not working and the guys to fix it say they don't know when they can come repair it. Don't you just love that way of running a business? The people we speak to on the phone are actually in Maryland. So, I have no idea when I'll be back on line. It really is a frustration for me! I worry that I won't hear from Skyler, from the folks about a new litter of puppies and other such important things going on in my life.

The tree fellow who took down all the fruit trees left us with six piles of wood which we managed to lug into the barn yesterday. Satisfying to get that out of the way before rain started. I still need to weed, set out layers of newspaper and spread the wood chips on the paths in the veg garden.

Last night's wine and cheese tasting (in French) was a great success, though I admit to not particularly loving the 4 main selections: a Merlot, a Beaujolais, a Reisling and a Chardonnay. My stomach bothered me all night with the after effects too. Odd. But I did learn a bit more about wines in general, and our friend Dominique printed out a long very helpful outline on the subject.

I haven't made caponata in ages Mary, but it certainly is a wonderful treat! Practically a meal with delicious bread. I picked up Anne Tyler's Digging in America and wonder if you or anyone else here has read it. People on Idylls seem too busy to include what they are reading these days. I enjoy knowing, even if I've not read whatever it is...

Michelle, the Lady in Black aster I believe is a close cousin to "The Prince" which I have and love. Unfortunately it is doing diddly this year and I don't know what is different except perhaps the dry weather. On the other hand, my various tricyrtis are blooming nicely! Sorry I can't add photos here on this computer.

Designing a gate would be one of those fabu-fabu projects I think. Something permanent and perfect to plan and create together. Neato Deanne !

Chelone, I'm glad you have surfaced..if only a bit. ;-) Good to get those plants in the ground, wish I could say I'd done the same! I haven't been able to check the long range forecast, but I really need a stretch of 3-4 fine days to get caught up with my gardens. The painters also need to finish their job here on the house trim.

Time for some photos of the little people enjoying apples and pumpkins! Marian, I really liked your photo which included the fern. :) When I was at our local toy shop the other day, the owner was asking me to join them for their new Friday puzzle evenings. Not sure exactly what that might involve, but no doubt fun. That's the same time as our French Club though.

Well this long missive is coming to a close. Want to say hi to various other notably absent friends: Honey, Brenda, Monique, Veronicastrum, Woody and just everybody and their offspring and pets! I hope to be back soon!
'bug

Good morning

For GB and any others, here are are reading choices for the rest of the year for my bookclub ( the Chicklits)

Snowflower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
The Glass Castle by Jeanetter Watts
Shadow of the Sun by Ryszard Kapuscinski
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Loving Frank by Nancy Horan

I'm excited about all of the books, hopefully there are no clunkers.

Cleaning is the order of the day this morning so I need to continue before anyone notices I'm missing.

Mary

DH is working dayshift, the Mac competition film is "in the can" and the house is q-u-i-e-t. I've got editing to do but it's hard to stay put. Rain on Friday night was a godsend. At DH's work at the port there's always a lot of movie filming, and recently there's been some filming of the show 24, which I've yet to see but understand it's a fairly controversial show. Apparently, Kiefer Sutherland got a little too happy in one of the neighborhood bars called, no kidding, "Le Spot," and had a minor skirmish with the law -- don't know any more details. DH neglected to keep me up to date even though they were filming in his parking lot but has become blase about film crews now.

Deanne, our gate design is taking on a little more coherence and may actually get done sometime this winter, lol, but I bet yours will be done first! We're also confronting the need to get this house bolted to its foundations aka seismic retrofitting. And the electrical. Then there's the floors...You got that right about the French Canadian stock from Holyoke. I've only visited a couple times but it looms large in my imagination from all the stories.

I finally moved the struggling callicarpa, which took its sweet time while the cotinus 'Grace' galloped past and spread her canopies. Couldn't think of a place to move the callicarpa, not a single inch to be had anywhere. Of course, I only ever look in the back garden, never the front. Someone on the forums once described their gardens as a "mullet" garden, business in the front, party in the back, and I have to admit that's my weakness too. There was a bit of room for the callicarpa in the front, where I won't see it as often, but that's where it's been moved.

I'm gardening vicariously through the idyllers with lots of room to expand garden beds. Even though I gripe about my lack of space, I really wouldn't want a much bigger garden than I've got with the amount of rainfall we get here. Now, up in the PNW where Kathy's going, a couple acres would be nice! After all these years, I think I've become overly attached to an enclosed, cloistered feel and would probably become unhinged gardening in wide open spaces, lol.

Michelle, what memorable days you have with Kenzie. My boys would've given their eye teeth to ride that combine!

That's a good idea to list reading material. Unfortunately, I just can't seem to stay away from nonfiction these days. Novels in my youth, nonfiction in middle age. Sounds depressing somehow, lol.

"Break a leg" on the Brandenburg, Mary!

Been busy all weekend but I dont have much to show for itIm sure I must have done something productive. The garage is starting to fill up with crapola that I have sorted out of the house and needs to go to into the trash or off to the Salvation Army. I have a pile of books to go to the library donation bin. As I was moving aforementioned angel food cake pan to the garage, I had a revelation involving succulents trialing over the edges. Needless to say its now stashed with the containers.
I was out in the back garden yesterday and noticed that two of my daylilies are coming into re-bloom. Too bad if we get a killing frost before at least a few of the flowers open up. We are expecting more rain tomorrow through mid-week (basic NorCal winter, rain,frost,rain,rain,rain,frost etc etc) . I planted 2 6 paks of snapdragons in the spaces between the zinnias in front I cant bear to pull the zinnias out yet, they are full of flowers and no mildew in sight, but I need to put in my fall annuals if I want any sort of display in spring, when hoardes of home buyers , cash in hand will come adrooling. The 150 tulips will help. Wont put those in till next month, they are living in the wine fridge right now. I also planted some sweet-pea seeds at the base of my front garden arbor. I put a climbing rose there but it is own root and will not grow much for another year. I may just dig it up and pot it for a trip to Oregon which is where it came from in the first place.

Marian, your Meyeri asparagus fern looks great. I have always loved the shape of that plant.

Good to hear at least a peep out of Chelone- maybe some of the others unheard from will be inspired to check in.

Michelle, thanks for posting that recipe, I m going to make some this week as a treat for the office. Anything with cream-cheese in it is ok by me ! How fun for Kenzie to ride in the combine . Obviously that was not something I had and opportunity to do in my childhood in Los Angeles!

Mary, I read Bel Canto a few years ago and really liked it. Saw a couple others on your book club list that I have had thoughts of reading too, notably Suite Francaise and Water for Elephants. Right now I am reading A very Long Engagement by Sebastien Japrisot, which is excellent thus far.

Denise, I know what you mean by the cloister feeling of a small garden. What I have found the most challenging in this garden is the shade created by nearby houses and trees I have nothing against shade at all , but a large tree in my yard (and Im down to one at the moment in the back, a mature Liquidambar, sticky balls and all) throws shade on half the garden, and when you are a rose addict it certainly limits your choices. Ideally I would like to have a lot big enough to accommodate a shade garden with plenty of sun elsewhere. Im thinking ¼ acre would fit the bill for me. Much bigger than that and I would have a rough time caring for it on my own ! One must know ones limitations. Or one must have funds for hired hands to do the dirty work.
I read non-fiction and fiction at the same time ..well not precisely at the same time, what I meant is that I always have one of each in progress. The non at the moment is Karen Armstrongs History of God.

Deanne do you take cuttings of your fuchsias at all or is it mostly a root-pruning and overwinter the whole plant thing? There are several varieties that are actually winter hardy in zone 8, my BIL went to a lecture in Portland by a Fuchsia expert and got a whole list of them, many of which he has since purchased. I hope to take cuttings of those once I am up there next year.

bug, I hope you are reading this on your own computer !

OK, time cut out the gab and get situated for tonights baseball game.

Later everyone

Kathy in Napa

Hi everyone

I'm so sorry I just don't seem to be able to get my comments together for everyone else - I love the posts, photos and news, and in my head I'm having a 2 way conversation. Time is just so short right now I'm only able to get my fingers around typing my own goings on. Things will change as work and our routines settle in I hope.

This afternoon's recital went well though I must admit to having a case of nerves before I played. As I'd been asked to help out some of the more timid players I'd have felt awful if I'd been the one to mess up. But the Brandenburg sounded joyous and Annie did a nice job with a Vivaldi Concerto. It was fun seeing kids of so many different ages playing, from the teeniest little mites playing their Twinkles to High School seniors performing some of my favorite pieces. Even DH who is less of a classical music buff (he loves jazz) enjoyed it.

I came back home and shared a glass of wine with a friend while dinner cooked (well, actually we had a glass each so perhaps I should share we shared a bottle LOL!) Feeling Autumnal I roasted a brined loin of pork wrapped in bacon and cooked cabbage, parsnips and new potatoes. Everything tasted extra good as caught up in preparing for the recital I'd completely forgotten to eat lunch. Dishes are now done and I've promised I'd read to David before bed. He's a competant reader but still loves being read to and I'm happy to do so. I have a feeling I'll be following him turning in soon after.

Mary

Just thought I'd share this - DH has some new images up. There is even one of a flower and of the kids (in shadow), though I think my favorite might be the snout.

M.

It's a wet dreary day today. I baked a big pan of chicken enchiladas and apple crisp.

Denise, I have some cousins who visited from CA a couple of years ago and they wanted to see a combine so bad, but in the summer they aren't in use. They saw someone driving one down the road and chased it just to get a picture. They came to the farm to visit and their boys who are in their early 20's had so much fun driving the tractor. Sometimes I wonder if a cloistered garden wouldn't be a good idea for me. I tend to get carried away.

'bug, I got 3 of the Lady in Black from Bluestone this spring and was suprised at the huge amount of growth they put on and how great they are blooming. The tricyrtis I had have disappeared over the years.

Mary, my children loved me to read to them long after they could read. It was a special evening ritual. I can understand perfectly why you are so busy. I enjoyed your DH's photos.

Since 'bug asked:

{{gwi:182825}}

{{gwi:182828}}

Michelle

Hi Everyone,

GB-Your DGS reminds me of my DD. She lost her retainer more than once. I don't get it....... I think it was deliberate on her part because she didn't want to wear it.

I got together with 3 of my High School classmates last Thursday for dinner. We had a great time catching up and talking about our school days. One of the girls has been a good friend of mine. We've staying in touch and gotten together over the years. I've known her since 5th grade.

My DH and I are taking our DD to the Dr.s this morning. We are bringing the Bone Stimulator with us for instruction of it's use. The Dr. finally found a boot to fit her foot. She has been frightened to leave her house with just an Ace bandage.

We did have a deluge of rain Thursday and Friday. My wheel barrow was filled to the brim with water.

Hope everyone had a great weekend.
Mariann

Good morning everyone,

Well Im making a bit of progress in getting things in. Ive taken in my two dracaena, a couple calathea, the Sansevieria cylindrica, and the S. trifasciata Moonshine, my very large angle wing begonia and the coleus standard. I also took in a bunch of rooted cuttings that I never got in the ground. ~~ I cut half or more of the growth off the begonia and it was still three feet tall when I got it in the house! Ive also gotten several hundred coleus and acalpha cuttings taken. Today Im going to start cutting back more of the larger containers in preparation to dismantling them and get the three fuchsia standards pruned and in the garage. We almost had a frost last night and the temp got down to 35 but there was no frost on the lawn when I got up. Im kind of waiting for the first frost to really start cutting things back in earnest. I dont think a nip is going to hurt those brugs, just take off the young green growth which has to go anyway and I know the fuchsias and abutilons can tolerate quite a bit of cold. Now that Ive gotten the coleus cuttings and the very tender house plants in the pressure is off a bit.

I managed to get another batch of compost cooked since August so Im over the moon with having that available to amend soil where Im going to divide or move a few of the perennials. I want to divide my David phlox and Ive got to excavate the Hakonechloa macra Albo Striata as its totally grown out of bounds in the Driveway Garden.

Yesterday Doug and I got in another half yard of loam and filled in the new area where we expanded the shade garden and refilled the corner garden (where the wisteria is) where wed borrowed soil for other areas. I also got my new square container in the area next to the pond and put a juniper in it, spread another yard of bark mulch. We put up the new free compost bin one of the neighbors gave us, moved the half cooked compost from the two kitchen waste bins to the new one so we have two free bins for the winter months. Doug also helped me hang a couple resin, sculptural pieces on the oak trees in my new room on the hill. Oh yes, I almost forgot, Doug completely took all the aquarium pumps apart and cleaned them out drained and refilled the tank so that is ready for me to bring the fish in this week. All in all it was a VERY productive weekend. I still cant bring myself to chop off the hundreds of fuchsia flowers I have going at the moment but soon enough the weather will do it for me. LOL

Michelle, love the pics of Kenzie. She is getting so grown up so fast.

Mary, your DHs photographs are stunning! He has some brilliant images in that collection. I especially love Trash Lines. That is absolutely superb. ~~ So how do you brine your pork loin?

Kathy, sounds like you are making progress sorting things in prep for you move but I LOL at the angel food cake pan that will now become a succulent container. Shows youre thinking! RE reblooming daylilies, Ive got a couple Pastel Classic daylilies that are reblooming here too. Its always such a bonus to get additional flowers out of them this time of the year. ~~ Did you say 26 packs of snapdragons? Or two six packs?~~ RE fuchsias, I do the root-pruning, overwinter the whole plant thing. A lot of work but the larger plants are worth the effort. I sure wish they were cold hardy here.

Denise, what are you going to do for your gate? Inquiring minds would like to know. I dont know that ours will be done first, its still in the design stage here. ~~ I cant imagine having to bolt my house to the foundation for seismic activity. ~~ RE French Canadian ancestors, my entire family is FC. Two of my grandparents and all the great-grandparents were from Quebec and came here to work in the mills in the Merrimack River Valley. ~~ Like you Im content to garden what I have and would probably not be happy with more space because Id feel like I had to garden it all and take care of it as intensively as I do here. There is only so much time and so much one person can accomplish without help and Im maxed out. LOL

Bug hope your computer is back on line soon.

Mariann, I surely hope your DDs appointment with the doctor has a positive outcome.

OK Im off to the gym and then get some more of these plants settled for the winter.

Have a great day

Deanne

Quick check in here. Wish I could say I have been as productive as Deanne.LOL Way to go girlfriend.
I have managed to move a few things onto the porch and patio in case I need to sweep them inside in a hurry. I have had several visitors over the last few days and they have all been amazed at How much color I still have in the gardens. But I have said more than once I wish it would either rain or frost. I am tired of watering.

Michelle I like the picture of Kenzie sitting on the pumpkin and the way the dried out vines resemble webbing. I can imagine her excitement in the combine. How neat.

Mary, it doesn't matter that you can't make comments to all, we enjoy your posts about all the activities. It's nice that you and the kids enjoy many of the same things. With ours it was all about horses and canoeing and they still like to talk about those days.
Your DH sure has a way with capturing shapes and lighting. I enjoyed looking at his photos. I can imagine a series of kite photos in Davids room. By the way , how is the train set up coming along?

I'm drawing a blank here as it is close to my bedtime. I hope everyone is doing well. good evening . Norma

Michelle, that Kenzie is a treasure. She has such a sweet, gentle face -- doesn't look like a "hellion" if you know what I mean. Reading to my kids was something I enjoyed very much. I think children's literature for readers 10 and younger underwent a mini-renaissance when my kids were young, the stories and especially the artwork. There was lots of good books to choose from, probably lots more by now. Of course, the Harry Potter books have completely changed reading lists for older kids. I have to admit I never finished the whole series and found Rowling great on plot and imagination but a little thin on the actual prose itself -- no offense to any fans, lol. Are you planning new vegetable varieties for your potager next spring? There's a dark purple pole bean Trionfo Violetta that's supposedly very beautiful. One of my favorite garden vegetables is the borlotta bean, a fresh shelling bean. A farmer's market in Portland when I was there in August had bushels of them. I haven't seen them local here. A red speckled pod.

Mary, I don't know how you keep a dry eye watching your kids at recitals. For some reason, I always made a spectacle of myself at school functions -- even with OTHER people's kids. There's something so pure about watching kids perform, so earnest. Gets me every time. Your DH's photos are stunning, so glad you linked them. I want to check them out more later. My DS does mainly portraits. I noted your DH cites Magritte as an influence, and my oldest has been recently studying Matisse for composition which does show through in his recent work.

Deanne, I'm posting a link to a site that's got some interesting gates but I haven't chosen a style yet. Since we've got the old Craftsman bungalow, the gate will probably be in that style somewhat, though we don't go overboard with reproductions in the Crafstman style. But it will be seen from the front so needs to have a cohesive presence. That is a prodigious amount of work you've been up to. The frost will definitely not catch you asleep at the wheel. Where does all the physical energy go in winter??

Mariann, good luck with the orthopedist. How amazing you're still in touch with a friend from the fifth grade.

Kathy, I'll probably cross posts with you. Hi Norma, nice to see your posts. I've got to catch up with work since we've got a weekend wedding to attend in Paso Robles, about four hours north. My BIL is getting married, first time, in his late fifties. Spent a lot of time on our couch in his younger days, sailed to Fiji, New Zealand, a marine biologist who basically answered to nothing and no one but the call of adventure. I can't imagine what the toasts will be at the wedding! Hello to all.

A peaceful good morning outside. The wind has been frantic these last several days and moving plants has been a challenge. Despite a bit of rain, everything is dusty and dry and I'm hoping that we'll get some rain and calmer air for next weekend.

Deanne: Just how many cups of your incredible coffee does it take to get accomplished what you've gotten accomplished!! LOL You are an inspiration to take a few days off work.....

Kathy: Glad to hear that you haven't lost your "I can use this!!!!" during your purges. There are things I've tossed that I've looked for ten years later. Good progress, and I now understand why a lowly $10K is a drop in the bucket. Real estate prices sure to fluctuate from coast to coast :-)

Denise: Our local community college offers a welding course and I've been tempted many times. Our house lends itself to wrought iron and I'm thinking that the $600 tuition (complete with a small finished product) would quickly be recouped. But then there is the tools. Hmmmmmmm. Think the family would understand if I asked for a blow torch for the Holidays?? My guess is: YES!!! My guess is also that it would also disappear into Rich's work tools quite quickly. Are there locks for blow torches?

Miss Kenzie reminds me of what fairies must look like when they're young. She's so at ease with herself! The lots of love shows.

Mariann: Hoping the nerve stimulator helps. I tried one with my back but that was when they were just being produced and trialed. Can you tempt her with a trip to Logee's at some point where she will need that ankle?

Books: Rather than books, I've been reading college theses written by various relatives and their friends. Did you know that there are certain types of bacterial strings that can die and then rejuvenate? I didn't, either, but my niece's partner not only made that happen but understands why. That and the theology behind science fiction and why fantasy books are sometimes not included in fiction but in their own section of the library. And let's not forget the radical changes to military strategy with the advent of submarines. What happens when English is translated into African language got beyond me. So many interests and so much research!! 100's of pages, most needing multiple attention to "get it." Glad I stuck with simple old advertising. LOL

Frost has nipped most everything tender but I have managed to gather some cuttings (though NOT 100's :-) and Rich is in process of redoing the gardening area of the basement.

Must admit that Salvia elegans wasn't prominent in my garden this year -- an unusual absence. A favorite cake is one made with its foliage and Lemon Verbena and topped with a pineapple/lemon curd and cranberry glaze. The recipe is elusive at this time of day, but if there's interest I'll post.

Overwintering cuttings has been a boon to my economic standing, and I agree that spending $4 on a new plant in Spring is great -- until you need 100 plants :-) So we do the ROI and learn that it takes less in electricity and forge ahead and take cuttings anyway. Plus, who doesn't love "green" during blizzards?

Last crop of spinach and lettuce seeds got planted during the weekend. Hoping for a Thanksgiving salad from the garden complete with, yes you guessed it, mini yellow pear tomatoes!

Great to see Idyllers pop in and glad to know that everyone is reasonably intact.

Have a wonderful day!

Martie

Gooooood morming Idylland!

We have another beautiful, beautiful fall day on tap for the day. Ive still havent gotten the fuchsia standards in but yesterday I rebuilt the rock wall at the back of the terraces on top of the hill. I set some very large flat rocks in so that the chairs on the hill would have a level spot for their legs. Id just had each of the legs propped on smaller rocks and this is more stable. Kathy will be happy to know that those two chairs and small table are now perfectly level ( I used a level) so there will be no spilled wine on the hill. So now my imagination is running wild and I was thinking that wouldnt it be nice to have an outdoor fireplace up there too??? LOL

Norma, I saw on the weather that there is some tropical moisture headed up from the Gulf. Will that come in anywhere near you. I totally understand the wanting a frost or rain. I can get pretty fed up with the watering this time of the year myself, especially during these intermediate stages where Ive got lots of stuff in the house and lots of stuff outside.

Denise, those gates are awesome! I quite like the freeform styles. ~~ RE tears at recitals, I cry almost every time I hear beautiful choruses and choirs. One time I was lucky enough to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in Salt Lake City and it was beyond belief beautiful. ~~ LOL about energy, I do go to the gym six days a week for a two hour workout in winters. The Stairmaster is my best friend.

Martie, YES do take that welding course! That would be fantastic. There is so much you can do with that. ~~ Yes indeed, doing the cuttings thing saves me lots of $$ in springtime. I usually propagate hundreds of coleus, fuchsia, acalpha, alternanthera, euphorba, etc. etc. etc As you said, at four dollars a pop thats a considerable savings. Then saving all those mature fuchsias also saves a bundle of money. Somehow though I always need to buy new plants in the spring anyway. LOL.

OK Ive got to get a move on. Ive got another busy day planned.

Have a great day!
Deanne

Another dreary wet day with more in the forecast for the next couple of days. Things are pretty soggy here. Since Rick cant be in the field we were able to go out to eat last night. Thats pretty rare in the fall.

The plants and cuttings that I have brought in the house have told me that theyd rather go live at Deannes for the winter ;o) I think I need to get more lights and remember to water.

Deanne, an outdoor fireplace would be fabulous! I would like to find a place to put a fire pit or at least a portable one. You should see the huge pile of compost that I have, but of course its too wet to use at the moment.

Denise, Im not very adventurous in my potager. I usually pick up what I can find locally for plants and seeds. It must be a special woman that can convenience your 50+ year old BIL to tie the knot. It sounds like it will be a fun wedding.

Norma, I really didnt notice the web effect of the picture until you pointed it out. It is pretty cool, fitting with the theme of the season. I too have most of my outdoor plants positioned where they can be saved easily.

I emptied 1.5" out of the rain gauge this a.m. I noticed that the Tiger Eye Sumac is just the most gorgeous colors. I mentioned to Rick that the garden really looks fabulous considering we are in the middle of Oct. Of course all the rain weve been getting has probably helped a lot. There is just so much in bloom and several things reblooming. I have bush delphiniums Butterfly Blue that are just most fabulous blue. I have snapdragons from seed this year and they are the prettiest coppery, reddish and yellow colors. Most of the roses are blooming along with a new fall favorite persicaria Firetail. Of course all the foliage plants, heucheras, tiarellas, huecherallas, creeping sedums, grasses really hold things together.

I hope bugs internet people get on the ball and get her back on line. Our customers wouldnt tolerate an answer like she got.

Have a great day
Michelle

just popping in to say the brick project is done!! I figured it would take all summer and it did. I started on May 28 and finished this morning

I finished the line along the living room wall on Sunday.

{{gwi:182829}}

Sunday afternoon I disassembled the small ramp it has been hastily put together when I started the backyard areas so the slope wasnt right. Monday and this morning I put the ramp back together with a better slope.

{{gwi:182831}}

The ash tree is shedding leaves and burying the bricks! I wait until al the leaves are down before mulching them with the lawnmower and spreading them on the backyard beds.

Now that the bricks are done, I can start thinking about next years projects! Assuming our drainage improvements around the new shed prove effective next spring, that area needs to be planted. But, at this point, the planned big project will be the herb bed. Randy wants to make it bigger so hell have room for more garlic! But the big issue/need is to take apart the 6-8" tall rock wall, shifting its location slightly (now that we know where the property line really is) and rebuild it. We will need our neighbours cooperation to do that as the only easy access is from their side/driveway. Im sure they wont mind they find my crazy projects entertaining and I let them harvest from the herb bed in exchange for access. They are nice folks but getting elderly and both have health issues. Weve been afraid they will sell to move to a condo. If they did, Im sure the buyers would tear the existing house down and build big and might not be so cooperative about garden access I am reassured by the fact that this morning roofers showed up next door to reshingle the roof. I take that as a good sign that they plan to stay there a while yet :-)

We went to the library yesterday and I borrowed three books on rock walls (Randy rolled his eyes:-)

I have 6 buds on the pink brugmansia I bought at the farmers market this summer! (I dont see any on the yellow one but its a smaller plant so Im not surprised.) One of the buds might possibly be big enough to bloom before frost if frost is late this year I definitely have no place to put them indoors for the winter and am still not sure they are suitable plants for my garden (they need too much water and fertilizer) Were going to put them in the garage for the winter, against the house wall, surrounded by the strawberry and blueberry pots and wrap some floating row cover around them. If they survive, theyll have earned a place in the garden; if they dont survive, cest la vie

Very cute Kenzie harvest pictures Michelle! I wish wed been getting your rain we havent had anything for a while.

Denise some very intriguing gates, fences etc. at that link. Deanne, youll have to post pictures of the stages of your thought processes etc. as you design your gate. Im sure it will be a pretty special gate it has to be to live up to your garden.

Things are not looking any more "up" than they were last week... unless, of course, you consider the fact that the electricity now runs through the meter on the garage! The guys are to show up and run wires on Thurs./Fri., possibly into early next week. Wiring the fixtures will take longer, but we have to order them first... mostly flourescents for the workspaces.

Seamless gutters are contracted and the date of installation is now pending. Once the wiring is finished the insulation can take place, and then drywall. The ductwork for the heat is the least of my worries at this juncture as we've worked with the contractor for many years now (boiler cleaning and adjustment in our home).

We've been slaving away on the "grounds"; cleaning up the area around the decaying stonewall, removing bittersweet, multiflora roses, and similar nuisance plants. Looks pretty "nekkid" right now, but that will change.

Mum is in pretty tough shape mentally. She's in the "booby-hatch"... for the second time in 3 months. I am just sick about it, but what I think and feel means nothing to the "machinery". The fact that I took many pictures on my last visit to her (last week) alarmed the staff greatly... esp. when I photographed the actual changeing of the urostomy appliance. Her stoma and surrounding skin looked fine, but the fact that the LPN didn't know that stomahesive was for the STOMA and wasn't a basic glue for the appliance told me they are "learning as they go"... next battle will be the necessity of disinfecting the night collection vessel. YAWN. How many times have I told them of the importance of it all???

My boss is cranky. I'm more so. I have ZERO patience for stupid -hit these days. So I'm not very good "company". Best that I maintain my semi-isolation, my friends.

I've read nothing, want to but can't quite summon the necessary concentration, so please bear with me and humor me when I ask stupid questions in the future. I think of you all daily, though.

Today is Angela Lansbury's 82nd. birthday and I wonder when (s)he will arrive in my mailbox... please don't deem me unworthy because of my present silence... PLEASE.

Keep yourselves well, my friends. It'll be OK with me (it always is!) but for now I need to be sour and pissy in relative isolation... wouldn't want to contaminate the jovial spirit of the group, you know!

;)

I had a good day in town today, and feel as much good was accomplished.
First I went to my dr's office to confer with the nurse about an imbalance in my vitamins D and B12. ( It was discovered at my last month's blood tests.)
I was given my first B12 shot of a series....one every week for several weeks, then one a month. I am pretty sure that will make a big differance in my condition.
Next I went to a very good Golden year's class. After it, I took my car to a shop to get the driver's side window's mechanism fixed. It had a loosening screw that was rattling, and the window was starting to act up.I had them adjust the headlights also. It set me back the whole sum of $20 !!!!
While they worked on the car, I walked the 3 blocks to a branch of my bank. For the past 4 months their statement was showing about $450 dollars more than my check register. I kept thinking it was their mistake, and that they would eventually catch it. ( I had checked my register thoroughly and could find no mistake like that in it ! )But this last statement from them had a $359 credit that I could not account for ! That brought their balance up to over $ 800 more than mine ! The gal at the bank found their booboo right away, on behalf of the credit, but never did find a mistake for the higher balance. Sooo, I guess I am 450 dollars richer than I thought I was. But I told the gal I would not add it to my register...just leave it as it is as a sort of 'insurance' tactic.
Also while I was waiting on the car's 'doctoring', I went to the hospital auxillary shop and got some items for us.
When I returned to the shop the car was already done and setting out by the curb awaiting my return.

While at the grocery store I met up with a former nextdoor neighbor and we had a nice 'catching up'. I hadn't seen her for several years.Her husband is younger than I, but is almost totally disabled.

On the way home I saw that most of the goats were out of their fenced area,( but not in the road,thank goodness). They have new kids. There were 5, but only 3 have been present the past few weeks.I hope wolves or coyotes didn't get the others. They 'are' awfully cute. If it wasn't such a rough road I would take my camera and get pics of them.They are about a mile from us . If they were closer I would walk, but my walking ability is still limited to short trips. ( Hopefully the B12 shots will help that. )

It has been a perfectly gorgeous day. The fall colors are still not coming on, and the color tour is this friday. I think it will be a big disapointment. No frost is in the long range forecast.We had a lovely 3/4th inch rain the previous night.

Yesterday one of the 'young' ( mid 40s) men from our congregation came and swept out our flue, put on the hover, and cleaned out the gutters. He is a gem !
Now Nolon can put on the new stovepipes and elbow,that I got a while back. Hopefully we will be all set for winter.
The Old Farmer's Almanac is predicting a warmer than normal winter. We'll see.....

Susan, I say you did a great job, with both the edging and the ramp. Aren't you glad that is done? It makes me feel so good to accomplish such a job.
I got the front flowerbed pretty well weeded awhile back, but have so much more I need to do. Hopefully the mowing is all done for this year, but there is gobs of weedeating that needs done,and lots more weeding.
BTW, Susan, how is your MIL ? Has the vitamins helped her ?

Hi to everyone else!

Marian

((((((((((Chelone))))))))))

Denise,How nice that your BIL will have a companion to share the rest of his life with. He should be able to keep her entertained with all his adventure stories.
We are gearing up for a wedding here too. Grandaughter # 3 is getting married on the 26th.

Wow Martie, reading those thesis sounds like a challenge.
Were you able to talk to Kyle using the internet thing?
Fresh greens for thanksgiving salad sounds like a winner. I have never been able to get it in gear and plant spinach in the fall like I have always wanted to. I prefer spinach salad over lettuce any day.

Deanne , no rain yet. The clouds just roll right on past.

Michelle, how big is your Tiger Eye sumac? Mine died back last year with all the crazy weather we had. Then it shot up five plants at each end of its root system. One was not very strong but the other four did ok, but are not very pretty because of the drought. I'm having my doubts about them making it through winter.

Woody how nice that you can say you finished your project. And it does look nice. I admire your perserverence (that looks like way to many letters, but you know what I mean).

If anyone is so inclined to show containers or troughs of succulents, I need some inspiration. I had a coupon to use and didn't find anything else I wanted so I bought a small collection of succulents. I really would like to do a hypertuffa trough. Maybe I will just pot them up for awhile and make one this winter in the basement.

Eden is that pile of mulch spread yet?

Going to go practice guitar for awhile. Take care everyone. Hope all is well. Cindy? Cynthia? Honey?
Everyone? Anybody? N

Marian , Nice that you had a good day and got so much accomplished. I'm betting the B12 shots will help.
I'm glad you have had some rain.

Chelone, I understand your wanting to lay low for a bit. Hope things start looking up soon. Norma

Good evening

Woody - what an accomplishment to have finished the edging!! It looks fabulous and is testamount to your hard work and determination.

Marian - nice to have a newsy post of your day - it sounds like a good one:0)

Michelle - my Tiger Eye is stunning right now too - the most interesting shades of color including pinks and oranges. It is such a cool tree! I loved Mckenzie among the pumpkins.

Chelone - sending good thoughts your way. Take the time you need for yourself but feel free to come here and vent if it helps.

Deanne - how satisfying to have levelled something (never a strength of mine - doing the pond drove me crazy!) An outdoor fireplace sounds wonderful - oh my, the possibilities! When is Doug here next?

Denise - you are quite right about recitals and plays. I nearly always tear up too.

GB - how did your first bookclub meeting go?

Martie - I'm still finding more seeds to pack up for you. Just waiting now for the double datura to ripen.

Norma - David is having a lot of fun with his train layout and I am too helping him. We make regular visits to our local model train shop which is usually full of the geekiest train enthusiasts imaginable. I was having a chuckle at the weekend thinking if someone had told me when I was young and hip and just out of college that one day I would be pouring over model train catalogs and discussing track plans and wiring, I'd have thought they were crazy. It's funny where life takes you at times.

Today was a busy one with back to back meetings all day at work, a bike ride with David after school to enjoy the perfect fall weather, a quick run for groceries, supper, car pooling to Annie's violin group and finally home. I'm feeling the need for something sweet then an early night.

Mary

A gracious good evening to my Idyll pals, and a rainy evening it is here in Napa. Much needed however , so no complaints from me. Looks like my watering days are over for the duration of 07, and must be vigilant of weather patterns to make sure I get my begonias into protection before the frost arrives.

Deanne, lol 26 6 packs of Snaps ! Now Martie could easily accommodate that in the park but I fear I would have room for little else. I bought 2 because I am holding out for some other colors as they become available. Sometimes you have to shop around to find 6-paks that arent mixed colors. Im figuring 3 more paks and then I need to get a couple dozen Iceland poppies, which are wonderful winter /spring color here, but a limited palette. Excellent news about the new outdoor Cocktail Lounge, and I whole heartedly support the idea of a firepit of some sort---why dont you just make one out of all those rocks ?

No crossed posts yesterday Denise, I was in a baseball mode last night. Love the gates. I think my faves are 7,53 and 88. That is without any vision of your particular exterior on your bungalow. This is by far and away the architectural style I love the most ,always have . One of my friends and I used to spend lots of time driving around older LA neighborhoods when we were in high school looking at houses. Pretty nerdy huh?

Kids performancesI m with you on that ! My DS was in chamber choir in high school and I loved those concerts ! However, I must confess I always dreaded the various Christmas shows year after year when the kidlets were in elementary school, and was so glad when they were over with. High school chamber choir was quite an upgrade. Maybe I am a partially unfit mother.

Martie, the median home price in Napa County is something like 600k. It had fallen a bit in the last few months . See the link below. What a great read all those these must be ! What prompted you to do that ? Were they submitted to your for review , or did you go out and look for them ?

Michelle, I can relate to your enjoyment of the late blooms- my zinnias are still just cranking out the flowers and all the roses are budded for a grand finale. Hopefully this rain wont ruin all the flowers. Nice shot of Kenzie in the pumpkin patch !

Woody, your edging seems to have turned out mighty fine. And of course one must start to plan the next projectit gives you something to dream about over the winter and by the time spring arrives you are so ready to shoot out of the gate and start the job.

Yo, Chelone, pissy or not, glad to see you check in with an update. Sounds like Mum issues have soured the relative progress of projects on The Compound. You know we are always ready to receive a bit of venting here, and vastly prefer some spewing forth to worrying silence. So, retire to the corner if you must , but pipe up once in a while with the Chelone perspective, which is always refreshing and often thought provoking. : )

Marian, what a very productive day you had ! I cant think when the last time was that I got so much done in one day. I tend to try to spread chores and errands out a bit so I have the appearance of more leisure ! There is something to be said for just getting it done all at once. My job does interfere though! You did exactly what I would have done with the 450 bonus bucks. However I confess that I have not balanced my checkbook in a few years-I do most of my banking online and write very few checks anymore. Very glad to hear that you had some help from your church folk too !

Norma, I have tons of succulent containers and I will try to get some pics to post this weekend. I am very addicted to them .

OK time to have dinner and hi to anyone that I missed !! Hail to the Idylls !

Kathy in Napa

I just finished working on some farm accounting. I splurged and bought myself a new calculator to replace the 20 year old one that had a mind of its own at times. I got the identical model as the one I have at work and it made the task tonight so much more enjoyable. Its the little things in life isn't it? LOL

Woody, your edging turned out great. I think it just defines the beds so nicely. Next years projects huh? We are hopeless aren't we? LOL I was telling DH just tonight that I'd like to reopen a closed over window in the potting shed and create a stained glass window to go in there.

Chelone, it sounds like the garage is coming along. Sorry you are in a funk.

Mary, I can certainly identify with your comment about where life takes you. I have done so many things in the last 11 years since I married Rick that I would have never dreamed of. Ex. climbing to the top of high things like silos, bins and barn roofs. Driving large equipment and working on it as well.

Norma and Mary, I had my camera out this evening and couldn't resist showing my 'Tiger Eye' its probably 3 to 3.5 foot tall. It is a great 3 season shrub.
{{gwi:182833}}

Here is a shot of the whole border. The 'Tiger Eye' is on the right end. This is the brick edging I was working on until we got all the rain.
{{gwi:182835}}

Night all
Michelle

Good morning everyone,

Well we had a glorious sunrise this AM and I couldnt resist grabbing a pic of it.

{{gwi:182836}}

Then I decided to mess around with the images and get the sky and the foreground in one image which required two separate photographs with different exposures then morphing them together on the computer.
{{gwi:182837}}

As you can see there are still flowers on the brugs but the coleus, lantana and several tender plants are looking very sorry after four nights with temps down in the middle 30s. Im going to cut a lot of that stuff back today and get that lantana in the garage in prep for its winter sleep. Looks like we are going to be spared a hard frost for another four days or so because its supposed to warm up for a bit until after this weekend. Incredible! This is really late for us to be getting our first hard frost but Im not complaining.

Michelle, that Tiger Eye Sumac is lovely. Im planning on picking one up next summer for my large wrought iron planter I bought from Inta in PA. She had some plantings in them with that Sumac that were to die for. Love that brick edging and also love the idea of a stained glass window in your potting shed. Ive not forgotten the brug design for a stained glass piece Ive just not been downstairs to my studio for a while. Ill send it on to you when finished and you can critique and let me know. So what sort of design are you thinking of for your window?

Woody, that edging looks fantastic! Seems like several of us are into doing brick/rock edging this year and I love all the results. It really puts a nice polish on things. So now you are going to build rock walls!!! Love it. Im all about rock walls as you know! LOL

Chelone, thanks so much for checking in. Ive been thinking of you and your situation often. Im so impressed that you went and took photographs! Thats terrific. Maybe it will keep them on their toes. Hope you can stop in and say hello more often.

Marian, youve got to love finding an extra $400. Even if its not to use but to keep as a buffer thats still a bonus.

Norma, here is a pic of Intas succulents in hypertufa containers. She also had a beautiful trough on a stand that I didnt get a particularly good photo of but Im sure someone else did.
{{gwi:167989}}

Also, thats the container with the Tiger Eye in it that Im going to try to duplicate next summer.

Mary, Doug is totally into getting stuff level to the point where he bought me my own level for the garden. LOL I have to admit that with all the different elevations we have here if all the containers where not leveled it would look pretty haphazard. Doug is in Rochester this week and coming home Thursday evening then hell be back out the first two weeks of November.

Kathy, Id love to make a fireplace out of native stone but I think that would take a mason and megabucks. If I could find one of those chimmineas (sp?) that wasnt too tacky Id like to pick one of them up to see if I like the fireplace idea up there.

Sure wish Cindy, Honey, Drema, Eden and others would check in.

OK off to the gym, have a great day everyone
Deanne

Good morning

Deanne - those sunrise pictures are stunning - what drama they add to your already lovely gardens. I hope we can find a date in November to have Doug over. Unfortunately with our schedules Thursday is the only free week night.

GB - I was wondering how your first book club meeting went and will be interested to hear your book choices.

This morning I drove Annie in to school as we needed to make a run for chips and salsa for her to take in for a party. It was very dark and foggy with mists rising from the ground quite mysteriously. Annie has Lit Club after school and she was telling me about a good friend of hers who loves to write and draw. Her parents are very ambitious for her piano playing (she is a gifted pianist) and have made this friend pull out of all after school activities (including Lit Club) to spend more time practicing, and have banned her drawing at all. Talk about extreme parenting.

Time to get my things together and make tracks. Here's hoping a few of our missing will find time to stop by soon.

Have a great day everyone

Mary

After we went to the pumpkin patch on Sat. Kenzie sat down at our piano and she plunks on it so nicely and then sings. Its really quite sweet. Her song was "Rain Rain Go Away" unfortunately it hasnt helped. It has been raining here since Sat. afternoon and I cant remember the last time we saw the sun. Because its gloomy in the a.m. its nearly dark and again when I get home :o( The upside is that we are going out to dinner again tonight which is normally unheard of during harvest season. It will be quite some time before the combine rolls again as theres water standing in the fields and flood warning for much of Iowa. Im also getting the house clean and a few projects done as well. Last night we put in the soap dispenser by the kitchen sink thats been lying on the counter for 6 months.

Deanne, is that iresine in the container with the Tiger Eye? I love the combination.

At this point, Id be glad to see a sunrise even if it wasnt as beautiful as yours was. The doctored picture is very striking. At this point the stained glass window is just an idea thats brewing. I really should complete the copper arbor that I bought the supplies for a year and half ago first. I get ideas faster than I can physically complete them.

Mary, that is really sad about Annies friend.

I really must get to work.

Later friends

Michelle

Good foggy morning! Temps are warming up here, and the fog rolled in last night. I'm not complaining about the lack of frost either - I don't like winter and anything that keeps it at bay is fine with me.

Denise, very cool about your BIL getting married. I guess there really is someone for everyone.

Deanne, gorgeous photos as always. I love the morphed one - it looks almost surreal! I'm glad you are updating us on your progress in dismantling your containers, it reminds me of the things I need to do (though on a much smaller scale!). My mother gave me a bunch of glass vases that belonged to my grandmother; I plant to take cuttings this weekend to fill them up.

Michelle, your border looks great with the new edging, and I love the colors of that sumac!

Chelone, what a tough situation you and your mother are in. Keep showing your face at that place and let them know you are watching (and taking pictures - good for you!). Thinking of you both. Sounds like you are getting some good progress on your garage, you'll have it done before the snow flies - no more car scraping!

I love watching kids perform too. My DD is a drummer the middle school band, and I love their concerts. Last weekend, her band was invited to play with the high school band for a football game. Very exciting stuff! She was extremely nervous, as always. I told her that with around 300 musicians on that field that she would be part of a crowd, but she still gets that "they are all watching me" feeling. Now, this is the same high school I attended, and I haven't been to a football game there in many years. When I was there the marching band was pretty laid back - our biggest effort for a half-time show was to break from our three lines and form into the shape of the letter "R" on the field, without bumping into each other! The band is very different now, they attend competitions and perform in parades. Almost military in feel, and the drum line is very hard-working - playing almost constantly.

Mary, your post about Annie's friend broke my heart. I think kids should be encouraged if they have a talent, but not to that extreme. They are only kids after all, they have their whole adult lives to work hard! Why keep them from doing something they enjoy? I hate to see kids that are over-scheduled with too many activities too, they need their down time. After playing with the high school band this weekend, DD commented that she wasn't sure she wanted to so that in high school. I'd be disappointed if she didn't do it, because she loves music so much - but I wouldn't force the issue. We are told that the marching band is a huge time commitment, and from late August to November it occupies most weekends. That is a lot to expect from high school kids!

Anyway, I've rambled on enough here, duty calls.

Later!

-Wendy

Greetings!! I have a few luxurious minutes to give long-overdue answers to questions Woody had from the thread I posted about the parks progress. Thought provoking!!

In the shrub nursery are Viburnum dentatum Blue Muffin; Chaenomeles speciosa Toyo-Nishiki; a sport Rhododendron that Ive carried around for years and is a luscious purple; Rosa rugosa sp. Pink; Clematis Betty Corning; a daylily from a good friend, tentatively called Thunderbolt (it is a blazing orange/red) but will probably never get to market. Thats whats left. Out of the same nursery and the other came Deutzia Goodsall Pink and Pink Minor that is now interplanted with gifted Hibiscus syriacus in frosty purple and white with purple centers in the side border.

All other shrubs were direct planted given their unwillingness to transfer easily, or were not bought as sticks with roots and were large enough to be visible.

What has influenced the design? Wow. I hadnt really ever thought about it but it was a good exercise. The lavender-bordered walkway comes from the steps of Hidcote and the delight of walking through the Caprilands gardens. Being a lav collector and just being enamored with the varieties made lavender a must in every garden. Its there!!

The use of white, light pinks, blues and blush orange in the main bed comes from loving moon gardens and having an "up and over" view from our dining room on the exposed eastern side of the house. It glows at night and is more formal than Id thought Id ever like. The formality comes from wanting a splendid entrance to the house, and being able to see everything thats there as opposed to cottage garden style. This garden was also designed with long-term maintenance in mind as Im not getting any younger but still want to enjoy it for several years.

The patch gardens toward the beginning of the driveway were done solely for curb appeal, and were planted to be -0- maintenance. Lots of surprises come up during the year, there, and reseeding plants are key. So are the Stella dOro daylilies that came from Sues garden. I was sure to leave lots of room for seasonal annuals and decorations.

The gardens abutting the house take full advantage of "zone up" microclimates. Herbs are a must, as was a small area for veggies. I also really planned what would go under the windows and breeze direction to take full advantage of fragrance getting into the house. Ditto the deck pots and their contents.

The raised bed and other little spots here and there are for treasures I can't live without, like gourds.

Mostly, I wanted the gardens to be approachable, with a look of "please DO walk in and smell and touch." Strategically placed stepping stones and paths make this possible. I want my gardens to not just look great from a distance, but to be enjoyed plant by plant, as well.

Plant selection has been easier than I thought. I have plants Ive lugged around that have special meaning for one reason or another. I stuck with a lot of standard stuff, not being willing to go with the hot variety of the moment. There are specialty specimens in there, but only if they have a specific attribute that cant be found elsewhere.

And other things

Yes, I talked with Kyle using Skype and also spoke with him while he was on a bus going around Loch Ness. "There is NO monster." Okay.

Kathy: Your Napa RE link was eye-opening. You had said that its a lot less where youre going, so maybe some grape vines in the backyard for the Napa feeling without the Napa price will work? Believe it or not, I have no luck with snapdragons, so gave up on them years ago.

The thesis reading is a direct result of a comment I made at a graduation party for my niece asking for copies of everyone's work to see what college seniors were interested in these days. Along with Kyle's and his friends, I've been kept busy. There is a generation of very smart people coming along!!

Mary -- I truly appreciate the seed collecting you're doing. Hopefully, in Spring there will be something you need that I have.

Hello to everyone have been keeping up with reading and particularly want to say congrats to Marian for getting some help. My guess is your helper was more appreciative of the opportunity than you were for the work.

Best - Martie

Still pissy and unread.

The telephone wire is now underground. Only the cable wire remains tethered to the doomed pole. Weather is forecast to be perfect for its slated Monday removal. Then I will call the power company to have the pole removed, reminding them of the work order # already assigned to the job.

We marked the studs in the garage with the appropriate symbols for the electrician who was a "no show" today. I am irritated (but given my overall pissy frame of mind, take that with a large grain of salt); he DIDN'T promise to come today, however. Should he not show tomorrow I will be angry; helpmeet agrees and promises to call him should that occur and "read him the riot act". I'll believe it when I hear it.

Garage doors look really nice. I'd really love to see them where they're meant to go!

I have to call the "social worker" tomorrow to schedule a conference call about Mum's "treatment". Maybe a lobotomy? Once more, I am reminded that my growing contempt for the "professionals" is well founded. In the time I've been involved with Mum's care I've encountered exactly ONE social worker that was helpful. For the most part, I can't really understand why they (in general) draw paychecks and benefits... they're effectively useless in my opinion. A good, interactive website could accomplish more with less time and aggravation.

I have done no reading, but have wondered if Marian has enlisted the help required to "button up" the house for winter? I used to worry so about Mum at this time of year, and with good reason!

Rex rolled in/on something particularly ripe this morning. His "date with Dawn" (dishwashing liquid) has helped, but the sort of sickly sweet smell of decay lingers on his "ruff".

I purchased and planted an ornamental grass today that will help screen the road next year. I didn't have what it takes to buy a bag of bulbs and get them in the ground today, though.

Foliage is in FULL swing here, now and the view over my shoulder is an amazing neon yellow and coral. I like the colors best against a leaden sky, personally. It was warm today and will be so for the next 3-4 and that suits me just fine. I removed the zip on screen panels from the canopy today and will try to wash them this weekend.

Carry on, friends. I'll shake of my present melancholia eventually (I always do), but the weight of worry about Mum is really dragging me down...

DID, however, read about Annie's friend. And wanted to weep. Wendy nailed it for me... she's a KID; why can't she be left to piddle with the many things that capture her imagination at any given time? Sounds to me as though the parents are insecure in their own right... and are living their dreams through their kid. How sad. And just my opinion.

I can't wait until 3PM tomorrow, when I will have the unbridled joy of having a shampoo and haircut with someone I like very much. :/ Pathetic I know, but you gotta grab it where you find it, guys!

Michelle your Tiger Eye is so nice, and I like it with the sedums and the spruces as a a background. If mine makes it through the winter I think I will move a peice of it where it gets hit with the sprinkler once in awhile. Even though they are supposed to be drought tolerant, mine is not just not living up to its potential. Needless to say the native ones that keep sprouting up in the fields are gorgeous. I have been mowing trails and the edges of the fields and seeing them.

We had a storm blow through overnight with a little rain. It toppled several pots. Thank goodness they didn't break as two of them were ceramic ones.

Deanne, awesome work on the morphed photo. It captures the scene well. I remember those iron pots with the Tiger Eyes. Oh and you have posted a pic of it and the scculents. Thanks for that. I'm wondering about some of the other Idyllers too. I know its hard sometimes to jump back in.

Mary, how sad that the girl isn't allowed to do something she loves. If she does so well at piano. I wouldn't think it would hurt.

Michelle, I wish we could divy up some of your rain. I hope Kenzies song gets the job done. I bet Rick is beside himself.
I too get way more ideas than I can get finished.

Wendy, I do wish things weren't so structured for kids these days. I think there was a much better balance when our kids were growing up.

It was a really nice day here today, although a bit windy. It was so fresh after a little rain. I was a bit tired after a couple of days being quite busy, so I took it kind of easy. I really enjoyed my morning walk. Some of the trees are getting some color. I have been walking a mile or more a day. I would love to push it further to lose some weight, but there is a fine line between being beneficial to my back and detreminal to my knees and hip. Anyway the dogs are loving it too.
Rebel comes and looks in the window if I don't get going as soon as he thinks I should.

Speaking of getting going, I need to go rustle up some supper. N

Chelone - it sounds like the construction is making great progress - but not so the nursing home and your mother's care! A pissy mood is entirely justified in that case - and it sounds like you are putting it to good effect (the photos...) Hang in there!

Marian - it sounds like you had a great start to the week. I hope the trend continued the rest of this week.... I'm definitely glad the brick project is done :-) Weather permitting, I'll probably be spending a few days next week at the long term care place trying to beat back the weeds. I haven't been able to do any work there since the brick project began and, by the looks of the garden, no one else did any weeding. I keep asking Randy if he's asked if the potassium and Vitamin D has helped his mother. He keeps forgetting to ask but she seems to be getting out and about more often so I'd guess that it has probably helped. We're trying to convince them to come here for Christmas but they haven't agreed to that yet. They don't like traveling in winter now. Next Wed. I get the results of my routine blood tests to check on cholesterol. I noticed the doctor also ticked to check for potassium, iron and B/foliate. I've been tired a lot lately. I wouldn't be surprised if maybe I need those B12 shots too.

Kathy - that listing for the house in Napa suddenly doesn't look so crazy. Things have got really outrageous around here lately. A small bungalow behind us sold this summer for over $600K and another one up the street sold for about $570K and is going to be demolished to build a new place. Ultimately such prices aren't sustainable - who can afford to buy them?! The value here is largely the bigger lots in our 1960s era neighbourhood. All the new houses that first-time home-buyers are buying in our town are built on very small lots north of the highway. Our town is effectively splitting in two - the older areas between the highway and Lake Ontario and the new areas north of the highway.

Michelle - a stained glass window (with Deanne's brugmansia design...) would look great in the shed. Go for it....! That sumac is impressive - does it sucker like the common ones? Your brick edging looks great. (For some reason, I now think brick makes the best edging... I wonder why I reached that conclusion...:-) At the rate you put down brick, my garden would have only taken you a week or two! Do you use screenings under them and any barrier between them and the grass? You really need to send some of that rain my way! We were supposed to get rain today but we just got a few sprinkles as all the big clouds slid by to the north lake they've been doing all summer. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for tonight and tomorrow but I'm not too hopeful.

Deanne - fabulous sunrise picture - both the original and the doctored one. It immediately made me think of the 'red sky in the morning, sailors take warning....' saying - what was the weather like on Wednesday? My herb bed rock wall is a baby one compared to yours! I will be using flat rocks instead of rounded ones like yours. Flat rocks are what 'grow' around here. Some of the older houses in town have foundations made from lake stone. Apparently there is a lot of stone in the lake and the early settlers 'mined' the lake bottom with dredges to get stone for foundations.

Mary - like you, I think Annie's friend's parents are making a big mistake. Their approach sounds like it has a good chance of putting her off music while making art (the forbidden subject) more interesting to her! They may find their approach has exactly the opposite effect to what they intend.

Martie - a luscious purple rhododendron sounds very attractive :-) Have you been to Hidcote? I've only seen pictures unfortunately. I have been to Sissinghurst though and that was pretty memorable! I think the white garden there probably had the most impact on me and may help explain why I use a lot of white in the garden. I had to look up Caprilands. It looks like an interesting place - their web site needs more pictures and a 'history' because what's there is only a tease and it would be nice to see more. Long-term maintenance.... ah, yes... an important issue and the driver behind my brick project - hard work now to minimize chores in an older future :-) What plants do you particularly plant for fragrance? The two that are outstanding in my garden are the Blanc Double de Coubert rose and Blue Wave petunias. The petunias surprised me the first time I planted them because I didn't exxpect the fragrance. In early morning and in the evening, they have a powerful spicy clove-like fragrance that I really like. I plant them in the pots at the foot of the steps to the front porch. My garden has lots of paths through it because I find the best way to see things in the garden is to be IN the garden. I think we have quite similar attitudes towards our gardens...:-)

We've had Liam (Border Collie) here for a week. He's Misty's special friend. She allows him liberties that no other visiting dog gets - like joining in morning cuddle time on HER (our) bed!
{{gwi:153831}}

My typing hand has given out. Hi to all.

Hard to believe that tomorrow is Friday already. This week has gone by fast. Must be all the meetings, after meetings, after meetings. Next week I will be announcing my intent to depart to both my fellow managers and my staff. Sunday I meet with my realtor to discuss the repairs etc. that need to be accomplished before I can list this house.
Yesterday I went to my dentist to plan out our next few months of procedures, first of which is yet another surgical extraction and a sinus lift (asked if they could do my face while they were at it but no dice,lol) for which I will be under anesthesia a 2 hour surgery. I will be having this on Halloween ---yeeehah ! I now have an excuse not to open the door !

Deanne, that photo gave me some Maxfield Parrish vibes-all you needed was a nymph with a blond bob in a toga to complete the scene ! How fun to be able to manipulate your photos that way. You are so right on about trying to find one of those chimera things that dont look tacky. I have yet to see one that is decent.

Martie, I believe your Snapdragon problems. I make a pledge every year that I will never grow them again, and every year I plant them anyway. They get rust so horribly here , but I am hoping for a non-rust year in 08. You never know. Interestingly, I will be moving close to the Oregon wine growing region, which is up- and coming. They produce some very nice Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs in the Willamette Valley, and the prices are very reasonable.

Chelone--- were you suggesting the lobotomy for Mum or the Social Worker ??? Enjoy the mindless experience of the shampoo and cut.

Okay, time for dinner and baseball, more tomorrow !

Kathy in Napa

Good morning everyone,

Its a foggy and gloomy morning here but the temps are already in the mid 50s and the nights are supposed to stay above 45 for the next week or so. Phew, more time to get the plants in in an orderly manner. Yesterday I took care of eight containers. Some mixed and some mono-pots and Ive promised myself that Im going to get at least ten a day done until the task is complete. In some ways I wish we would get a frost then I could chop with abandon! LOL The dahlias and cannas are still blooming and all the fuchsias are simply gorgeous and it breaks my heart to cut all those flowers off. The coleus are all toast so Ive been cutting all of those out of the containers. I took all my cuttings last week so Im in good shape there. There still is a lot going on for mid October but things are looking pretty ragged around the edges and Im ready to put it all to bed for the season. I was looking at bulb catalogs this morning.. Ahhh.. spring..

Mary, bummer that Thursday is your free night. That is almost always the day Doug comes home. Oh well, hopefully youll be able to work something out at some point. ~~ That story about the young pianist breaks my heart! That poor girl! Shell probably wind up hating music before all is said and done. I cant imagine parents banning a child from drawing and lit club. What are they thinking? Not of her needs.

Michelle, yes that is an iresine n that container. I agree with you that I just love that combo. ~~ How strange that you are getting so much rain after being so dry this summer.

Wendy, how neat you are going to use those vases from your grandmother for your cuttings.

Chelone, LOL about Rex and his rolling in something nasty. Sometime ask me to tell you the story about my Irish Setter that got into a dirty diaper Eeeewwwww.

Woody, Im so jealous of your flat rocks!!!!! I wish we had flat ones come out of the ground here. They are so much easier to work with. ~~ Surprisingly the weather on Wednesday was lovely. Originally the weather guys said that it was supposed to rain but that never happened. ~~ The pic of the puppies is adorable!

Kathy, LOL about Maxfield Parrish, I didnt see that until you pointed it out. I should have included some urns and columns in that shot along with a nymph. ~~ I dont envy you the continuing dental surgeries. Hope all goes well with that. Will it all be done by the time you plan to move?

OK time to get a move on and get to the gym so I can get home and get my pruners in gear.

Have a great day everyone!
Deanne

TGIF!

Good gloomy morning! No frost on the pumpkin yet here. In fact it's supposed to be in the 70s for the next three days. The morning weatherman on NBC is referring to Sunday as a beach day. As a result, I have Brugs on the verge of full bloom. Amazing for October 19th!

For all you real estate investigators, check out the link below. Beware, you can kill alot of time finding out nosy details like the value of all your neighbor's homes...lol. I don't know how accurate it is but based on my street it seems somewhat ballpark.

OK, for once I have a reasonably relaxing day ahead. The boss is offsite at a meeting and there are no pressing deadlines. At 11:30 I have a haircut appointment then I may stop at DSW and peruse the shoes. If the weather was better I'd take the afternoon off. We'll see...

Later,

Sue

It's windy windy here today, gusts to 40mph. Rain expected too. We've had a little rain off and on the last few days, enough to perk up the gardens a little. It's still warm here, no frost yet and a nice warm weekend forecast too. My clero ugandense is just about to bloom finally after 2 years of waiting, any day now. Brad hasn't been working weekends so we've been using our our chiminea in the evenings. We purchased one for Jen for her patio a few weeks ago too. I've always liked them and payed alot for my first one back in 97 when they only had them in garden specialty shops. It was broken by a falling tree limb a few years ago and now we have a small iron one. I like them because the smoke is directed up and away through the chimney instead of blowing into your face like a regular firepit. They have a cozy feel to me too. Guess I'm just a tacky girl:) If I had more space I would love an outdoor fireplace though.

I've been culling out the plants I'm keeping overwinter. I just don't feel like being tied down to taking care of so many this year. I'm just saving the special ones that are hard to replace or were pricey. I've already gotten a couple of seed catalogs that I've been going through. I've made out a wish list for Plant World. Again I'm limiting myself to just a few special things to start this year. Gone are the days of 150 wintersown containers I think.

Plans for the weekend include getting my bulbs into the ground and finishing up spreading mulch. I still have a small pot ghetto that I should throw into the ground too. Also time to cut down the cannas and bring them in I think.

Hope you all have an enjoyable weekend.

Eden

There's this bright object in the sky that I don't recognize. Finally! Of course the garden is so waterlogged that I'm not sure what I will do tomorrow. I guess dismantling the remaining pots. Several will stay put together until the frost gets them.

I have bulbs to plant, cannas and EE to dig, edging to lay, mulch to spread but its too wet.

Woody, I just lay the brick in the soil and use that to level them with no barrier between them and the grass. Some of my bricks have been 5 or 6 years and it has worked well for me. I'm envious of your flat rocks too. As for the sumac suckering I only planted it last year so I can't really answer it. I've heard that it isn't supposed to be problematic, but I can always move some of perennials out of that area and give it some room.

Eden, I would actually like to find a chiminea. I'd prefer a metal one for the breakage issue.

Deanne, I used to have an Irish Setter. It was the first dog that I owned.

Michelle

I just read over my post and wanted to emphasis that the tacky girl remark was just in fun. Rereading it, I see how it could be taken otherwise and it surely wasn't meant to be.

Michelle, your list of things to do sounds about like mine. Hope it dries up enough for you to get out in the garden. Thanks for the latest Kenzie pictures. She's a doll!

Deanne, I love the idea of the Tiger Eye in a container. I have one in the ground but I suppose I could always use another:) Glad you're getting to dismantle and move things in a little at a time, MUCH easier that way. You're latest photos are beautiful!

Mary, so sad about the little pianist. It's so easy to make children hate something that they should love and enjoy by forcing it on them like that. What a shame!

Speaking of children, I need to go check on Bella. It's too quiet...

Eden

Its raining this evening here, but a very nice warm weekend is in the forecast. I noticed that the few days of rain we have had has spurred the germination of weed seeds everywhere. (we have our summer weeds and we have our winter weeds) so I will try to deal with that on Sunday when the ground has dried up a bit. Great for my sweetpea seeds though which I expect to see up in a few days. I think this weekend Ill do some work on the home office which has been in a stall mode since spring. Its mostly a clean up and décor project at this point , I painted it last winter but have no furniture in there except a library table I bought this summer at a local antique store . I need a lamp and a chair, but I think I will borrow a chair from the living room and buy a cheap-o ready made slipcover (dont cringe Chelone) . All I need to finish the job is a bookcase and Ill get an RTA one from either Office Cheap-o or Staples.

Woody, meant to comment earlier on your persistence in completing your brick project. It surely did turn out nice. Edge treatments can be such an asset in the garden.

Eden, your chiminea is iron? I would love to see a pic of that. The only ones I see for sale around here are some sort of high-fire pottery , with very odd looking glaze. I guess its supposed to be southwestern style, although they all come from China or Vietnam. All the iron ones Ive seen are the fire-pit style.

Sue, Zillow is pricing my house at about 20 grand above what I will probably list it for. I have visited there several times, its a fun website for Real Estate junkies!

Deanne, very organized-10 pots a day. Your discipline is admirable ! I dont think all the dental stuff will be done by the time I move, no. It is probably now a year and a half process. I will go as far as I can with this dentist and then will probably have to transfer to another one in Corvallis. I dont have a problem with traveling down here a couple of times . The problem is the long healing period between procedures. Of course the positive note is that the expense will also be spread out over an 18 month period.

Tonight I am doing a Film Noir (love Film Noir) from 1945, Scarlett Street starring EG Robinson and Joan Bennett.

Well, heres hoping some of our unheard from folk check in this weekend. V, Babs, Brenda, Drema,Honey, T, Cynthia, Cindy ??Did I miss anyone ? Hi to all of you !

Toodles everyone
Kathy in Napa

I am about half way through this particular Idyll, the previous one is still vastly unread... but I'm getting there AND I have audibly guffawed a few times. :)

My name is Chelone and I was a picky eater. Mum, however, brooked no such foolishness, refusing to allow meal time to become a battle (as she maintained, "is this the hill lI want to die on?"). "Darling, if the bill of fare is not to your liking you know perfectly right well where the bread and peanut butter are.". Vegetables were invariably cooked to a truly appetizing pulp... at which I turned up my freckled nose. Sooo... I ate my raw. Manners were a big part of our household and "No thank you" was the only acceptable reply when offered something not desired. I was 18 before I deigned to try pizza! and I was about the same age when I was invited for dinner at my boyfriend's home... discovering to my horror the meal was CALIMARI. LOL! I was too embarrassed to not try it... and discovered it was delicious. I'll try anything now... conquering an entire little squid on my plate was truly a "turning point" for me. :) I do not like peas, either... but bring on the cabbage and brussel sprouts!

Can't wait to see a puppy, even though I hate dogs. I understand COMPLETELY about lost hearing aids, too. They are expensive and Mum is no longer capable of understanding that; how you instill the concept of value and COST to a child? well... I sure don't know!

I love the pigs in the water, lol. I love pigs and goats; they're really smart animals.

Hope Cynthia's sister derived a laugh from the slippers (they're great) and things in both your worlds are looking UP. I know too well how the relentless worry and anxiety wears you down. I'm thinking of you both.

Nice to hear from Norma, too.

Creepy cupcakes are wonderful, as are witch finger extensions, and all the other silly Halloween things. LOL.

Rain is moving out and we're to receive a few very warm days here. Hope the fields dry out and harvest continues without further meteorological inconvenience.

No electrician yesterday, either. And the helpmeet's version of the "riot act" varies greatly from mine. :) I am incredibly irritated, but at this juncture I'm not sure how to move forward most productively.

I suffered a rainy day in the shop yesterday. Typically, my boss is out of the shop if it's nice and I'm alone to listen to Diane Rehm, and be productive. Yesterday I had to listen to a particularly bad radio station and endure the endless micro-management that makes me crazy. I bolted from the building as quickly as I was able. The lovely woman who cuts my hair asked how I was and I told her. She patted my shoulder and told me just enjoy the shampoo. It was heavenly. We chatted while she did the cut and I was reminded why I like her so much.

I very much enjoyed the information on Armadillos, too, Marian. What cool animals they are.

I have to get to the bank this morning, so need to put on some appropriate raiment for the day.

I hearty hello to ALL!
I am once again at DH's office. Things are oozing along on the repair of the computer, but will it be 1, 2 or 3 more weeks until I can be back with Idylls? I can't say. :(

What happens when English is translated into African language? That is the first one I'd pick!!! Funny how our backgrounds affect our interests!

Mary, I didn't bring my reading list with me to DH's office, but I am happy with all 9 books that we chose. I know that The Custodian of Paradise by Wayne Johnston is one, Rory Stewart's The Places in Between, Memoirs of a Lightkeeper's Son by Billy Budge and Ann Tyler's Digging to America are among them. Several of the books are about the Maritimes, one of them about the history of midwifery in that area. The Glass Castle was almost chosen and is being passed around, but many have already read it and did not want to include it. So far only four could show up, but we expect to make 8 the limit. I get the Christmas gathering at my place. Mostly vegetarians it seems.

I too am mighty annoyed by Annie's friend's parents. As our house painter says: "some people should not be permitted to reproduce". DH feels strongly about parents who want their children to achieve what they themselves could not. I had a highschool classmate whose academic schedule was reworked so that she could practice piano 7-8 hours per day. She had a nervous breakdown between highschool and university. I've not heard of her since. She was a very jittery kid, could have been a sweet kid if they'd let her. I DO understand limiting activities though. DGS's Mom would book him 3 activities per day if DSIL didn't forbid it by refusing to pay!

As to teaching Skyler about the value of money, DD is doing well by telling him what things cost: The van DSIL just sold costs the same as his hearing aid. The trip to Ontario for Christmas would cost the same as a hearing aid. These facts astound him. But she also has been teaching him about biology, about the bird behavior going on in the lake they pass on the way to school each day. Cool stuff! I am nervous for November 9th to come and go. That is the day of parent mediation. Cross your fingers that Skyler's Mom doesn't back out. So much needs to be accomplished!

At the farm I have managed to cover 3 of the 4 garden paths with newspaper and bark chips. Ran out of chips. Planted Camassia and Spring Green tulips once more to fill in those the squirrels ate. Tons more to do once the weather improves.

My heart goes out to you Chelone. It still aches for my Mom and the years have passed. My brother is dealing with 3 terribly needy girls whose social workers fit your description perfectly. He wants so much to show them that someone cares and is not allowed to visit them because he is not a blood relative. The blood relatives are forbidden too because they are abusive and mentally unfit. Life goes on...painfully...but big hugs to YOU.

I must get off this machine. Hope to return SOON!
Love the photos Michelle and Woody!

Oh! The grey Bouvier is not pregnant, so I'm waiting to hear about the black Momma.
'bug