Hi Idylls,
Too busy to comment right now, have to catch up on my reading here. But I'm not too busy to honour all our soldiers, past and present. Check out this video by Terry Kelly, a singer/songwriter from Nova Scotia. The story of how he came to write it is great too. Have your kleenex on hand...

I am so thankful to all the brave men and women who have fought for, and continue to fight for, our freedom. Two minutes a year seems really a pittance...

Taryn

link below

Had a good time learning to make bows. No brain surgery, for certain, and pretty hard on the hands. No wonder they invented a machine to do it! They were just starting to put out the evergreens for arrangements. I asked about boxwood and told them what I do with it. They were very interested, and asked if I'd be interested in demonstrating it. Sounds like a lot of fun, but I have to wonder about the logistics of pulling it off successfully. I was thinking of Deanne, Eden, and Mary and the preparation required for a good presentation that keeps everyone organized, on task, and INTERESTED! Lotta work, ladies.

They advised me to wait until the first/second week of December to buy the greens. Boxwood typically comes from Cindy's neck of the woods (Ol' Virginny), and they asked me where I found the fake fruit; told 'em I scored BIG at WallyWorld and the Family Dollar store! We laughed about the difficulty in locating pomegranates and pineapples of adequate size (a 3" pineapple won't be "cuttin' the mustard"!).

I bought a frost-proof planter for the front stoop, shoulda bought some paperwhites, too (but caved to the 30% discount the helpmeet gets at work...) . The planter was an extravagance, but it's a wonderful nursery, and supporting local businesses is important. I'll take a couple of shots of it and when the camera is full I'll post 'em.

Mum is not very happy with me. I made her go outdoors. It's 60 degrees outside right now and sunny; so out she goes! She get pissy about going outside this time of year, but she needs the exercise, the fresh air, and sunshine so I simply ignore the grousing and send her out the door. I reminded her of all the times she made me "go out and play" over the years. She wasn't thinkin' that was too funny,lol. To quote her when I was a kid, "Tough! get outside." hehehe...

I have to get the large dog outdoors now, so I'll talk atcha later.

Sorry I was doing the 'snivel and whine' thing last night. I was very overwhelmed yesterday. Watching two this young as been busy but not stressful. Yesterday was challenging and stressful. I felt horrible for the babies and pretty sorry for myself. I do have extra car seat bases in my car.....but they are not buckled into place and they do not 'fit' well next to Jamie's car seat (it is buckled in all the time). My car's back seat is too small to have 3 car seats buckled into it.....and I never expected to take the babies anywhere--if there was a medical emergency for one of them, I'd be calling an ambulance, not trying to drive them anywhere.

Yesterday, after the power went out, I did consider removing Jamie's car seat and buckling just the babys' seat bases in place. But that would have taken me out of the house and away from the boys for 5 or 10 minutes--I didn't want to do that. It was too rainy, windy and cold to take them outside with me and I was concerned with taking them in my car during the stormy conditions (I live 30 minutes away from their house). So....it was just best to stay put, but staying put wasn't ideal either.

Tomorrow the forecast is still calling for 60 m.p.h. gusts so I'm making sure everything is put away here. I need to go find one of my compost bins. I found one down in amongst the cedar trees but haven't located the second one yet. LOL Oh well.

DH is going to fire up the generator to make sure it will start when needed (it should) and we're going to be bringing a couple days worth of fire wood closer to the house. Maybe the storm won't hit here but we're going to plan on being prepared as possible. I imagine there will be lots of mudslides and trees falling if the big winds do hit anywhere in western Oregon or Washington. Twill be interesting.

I'd better get back to it......

Take care!

T.

Yo Idyll-ers
Saturday night-got home from work today about 4:30 and yippee, no work tomorrow ! As soon as I got home I ran outside and moved all my most vulnerable begonias into the kitchen, moved my plumerias under the patio cover, and picked the rest of the tomatos. We had rain this am and last night but it is crystal clear right now and cold, so frost may be on the horizon.

CheloneLove that bow thing.. a couple hundred years ago I worked at a garden center that also had a floral dept- this is where I learned to do bows..so we now have a gift wrap contest in our family every Christmas and have lots of fun deciding who has the best paper/bows etc. DS won last year. I am now divulging to the Idylls that I have ordered pink flamingo in Santa hats paper for his year , and may send all of the relatives down in flames!!.
I will look into Joe Sample-thanks for the recommendation.. a lot of my jazz is older stuff- Bud Powell, Thelonius Monk, Miles Davis, Nat King Cole Trio, Stephan Greppelli, Ella, Dave Brubeck, .etc etc I bet you listen to Marion McPartland/ Piano Jazz on NPR? love that show..
Now about the coast-I think that the North vs South is a bigger divide than East vs West.
Lets just take California for exampleI guess our coastline is over 1k miles if you do Hwy 1. As you travel up from So Cal to Nor Cal, you start to experience the difference between the Beach and the Coast. Up here in Nor Cal you do not go to "the beach" which infers sun , surfing , swimming, beer, hamburgers etc.In Nor cal we go to The Coast which infers beachcombing, tidepools, collecting driftwood, and very warm clothes.(and fireplaces). I bet you have the same dynamic between Maine and Florida-do people swim in the ocean in Maine ? They sure dont up here in Nor Cal, but I grew up in So Cal and spent all summer swimming in the ocean, and hanging out at the beach.

T- I called my bro-in-laws in Portland tonite, and they got out their generator and prepped it just in case. They are expecting 80mph winds. We are in a "partly cloudy" mode which can mean just about anything.

Okay, gonna sign off now.
More tomorrow!!!
Kathy in Napa

Went to town today and found a wonderful, magical mirror......sorry, but I bought all they had.

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T. :o)

LOL, T. I did a double take and laughed aloud, first chuckle of a new day and it's courtesy of you. Thank you muchly. For what it's worth, I certainly don't think you were being whiney. Babies are a lot of responsibility and dealing with a power outage/no water at the same time is definitely worth some grousing.

I love Marian McPartland catch her show sometimes, but mostly a hit or miss proposition. We have another good local show, on our Maine NPR station, "The Humble Farmer". The guys's a sketch, plays great music and does all the commentary with a Maine accent. If you can stream off your computer, you ought to see if you can pick it up. It's funny. I have tons of old stuff, too. And a pretty fair sampling of more "modern" stuff (Joe Sample, The Crusaders, Dave Grusin, Bob James, Earl Klugh, Jean Luc Ponty, Diane Schuur). The joke at work is the only artists I can update anyone on are the dead ones. :)

I put some bulbs in the ground yesterday. I had a couple of clumps of daffodils that weren't performing well and I lifted them. My original planting of a dozen had turned into close to 80 over the past 10-12 years. Granted, some were pretty small, but they ought to be happier in their new "digs". I relocated a clutch of Camassia, too... and I'm testing the theory they will prosper in moist soil... they're now in a sunny local on the higher ground near the little pond. I have one more bag of narcissus to interr, "Mt. Hood", but they have to keep until mid-week when the gloomies and the rain finally clears out.

The coastal thing; yeah, people actually swim in the Atlantic, but they're the hardy sort. The ocean here usually maxes out around 72 degrees, too cold for me, thanks! But there are some very lovely sand beaches in southern Maine. Mostly though, the coast is rocky and the sea floor falls right off, so the water is deep, probably much the way it is in your area, Kathy. Interestingly, the water off Cape Cod in Ma. is warmer. I have never been swimming in warm sea water. The few times I've been to Florida the weather wasn't great for swimming or the beaches were overwhelmed by jellyfish! So, I remain a freshwater/lake devotee. We made a side curtain for a local fisherman a week/so ago. He related the story of going ove the side after dropping a trap. A line had wrapped around his arm. Long story short, he spent close to 2 hours holding onto a trap bouy, waving his arms (in safety orange clothing), trying to get the attention of another lobsterman. The water is now in the high 40s-low 50s... it doesn't take long to succumb at that temperature.

And, Deanne, I've been thinking about places for you to shoot sea birds. If you're interested in shore birds you'd probably do well at Ogunquit Beach, but you have to pay attention to the tide, since the most action occurs as the tide is ebbing, and if there is good wave action and more goodies are tossed up. I haven't really noticed if the Eider duck flotillas are on the waves now, I know the Canada geese have been massing on the golf course and in the salt marsh down the road for me. I'll pay more attention to that and give you shout.

'bug, I so enjoyed the tutorial on dyeing and wool production. I'm rather relieved I haven't gotten the knitting bug... expensive fabric is bad enough, I'd be in big trouble with yarn. I love the color and I can't wait to see the finished product. About those booties for the feetus of Cletus... ;)

A fly-by post...

Now, a quiz for Kathy and Chelone. Who is the guy on the left, next to my happy buddy Jack on the floor of the California Senate?

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Off to a meeting. Hope I wake up first. I don't even dare to look in T's mirror yet!
Later gators!
'bug

Good productive morning. Finished grocery shopping started yesterday (what I get for going without a list plus the need to really stock up), laundry, two shrubs in the ground, 260 bulbs planted and then rain. Good excuse to make an espresso and hang with my Idyll friends.

The bulbs went in really quickly as my 4yo neighbor (brother of an 11yo) decided that what I was doing was interesting and came to help. I punched holes, he put the bulb in "pointy side up, right Mrs. Martie???", and then with his other hand swept the soil back in. His mother got out the hose -- it's almost 60degF -- before he went back in the house. A helper!! Yippee!!

One of my fav friendship memories is when my best-in-the-world girlfriend moved from right next door all the way down to Citrus County, Florida. We made a pact that on her 50th birthday, we'd spend the night in Daytona and watch the sun rise, then scoot across the peninsula and watch the sun set at Crystal River the same day. To this day it is a "how cool was that?" thought. For my 50th birthday she wants to do it again, and I just may take her up on it.

LOL the mirror, T. Took me a second to "get it" but what a hoot! I'm sure the babies are no worse for the wear, though if I were you I'd take a few deep breaths and pat myself on the back for fortitude!!

Okay, Taryn, you made my eyes well up and had to blow my nose, then 'bug posts about old friends and I'm Really glad I'm not sitting in my office right now :-)

Bench-clearing sale was "fabu-fabu". I say that specifically because the owner pulled out his personal fuchsia collection and was giving away cuttings. I declined since I've never had luck with those beauties and wasn't sure I could get them to Deanne or Marian or Eden or others that make them live in time. Did get a new variety of Eucalyptus (I now have three) and two teeny Alberta Spruce seedlings that will be perfect for Christmas containers. A few begonia tubers later and I was outta there. The crux of this "sale" is more to get all of his [too] good customers together and share some cider and garden stories. It is always good to see familiar faces and meet new ones. Interesting!!!

Found someone who brush hogs and hired him for next Spring as soon as the ground can support the equipment. Now, of course, need to start thinking about a woodland garden for 2009 since 2008 will be spent on water and 2007 has been booked for two years. Maybe CT can host Idyllunion again in, say, 2010??? LOL

This heart-jerker for all the dog lovers out there and you, too, Chelone. My mom got me a Beanie Baby dog and made a sock sleeping bag for it. She and I rescued her Cairn Terrier about 1.5 years ago and I've been really tempted to go rescue another for my house. Resounding "NO" from Rich so no, go, but I keep my eyes open. Mom thought it would be good to have a dog to cuddle with since her Murphy brought her so much comfort after her kidney was removed. Moms never do stop being Moms, do they??? Whether they're a pain or a joy or a hassle or interruption, they're still our Moms.

Rambling on here and want to reread the new book before tomorrow.

Everyone enjoy Sunday afternoon ....

Martie

Hi everyone

Happy Sunday!! Thanks for your input on giving a talk. I really like the idea of some hands on in the middle and thought I'd bring some containers, soil and seeds to have participants prepare "wintersown" pots to grow on at home. People love freebies and being able to leave with something fo their own. Deanne, I'm sure you'll agree what a mind boggling amount of work it has been preparing this. I'm so glad DH was here to coach me through Photoshop and using Powerpoint but I'm still slow as molasses. It's been quite a learning experience, hopefully not one I'll regret.

Yesterday was busy in a different way. I had a group of parents coming over at 9 AM to discuss the Odyssesy of the Mind Competition I've agreed to coach a team for with David. I'd planned to straighten up first thing in the morning so that things looked vaguely presentable for the parents I'd never met before. I woke at 4.30AM and started to read, then decided I'd get up and get the cleaning done before coming back to bed with a coffee. At 8.30 I was still hard at work, not having taken a break - how sad is that? And I didn't even get to the basement or bedrooms. The main areas had a much needed, head to toe cleaning while I pondered on how the things we all enjoy (pets, wood burning fireplace, crafts, plants, cooking) all contribute to the general mess. Oh well, there's nothing there I'd want to give up so perhaps once a month I just need to get up early and whip things into shape. It did make for a long day.

Back to the grindstone - have a great day everyone

Mary

I don't recognize the guy on the left of the photo you posted, 'bug.

Quiet here, today! Doubtless you're all off doing fun and exciting things, at least I hope so.

I do not have the book, so there was no reading for me today. Instead, I fiddled around with the length of chain and 16 pcs. of fake fruit. I inserted the screws into the them, adding some glue "because I could". I wired them onto the chain and took the the mocked up swag out to see how it looked. UNHUH. The fruit wanted to roll down and the whole effect wasn't pretty, at all. So, I've prevailed upon the helpmeet to cut me 8 lengths of wood and I will simply revert to the basic "plaque" motif. It will be pretty and perhaps carefully arranging the produce will yield a result that will please me more than the swag. The whole thing required more overall support than the chain provided.

All is quiet here on the homefront today. Helpmeet returned from marketting and I put the foodstuffs away. Mum is in her room, reading, sipping coffee and munching on a cookie. Assorted felines are recumbant in a variety of locales. Dog is with Daddy.

I should be doing something productive, but have opted to fritter away my time, instead.

OK, Martie and Chelone, the mystery man is Dave Brubeck. Jack was thrilled to meet the legend at work. Things can be pretty boring on the senate floor usually.

Just received more wedding photos from early September. I'm a junkie for romance and weddings and babies these days. (good grief, what has become of me???)
Preparation:
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The vows have been exchanged:
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Will they come up for air?
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Cake nonsense
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I will have to fritter away my afternoon on a different book since the Invisaible Garden has not appeared here yet. Enjoy your Sunday too!
'bug

LOL, NOW I see. But (perish the thought!), the esteemed Mr. Brubeck has never been one of my very favorites. I'm not much for "Bebop", either. (how do you dance to that stuff, anyway?)

Romance is what makes life worth living, 'bug.

OK, so where did the weekend go? Where do they all go? Yesterday I focused my efforts on fall cleanup and Tom "processed" leaves. Believe it or not but not all of our leaves are down. The oaks and sycamores hold on to them well into November. It didn't take long to fill both trash barrels with garden waste but I am making a dent. We had to cut the afternoon short to get out to my MIL's for dinner. At 83 she doesn't cook as much as she used to so when she says "sauce and meatballs" you dash the hour each way.

Today was a washout from a garden standpoint so I frittered it away doing other things. One of those things was to nuke the upstairs bathroom. When you get disgusted by your own house it's time to take action. Gone are the little spots of mold on the ceiling, the soap scum on the tub, and the hairy floor...lol. Yuck! The downside is all that work and it will probably only last a week, if that. Hopefully with a little touch up it will get me through to Thanksgiving.

Despite the rain I was able to get in a nice long walk. Armed with a gore tex suit and umbrella I can walk in just about any level of wet the weather tosses my way. Stretching and Pilates followed. We ate grilled lamb chops while watching the 60 Minutes tribute to Ed Bradley, my favorite 60 Minutes correspondent. Such a loss.

This afternoon I stopped at my local nursery where I usually clean up on bulbs this time of the year for 50% off. The selection was pitiful so it looks like I'm out of luck. I had hoped to get some large Alliums for the patio garden. Got home and checked John Scheepers and they're sold out too.

Deanne, you're going to be proud of the way I've been tending to my plants under lights. Tom bought one of the modular steel shelves at Lowe's and outfitted it with flourescent fixtures. We found a spot for it in the guest room. I have three shelves each three feet wide. It's just about enough space for what I brought in. So far everybody looks happy. Even the Acalpha that I cut back to leafless sticks is starting to sprout again. Only 6 more months before it can all go back out...lol.

Hey, where has Honey been lately? And Ei? And Brenda and Saucy vanished again. Oh well, I should talk.

Sue

Sunday evening and all is well...
One day off is better than no day off right? I did my grocery shopping and made spagetti sauce this afternoon. I wonder if there are numerous excellent spagetti sauce recipes out there in Idyll land ? If I don't have fresh toms in required quanities I use Muir Glenn organic . Ingredients include (but are not limited to) onions, celery ,green bell pepper , hot Italian sausage, mushrooms, balsamic vinegar, mollasess, a tad 'o sugar , red wine -flavored with garlic, Herbes de Provence, basil, oregano, marjoram, celery seed, no salt no pepper. C'mon lets hear some secret recipes out there . I swear I'll never divulge the origin...

I worked a little on the pansies today-mostly to keep the biggest pansy display on the planet from becoming the biggest snail feast on the planet.Jeesh. I planted a couple more six packs today .
Martie, love the florida sun-chase idea ! What Eucalyptus did you get? They have become pretty ubiquitous out here, but I love them..do you need to protect them over the winter?

Ha 'bug, I was going to guess Benny Goodman because of the glasses ! I think he's been dead for eons .. and who is Jack, how do you know him ?

I'm going to go have some of that spagetti now ! See you all on the reading thread ...

Kathy in Napa

Yesterday was a bust for gardening. The wind was just too cold and it never got above 30. I did get a walk in today, but it began raining this evening. I do have a pretty clean house to show for it.
This afternoon was spent putting pictures on CD's. I'm not printing pictures anymore. I'll have CD albums instead of photo albums.

My mother called tonight and announced that we are doing our Christmas exchange on Thanksgiving. Nothing like short notice.

Kathy, these days my spaghetti sauce comes from a jar, sorry ;o)

Sunday night is popcorn night. DH is always in charge of making it. I like mine with a little fresh parmesan cheese melted on top.

Michelle

Sue -- check Stop and Shop for tall Alliums. $1 a bag yesterday morning.

Marie -- I'm not a jazz nut, much prefer music I understand (LOL, here, I like a good strong beat) but I'm impressed that you know someone who met Dave Brubeck. Anyone who is a master of their art is esteemed in my book.

Kathy - This Euc. was tagless, but I got it because it has a more red than pink tinge to the leaves and it's been in a greenhouse so the red isn't autumn coloration. Here, they need to come inside but are great for large pots and fill in large gaps quite nicely. I just like them, and not many people out here have them which makes for interesting plant tour talk.

Will get to the book thread tonight. Reread yesterday afternoon and i'm sure we'll have a lot to discuss.

Big Admission: Martie-the-ever-Bold is getting nervous about tomorrow. Reputable and highly qualified surgery center, incredible docs, absolutely supportive DH and family, larder stocked with good carbs, everything is in place except my head. What didn't help .....

Yesterday afternoon got a call from a surgery center volunteer asking if, when I came in, I wanted to mourn the loss of Menarch. Darn (and other things) I thought, I just want to feel better. Then ... Am I playing with nature a bit too much??? Am I letting the technological capabilities available to Help Women get in the way of ions old cycles? Didn't need to get on that track and think I'll mention this on my survey .... It threw me and I don't know why.

So, today I'm getting really dressed up and shining my shoes and going out to nail the close of a big contract. Et tu, volunteer!!!!

Those pics catch the spirit, Marie. Keep them coming! We all need romance.

Mary - You'll do fine with the presentation. I start a lot of them with: "I'll take 45 minutes unless you want more." Participants like the idea about when something will end, and usually ask questions well beyond the alotted time when they think they have some control. Hands-on works. Good for you to coach "Odessey." Both of my sister's kids were involved and as a teacher she's coached many times. She feels it's a very easy assignment as one of the rules is that the kids have to do the work. Let us know how it goes. What is the theme this year??

Sounds like wood is the way to go, Chelone. Down here I'm still waiting for it to get cold enough outside to do my fruit thing, so yesterday pulled out the table decorations and cut fabric for a while. It feels good to be working with fabric again. The simple things....

Sue - You walked yesterday???? Don't know whether to congrats you or think other things. LOL

Everyone keep on keeping on.

Martie

Good morning

Martie - I'll be thinking of you today.

T - it sounds as if you did a grand job keeping those little ones warm and safe during the power outage. What can be a fun challenge with older children is downright scary and possibly dangerous when the very young, old or infirm are involved. Hope the latest storm wasn't too severe.

Chelone - now you've got me interested in making bows! Did you have a book to learn from?

GB - love,love love those wedding photos! I was also fascinated by the wool operation and hope to be over to comment there.

Deanne - did I tell you how stunning the moon and your latest birds are? I showed them to DH who was very impressed, and he's a hard one to please when it comes to photos!

Sue - and I thought I was the only one with a hairy floor lol! (had a few of those mold spots too before my assault with the cleaning supplies).

Kathy - I'm afraid I'm with Michelle - home made spaghetti sauce it wonderful, but my crew are happy with a local organic brand so its been ages since I've made any. I did make a traditional English meal last night - Shepherds Pie and stewed plums with custard for dessert. It took me right back to school days! Hope to be over to the book thread after work.

Speaking of which, I need to run. Have a great start to the week!

Mary

Think the other things, Martie, everybody else does...lol.

Good luck today. I have my consult with the radiologist on Wednesday. Unfortunately I got the results of my MRI and started doing a little advance research on line. We'll see what the doc says but based on what little understanding I have of what I'm reading it would appear I may not be a good candidate for embolization. My largest fibroid is a type they won't embolize. But until I hear it from the experts I won't flip to plan B.

Manic Monday here I come.

Sue

Good morning all,

Well we had a productive weekend, Saturday I finally got 99% of the dahlias out of the ground and cleaned up and they are currently in the garage drying off so I can store them in peat for the winter. Also got the Weigela French Lace moved to the corner near the wisteria and planted one of the H. Little Honeys. Perfect that it rained buckets after transplanting. I still have a huge box of bulbs to get in the ground and I still havent finished up the garage. Oh well, Im hoping for this week. The plants under the lights are looking absolutely wonderful right now and Ive had to pot up a few of the coleus.

Sue, do you remember that purple one with the green in the middle of the leaf? I think you had it planted somewhere near the hot tub. Anyway, that sucker is HUGE. The leaves are enormous, the plant is enormous and Im going to have to start chopping it back soon or Ill have a coleus shrub before the end of the winter. ~~ How great you found a spot for a light cart!!! That is too neat. You are going to be so happy you did that come the spring. I was talking to Doug yesterday about letting a lot of this go. Then of course I wouldnt be able to find some of these plants I cant live without in the spring and Id be sad I didnt save them.

Martie, Hugs to you. Ill be thinking of you today. I know everything will be fine. ~~ My PCP wanted to know if I needed counseling when I hit the big M. Same reason mourning the loss of what was. I just looked at her like she was a crazy person. Why on earth would I miss that? Hmmm why would I miss being sick (really, really sick) one week a month and having a crazy person inhabit my head one week a month. Nope I havent missed it or mourned it one little bit. In fact, Ive never felt better in my adult life than I have since that was all over and done with. ~~ OH yes, I almost forgot that I love the FL Sunrise/Sunset coast to coast trip. What a neat thing to do and I think you should celebrate your birthday that way.

Mary, no kidding it is an enormous amount of work to put together a one hour presentation. I guesstimated that it took me about 80 hours of prep work to put mine together. One of the reasons Im hoping to be able to do it again. It seems a shame to do all that work for only one presentation. ~~ Congratulations on coaching the Odyssey of the Mind Competition. That is such a neat program. ~~ Im so pleased you liked the photos! And if your DH liked them Im really flattered as he is the best photographer I know. Here are a few more I did this weekend. These are all Dark-eyed Juncos the Slate Colored variety. You know we are in the winter season when these guys appear.

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Michelle, parmesan on popcorn sounds pretty good to me. ~~ Christmas at Thanksgiving! Id be crazed. Between getting ready for 20 for dinner and finishing up with the last minute garden stuff there is NO way Id be ready to exchange gifts the end of this month. Why so early?

Kathy, surely hope you get a digital camera for Christmas so you can take photos of your pansy display for us!!! Ill bet it is gorgeous.

Sue, I know, where the heck is Honey, Eileen, Brenda and Saucy? I know Brenda has a HUGE Thanksgiving family dinner to prepare for with lots and lots of extended family so between harvest and that she is probably pretty busy. I sure would be nice if they could just drop in and say hi.

Great wedding pics Marie. Im afraid I dont believe in romance at all. I used to but then married the lease romantic man on the planet so Ive given up on it.

Chelone, Im looking forward to seeing your Swag/Plaques. After youve figured out how to do it I might make a couple.

OK, Ive got to go and get this day started. Have a good one everybody.

Deanne

PS Sue did I tell you that that great acalpha has finally gotten roots? Whats it been, a month? I was afraid Id lose that one but it is finally rooting up and putting on some growth. Im going to get the two cuttings in pots this week.

Usual round of "day off" chores, plus the twice weekly routine Mum now requires. Another gloomy day here, and the rest of the wek is forecast to be pretty much the same thing, with a tiny respite midweek. :( My boss will be severely crabby on account of it... has a large restaurant canopy and curtains that were slated to come down this week. "Take downs" and rainy weather don't mix well, at all. A shop full of wet canvas is not a good thing.

I did some major league banking today; a savvy teller at the local bank processed my transaction on Friday and looked at the screen for some time. And then asked me why I didn't have a certain type of account with them? I didn't know about it... seems it offers a very nice interest rate with a very reasonable minimum, FREE checking and checks (and free overdraft protection), FREE ATM use anywhere in the country, and Free debit card. I'm all signed up, don't really need most of it, but the boost in interest sure is a nice "perk"! Anytime I can make money for doing nothing is fine with me, lol.

Mary, no book on bow tying... went to a quickie "workshop" at a nursery on Saturday. Deanne, Mary, Eden... she sure didn't put in much time preparing for it, either. ;) It was fun, but could have been more. You know what I mean. it was fun, anyway.

Helpmeet is scrounging around the boardroom for suitable pcs. of wood, as I type. I'll have to prime and paint them, but so be it. The screws and glue in the fake fruit seems to be just the "ticket". So far!

Those juncos are just as cute as they can be, Deanne.

Martie; I'd be nervous, too. But you'll be fine and it will be all finished tomorrow night. Keep your eyes on the prize! Tell them you want only the "good drugs". ;) I'm not sure about this whole "mourning" thing, frankly. Seems silly to me, but never having had a baby I've never really given menarche much thought aside from the regularity that confirmed my attention to detail and the requisite purchase of necessary supplies. Perhaps I'll feel differently when it's all said and done for me. Dunno.

So long from another home with speckled tub surrounds and hairy floor, lol.

Ever so gloomy here too, but I've dealt with the cat litter, emptied the dishwasher, removed dishes from the sink, answered email, fed the zoo, etc.
I have NOT made the bed, washed the kitchen floor, "cleaned the hairy bathroom floor", made up the guest room for coming friends, removed the clothes from the dryer or considered the dinner menu.
Shocking I know, but there's this book I've begun and want to finish...so I think I'll spoil myself.

Sue, was it Comstocks you went to? I was there on Saturday and they had hardly anything and the pitiful selection wasn't even on sale to tempt me. Went to City Fish first to stock up on fish-Sea bass, mussels, scallops, etc. We had lunch there-their fried seafood is fairly good. Hit Lowes after that for a few bulbs and potting soil. If we had done all that on Sunday, we might have seen ya. I'm thinkingof getting a shelf unit also b/c I brought in too many plants this year. Some are in the basement dormant on the etagere I had on the deck. However the small shelf unit in our one guest BR isn't that large and I have too many large pots that are on the floor. Need a larger unit and we'll put it in the second guest BR.

Michelle, I really enjoyed your photo album. I saved some of the photos to my computer so I could look at them anytime. Beautiful combinations and lovely garden beds.

We got the remainder of everything brought inside on Saturday. I'm so glad that it's done but the yard and deck look a little bare.

Deanne-wonderful bird photos. My coworker enjoyed them also LOL.

Marie-what nice photos of the wedding.

Martie-hope everything goes well with the surgery tomorrow.

T-loved the magical mirror-we all need one-can you buy one on ebay-you know you can get everything there LOL

Hi Everybody, Just a quick check in from me. Deanne and Mary are correct. It does take a lot of time to prepare for a garden club talk. I've spent hours putting together handouts and getting items together for demonstrations, and my presentation doesn't require a power point presentation but I can imagine how many MORE hours that would entail. I think I've got everything together at this point, so wish me luck this evening. Unluckily, Bella gifted me with the miserable cold that she had last week. Isn't that the way things go though, LOL? Talk to you all later, Eden

GO EDEN!

Eden, you are going to be fantastic! I can't wait to hear all about it. (Bummer about the cold)

Good luck Eden! I'm sure it will be fantastic!

Wouldn't it be fun to attend them all! Oh my!

Drive-by post.

The ugly garden shed as of 4:00 this afternoon!

{{gwi:185194}}

Eden, I hope it all goes well.

Woody, whoo hoo!

Just back from picking up the wool and needles. Ready to go!
Now I have too many neat things I want to do. My book for the Idyll club has not arrived yet, but I am so enjoying my other one that this is a good thing I guess.
Woody, that was fast! You not only decided who would do the work but started zippity quick!
Eden must be speaking this very minute. I hope her cold disappeared!
Kathy, you asked about my friend Jack. He's so nice, I wish he lived next door! He was one of DH's room mates in grad school at Cornell back in the 60s. We still keep in touch. In fact he visited here a few years ago and that was so cool.
That Honey has me worried. Where is she now?
Thinking of Martie. Calm thoughts. :-)
Hi Marian!
I'll let Chelone wrap this up with a sexy bow...I can't.
'bug

While we're on the subject, where is Babs?

Good luck, Eden! I hate public speaking in any shape, manner or form. Unfortunately my boss is making me give a short synopsis of the October financials at the weekly executive staff meeting tomorrow. I'd rather be facing a friendly group of gardeners than this target missing bunch.

Hey, hairy bathroom floor owners unite!

Nite all!

Sue

Salutations.. A rainy Monday here, all day long.
Wow, I went trolling for a secret spagetti sauce recipe and came up empty !! Shucks. Bet I could get a good recipe for compost tea though,LOL !

Martie, interesting how you use the Eucs.. My favorite is E. ficifolia. This has very dark green leaves and beautiful showy coral-red flower heads. It stays a bit smaller than others too. Unfortunately it is tender my zone so you don't see it around here, it's mostly in coastal SoCal zone 10 areas.

Deanne, the heck with Audoban --how about "Deannes Field Guide to Birds of New England." I may have to buy myself a camera for Christmas..But if I don't I will still borrow DS's to get pics of the pansies-though I'm starting to worry I may have exagerated just a tad. I think Disneyland actually has the Biggest Pansy Display on the Planet. I may have the Biggest Pansy Display on the the Block ! I still have a whole flat yet to plant.
Hello to everyone else-I need to go over to the book thread before bedtime !

Kathy in Napa

Good coffeeless morning. The Big Bummer of surgery days.

Thanks for the words of support and hugs. I'm ready to get this over with and home with the "best" drugs, my brand spanking new heating pad, some soft pillows and Rich by my side. He's been amazing.

Kathy -- when I was in Z5 I found all kinds of great uses for plants that don't belong in New England :-) Eucs became an obsession after I spent about $5.00 for a tattered bunch to make a wreath. They are so quick growing and are so pretty in their own right, but hard to find around here. Will need to do some more research and figure out what I have.

I'm sure that Eden rocked the room!!

Need to bop into the shower and take a few minutes to try and wake up sans caffeine.

Thanks, again, for the support!

Martie

Good Morning, thanks for all the good wishes for my talk last night. It went great. Everyone was really interested and said they learned a lot of new information. Some people came up to me afterwards and asked where I had learned some of the techniques I told them about. I just told them I learn a lot on the internet, but was thinking to myself how I've learned so much information here on the Idylls that I'd have never run across otherwise. You all are a gardener's secret weapon. lol! I have the day to myself today. The garden is cleaned up, cut back, and all the more tender stuff is mulched and protected but I still have 5 large construction trash bags full of leaves that Brad shredded for me and I need to spread around. That's about it though other than mounding the roses and that won't need to be done for another few weeks. I guess I can turn my attention to my hairy bathroom floor!

Martie, I'll be thinking of you today and hoping everything goes smoothly.

I'm a little behind here and need to go back and read what I've missed. I'll be back later...

Eden

Martie - hoping all has gone well today.

Eden - I'm sure you were fabulous! Wish I could have been there too. I agree about the Idylls providing a wealth of information in a way I never dreamed possible. I'm in the home stretches of my preparation and am stopping in at the Civic Garden Center tomorrow to do a dry run. My biggest fear is a technical snaffu. I went to a talk this spring when the speaker's lap-top would not open up the photos for the presentation. He gave the whole talk without visuals - given it was a talk on pruning techniques this was no easy feat.

The book thread has made for fascinating reading. I doubt I'll get over there before the weekend but hope I can still chime in. Lots I'd like to add - I just wish I were a better/quicker typist.

Have a good evening if anyone is out there

Mary

Wow! What a quiet day here. I figured I'd better post before I join the ranks of the missing again. Babs? Saucy? Marian? Honey? All-ee all-ee outs in free! (That was our version on the Sout'side and I'm sticking to it!)

Eden, so glad your talk went well!

Kathy, DH finally nailed down details on our trip and we will be in Napa the first weekend in December. If I just drive around town and knock on the door of the house with the biggest pansy display, will you answer the door?

I am SO relieved to learn I am not the only human on the face of the planet with a hairy bathroom floor. On Sunday I gave both of the dogs a good brushing and DH vacuumed the bathroom floor, so things should be a little better for a bit. Mystic got into something nasty Saturday morning and he had a shower Sunday morning, so the floor cleaning was an absolute necessity.

Sunday weather was decent, and I spent a good part of the afternoon clearing off the deck and the potting bench. Everything out there is now put away for the winter - well, everything except for the backpack sprayer that DH left out there three weeks ago! Then I puttered with the plants inside for a bit, until I started spilling water all over the place and decided to sit down with a beer instead.

Okay, I have to load up the dishwasher, fold a load of laundry and cart some stuff down to the nether regions of the house. What I really want to do is curl up in bed and finish the book. Oh yes, I was very bad this evening! DH asked me to pick up a book he had reserved at the library, and I left with said book as well as three more from the book sale rack for myself. Hey, a hardcover and two trade paperbacks for $2 - how could I resist?

Oh! Martie, I hope all went well today and you are resting comfortably. Whenever or however the "time" comes for me, I will not be mourning, unless it's in the manor of an old-fashioned Irish wake! A couple of months ago, I got up from my desk to get something from the file cabinet and ended up grabbing onto the file cabinet for support. The moment passed quickly, but this stuff can just pass as well and I will get on with the rest of my life. Enough V ranting! Rest up and feel better soon.

Sweet dreams to all,

V.

Hello Idyllers,
I swear I am going to bed at 9 tonite. I just need to get through this week in a waking mode.

V... Panises are in the back yard! I have two more flats to plant and the display will not come to fruition till Feb.
So where are you staying ? In Napa , St Helena ? Yountville ? Calistoga? Is this a business trip ? What are your dinner plans ? My bathroom floor is hairy every other week and clean every other week. Unfortunately I have three bathrooms.

Martie, good vibes out to you...

Eden, so glad your talk went well, there is nothing more gratifying than sharing our garden knowledge-people just suck it up don't they ?

Need to go read for a while-the book thread is calling.

Kathy in Napa

Well, Kenzie's garden has begun. The area where I want to put it is near the potager and behind the blue spruces that back up the butterfly garden. Kind of a "Secret Garden" The problem is that this is an area that DH has used for storage of old farm equipment etc. so alot of cleaning up needs to be done. It is backed up by some old trees that need shaping up and there's a dead one in there that lost the whole top this summer, which looks bad. This evening DH was in a "project" mode so we moved a 5 bottom plow and a stalk chopper. We also hauled about 10 old electric poles out of there. They had been there for probably 30 years. Some were pretty rotten. One was huge at 50' long. The skid loader and some chains make this kind of clean up possible.

Here's Kenzie checking out the proposed garden spot.
{{gwi:185196}}

Here's a before picture with the utility poles, the 5 bottom plow and some old barrels. Doesn't look like much does it?
{{gwi:185197}}

Michelle

Good relieved morning!!

It doesn't get much better than it did yesterday as far as yucky medical procedures go. Best example: I woke up from general anesthesia to find Rich, my very handsome GYN, and an anesthesiologist that looks like he walked out of GQ standing by my bed discussing water gardens. No kidding. A dream by any measure!!! Rich got dibs on some water lilies from the anesthesia guy as soon as our water spot is in. Go, figure. Swapping of cell phone numbers ensued and somewhere in there they thought I might be thirsty and a great RN came to my rescue.

Very little pain compliments of Percocet and a huge heating pad yesterday. This morning feel no worse for the wear but also know that things can change fast so plan on Doing Nothing all day but read and sleep. No mourning, here, I assure you as I already feel a difference in the abdominal area. This isn't unusual for this procedure when it's successful, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Kenzie looks so serious, Michelle. Just like any good gardener would when scouting out a new bed. I'll pledge to send out some Alpine Strawberries to her next year. No kid's garden is complete without them.

Have to LOL about hair on the bathroom floor. It's the one thing I make sure disappears when company comes around. Yes, we do clean, but the hair finds its way back pretty quickly!

I'm so glad the talk went well, Eden. Being ever in awe of the exceptional knowledge shared by this group, it catches me off guard when I realize I know what I know, and have a whole group to go to when I don't know what I need to know.

Bows: LOL, Kathy. My bow-learning experience came after I learned how to "green up" Holiday arrangements at the florist end of my part-time nursery job. Never thought I was crafty but I can make bows.

Good For You, Chelone to take some time for You and do something as fun as frivilous as working with ribbon!! It is a lot of fun for the first 10 ;-) Who's your bank??? I want a bank like yours!!

So V. gets to see Kathy's pansy display in person. Still waiting for pics as I have an idea to do a large Spring planting. Do you mix the colors up, or clump them, or group them, or drift them, or do like bulbs and just put them in where they land?

Drugs are now kicking in -- I'm "encouraged" to take narcs for a full 24 hours so that'll bring me up to 1pm. Don't want to end up apologizing for anything, so will sign off for now.

And, words can't tell you the good vibes I felt yesterday from some pretty incredible people both close to home and all over two countries. Very, very cool. Thank you All.

Martie

Sounding ever so good for Martie...and the water garden!!! :-)

Michelle, I am so familiar with scenes like your "before" shot. Unfortunately we do not have your equipment for removal of "stuff" and it is a tedious process flattening barrels etc and getting them to the dump. The poles would no doubt end up in our burn pile, after hours of sawing. But the real treat would be the machinery for tackling the soil and weeds. The twitch grass and other weeds are a permanent feature of my gardens and require more effort than in other gardens. (I really believe this, but maybe it is not so?) Sigh. For that reason I create no new beds. (Hear that? I THINK that's true!)

I saw Jerri over on the book thread. Was that for real or a figment of my imagination? Still no book from Amazon, but reading The Custodian of Paradise (by Wayne Johnston) is beyond gripping. If anyone has already read this I'd love to share thoughts!!! What talent this author has....

This afternoon will be our trip to Buffalo to visit our friend Bruce. But first all the chores before the get-together. Unfortunately, what I'd really like to do is more knitting and finishing the book!

Already aphids on some clematis seedlings that are under lights. Darn! What is your solution for this?

Later,
'bug

Michelle, way to go! Can't wait to see how the garden develops.

Martie, glad to hear you are OK. Thanks for checking in with us. Get LOTS of rest.

Must run
Deanne

Take heart, chocolate lovers!

Canadian Press
Perhaps being a "chocoholic" isn't such a bad thing after all, at least when it comes to your heart.

It turns out that some chocolate aficionados taking part in a study investigating blood platelet clumping couldn't stick to a promise to temporarily give up their sweet of choice and they inadvertently ended up doing medical science a favour.

Their dietary offence led researchers to uncover what may be the first biochemical explanation underlying the confection's effect in preventing cardiovascular disease: just a few squares of chocolate a day can cut the risk of dying from a heart attack almost in half.

"What these chocolate offenders' taught us is that the chemical in cocoa beans has a biochemical effect similar to Aspirin (ASA) in reducing platelet clumping, which can be fatal if a clot forms and blocks a blood vessel, causing a heart attack," lead author Diane Becker of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine said in a statement.

Good Morning,
Thought I'd better get in here while I actually have the thread loaded and time to read it, before that opportunity escapes...

Martie, so glad you checked in and are feeling good. Thought about you often yesterday. Listen to your own advice and take it easy.

Eden, knew you would be great at your seminar! Congrats! Mary will be too.

V, congrats on your unexpected bonus! I'm very happy for you! So, are you headed to Monaco as well as to see Kathy in Napa, CA for vaca this year? I'm with Martie, a greenhouse would be my first purchase (after the required hot water heater).

Deanne, the detail on your birdies and the beaver moon shot are astounding! Very cool what talent and technology can accomplish. Kids loving all the pics. I'd have been extremely peeved at the license bureau too. Talk about wasting your time.

Drema, you and Skip were hilarious in your cavepeople get-ups! Thanks for sharing that! Search atriplex hortensis rubra on Ebay and see if this is the plant you mean. One of my fav annuals, though it IS weedy, seeds about like perilla, but easy to hoe out extras. If you don't find it search completed listings, everything is ending tonight. Email me your snail mail addy & I'll send you some seed if this is the one you mean.

Re Ebay, seems superior to Amazon for prices and shipping speed on the Invisible Garden book. I had it one week from ordering. Was a bit surprised at the lack of open response when I shared some great sources for bulbs. But want to thank the 5 lurkers who emailed me privately, and hope you got some great deals through those sellers and others. I was so pleased with my finds, especially the variegated Silverstreams, that I wanted to share with everyone, despite the time it took to upload photos. I had hoped others would chime in with sources they were happy with, but I guess it's late in the season. I was glad to hear some of the lurkers were still looking for bulbs, though I understand their reluctance to post in "idyll-land".

Re hairy bathroom floors, I am thrilled with the Swivelsweeper I got a couple of weeks ago. It is rechargeable, weighs only 2 pounds, goes in any direction, gets the corners easily, and is fantastic at picking up hair! I have only two rooms with carpet, and sweeping the hardwood/laminate/vinyl in the rest of the house was a pain. My vac was too heavy to lug around and didn't pick up on floors that great anyway. (Plus Im leery of it attacking, lol!) This thing is perfect for bare floors, getting crumbs, hair, dead wasps, wood ashes, etc, easily. It works well on carpets too for quick pick-ups, though doesn't go as deep as my regular vac. I bought it for $39.00 and free shipping on Ebay, but the seller isn't registered any more. But there are other sellers with it, or check out swivelsweeper.com. My only caveats are that I used it before it was fully charged the first time so the battery has a memory for that and needs charging faster. I couldnt wait to try it! It really picks up the hair, but then it needs to be removed from the rotating brushes. They provide a little tool for this. And it needs emptying every few minutes in my house, but with 3 kids and 2 cats that's to be expected. Otherwise, I love it! (No, not affiliate in any way--again, just sharing information on a product I like.)

Michelle, I really enjoyed your photo tour! Thank you for posting that. I love photo bucket with dial-up, as the thumbnails load easily and I can open one I want to see large in another window and let it load while Im looking at the others. Cant do that here, though its always worth the wait. Kenzie is a lucky young lady to have a grandma making her a private spot to garden in! Youll make lots of garden mentor memories for her as well.

Where is Babs? It is not like her to miss Halloween. And Eileen? Honey? Norma? Saucy? Marian, we miss you! Brenda is probably busy, but I thought Janie was going to check in here? And Julie, would be nice to see a rara avis as well as Deannes birds. Yeona? Hope life is settling down with your DS. Barb? You havent checked in forever! Jerri, I saw Jerri on the book thread too! Wonder if Cynthia and Da even lurk any more. There are more MIA who are due to say helloand did I see GLDNO pop in here briefly? Why dont you join us! Hi Monique!

T, I want (some would say need) that mirror! LOL! Sorry about your bad day, and hope you had good dark chocolate and/or merlot to recover. Your new beds are looking wonderful! Are you interested in growing from seed? I could send you someself-sowing annuals help fill in large spaces until the perennials and shrubs reach their proper size.

Chelone, so where did you find your fruit? Looking forward to pics of the finished swags.

Thinking of two different friends named Bruce today

Been a crazy couple of weeks. Had blast with my family here the weekend before last. Great time, great meal, lots of fun. DS played piano and sang for us. DB had too much wine and attempted the same. Lots of blackmail material on the memory card I videotaped there, lol. Cousins had a blast playing together for two days.

Worked on and sent in a sample flyer in MSPublisher for the marketing aspect of the job I interviewed for. Havent heard back yet, but he said end of the month so am still hopeful. Have found one job since (today) worth applying for and will fire off the resume soon.

Been battling the bees/wasps and am pretty tired of it! We found the huge nest, under the roof of the sunroom where it joins the floor of the second level. DH has used 3 cans of that foam stuff you can spray from 6 feet away, and it is killing lots, but since the actual nest is under shingles, hasnt killed them all. We are getting 10-20 inside the house per day, through cracks in the floorboards as near as we can figure. I woke to one on my pillow yesterday, and nearly stepped on one when I got out of bed today. Didnt think Id ever be wishing for a killing frost to strike, but I am!
But first, have to finish putting the shrinkwrap on all the older windows and the patio door off the family room, and weatherstripping the doors. Even with the fireplace as a secondary heat source, this is a lot of house to heat, and is old and drafty. I did the sunroom windows first. We are going to see if its feasible to keep it at 55F with the door to the house partially open. I hope so, as I have a bunch of houseplants in there, and with all the other windows soon to be shrinkwrapped, no windowsills left. Until we get the electric bills under control, fluorescents for houseplants is not an option. Hope to have it figured out by seedstarting time.

Well it is a gorgeous, sunny day out there, and 60F already, up from 36F at 8:00am. Im going to plant some bulbs and sow some poppies over top, the Laurens Grape that Eileen gave me at IU3. Creating new invisible gardens is fun! Then its off to the library, grocery store, post office with Ebay packages. Sorry out of time for more comments, but hi to all Ive missed!

Best,

Taryn

Martie, good hear you sounding so perky this a.m. Take it easy and pamper yourself. Im sure Kenzie would love some strawberries.

Taryn, I looked at your bulb thread and was sorely tempted, but I was strong and resisted when I saw the packs of bulbs I dont have planted yet and the snow that covered the ground. Fortunately, the snow has now melted, but with it being dark when I get home from work, I dont get much done these days. Hopefully, Saturday will be a decent day.

I got my book through Amazon and had it in less than a week and for about $5 total with shipping.

bug, Ill be thinking of you this afternoon. Your visit will be difficult Im sure. DH & I love when we hear good news about chocolate. I failed to mention that those barrels were filled with cement, which someone must have used for weights. These things will be moved to another obscure spot on the farm. LOL about no more new beds. Havent we all said that? I said it not that long ago and look what I am doing. I did tell DH that I wouldnt encroach on his "space" anymore and he just laughed. I deal with twitch grass here as well, especially in the beds that dont have edging. It is my worst weed.

Deanne, the garden is shaped like a quarter of a circle. Any ideas would be welcome. I will probably spend some time sketching and reading about childrens gardens this winter.

I am thinking about the area of trees behind the new area and think I may do some kind of a path through there, you know a woodland garden. LOL

Michelle

Hello to all!

The wind is blowing hard but it isn't raining. I sat down to write but then began thinking how foolish of me to be sitting here when I had those 3 fruit trees that needed to go into the ground........so this truly is a fly-by post! LOL I'm going to go out, grab a shovel and get those 3 apple trees planted before the rains begin again.

Hope the day is a good one!

T.

Bella's playing so I'm jumping in here for just a moment. Yesterday was a bit crazy. Megan cut her finger at work opening a bottle of wine and had to get eight stitches. Luckily it was her left hand and she's right handed. Also more worries with my mom. She's having headaches the last week and has been in to emergency twice. We're also concerned because she's forgotten things a couple of times and seemed a little confused. That can be a side effect of the chemo or could be due to the morphine they gave her for the headache but she went in for a cat scan today just to make sure there's nothing else going on.

Martie, I'm so glad everything went smoothly for you yesterday and that now it's OVER! I wanted to tell you too that I love it when you talk herbs. Herbs are what first got me interested in gardening. I'd have a herb garden if I had room but have to make due with just tucking them in here and there. I do have a collection of about 15 or more different mints in pots though.

Michelle, It's going to be so much fun watching Kenzie's garden come together. I can't wait.

Taryn, I haven't had time for bulbs this autumn. I was lucky to get in the one package of narcissus and one of snowdrops I did buy. The ones you chose will be beautiful in the Spring though. It was so nice to have a long post from you this morning!

Bella's wanting a story before naptime so gotta go though I have more I wanted to say. I'm going to join her for a nap. I'm still trying to kick this cold though it is much better.

Eden

Martie, I'm delighted that things went smoothly for you. I'm sure today is a bit different, maybe a little more sore? But it's over and how great is that?! How funny that the "boys" were talkin' water gardens, what a great story. When I broke my wrist I received a 'scrip. for painkillers. The wrist was sore but too swollen to cast so it was in a brace and ace bandage. The druggist gave the pills to me, explaining how often to take them, when the helpmeet chimed in, "Or, darling, you could hoarde them and we could use them recreationally.". The druggist cracked right up. ;) Kennebunk Savings Bank is great.

Kenzie in the garden is just wonderful. But, Michelle, she's gotta "lose" the white sneakers! I wonder if you've thought about erecting a large tri-pod and planting it with beans, cumcumbers, squash, etc.? I saw that on "Rebecca'a Garden" once and though it was the neatest idea! great lesson for kids... start with "nothing" and end up with the coolest thing! I know just how it can be with "those" areas... we have a few of them ourselves. The helpmeet would be out of his mind with all that "equipment" at his disposal.

I knew you'd be a success at your talk, Eden. I read what you write and see your keen eye in what you share with us. No surprise to me that your presentation was thoughtful, well-prepared, and probably full of fun. :) And like everyone else here I'm truly in awe of the knowledge and insight that is shared daily. I'm amazed at the extent of knowledge so many of you have for the propagation of plants. I know nothing about that. I so hope your mother is OK; it's scarey to see a decline when cancer is involved. I understand.

I'm missing Saucy, Babs., V (the drive-by poster), Honey, and wonder about Marian, too. Are they too consumed with "hairy floors"? or what? And I miss Cynthia's updates on those pointy-nosed dogs and her grounds, too. And Da's latest crochet projects... . They know where we are, just as I did when life outpaced my ability to tend to it AND post here at the same time.

Mum's remaining "ear potato" was removed painlessly today. THANK HEAVENS. I was ready to lose my mind trying to get her to keep her head cocked to one side for more than 30 seconds at a time. :) But it's over now... and the next app't for wax removal has been made. My hope is that I will cancel it, telling them she is LTC. But just in case... . A part of me is stunned when I reread the above passage. But I know it's time. I know I'm worn out and tired of the MONOTONY caring for her requires. And I know I want to explore, once again, the things I USED TO DO. But dotting the "Is" and crossing the "Ts" is important, and I'll "suck it up" until such time as I'm comfortable that all is in place before submitting the financial forms to a LTC center.

I'm sure there was more I wanted to comment on, but it's long since gone now.

Later, friends.

Wednesday Greetings
Expecting some rain in tonight but it sure doesnt look like it right now ! My DS and DD and I are planning a little trip to Monterey for DSs birthday Monterey is a three hour drive ( providing you are strategic about what time of day you traverse Silicon Valley ) and we will visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which is on Cannery Row , and a very cool place. We will go the Sunday after Thanksgiving and think the traffic will be heading in the opposite direction.
Michelle, a public garden here in Napa (Copia) has a childrens garden, and as Chelone suggested , there is a rebar teepee there planted with gourds. They love the funky shapes and colors of the gourds hanging down inside the teepee.

Martie, glad to hear all went well with you ! More good vibes for a speedy recovery and enjoyment of an excuse to sleep as long as you want and do no chores .

Tayrn, Hey that Swivelsweeper sounds like just the ticket. I bought a Dirt Devil cordless broom when I got my hardwood floors and it was the best thing I ever got. Ive used it in the bathrooms a couple of times and it picks up har well too, but does not get into smaller spaces.

Eden , best wishes to your Mom

Im going to hit the book thread nowlater all !

Kathy in Napa

Hi Folks!

Driveby post here. Martie, so glad to hear all went so well for you. How long are you expected to be "down and out"? Funny about Rich and water gardening doctor. I found out my new doctor likes photography and has maltese dogs...lol.

My appointment today with the interventional radiologist went well. As it turns out I am a candidate for the embolization procedure. No rush...we discussed doing something in February. In the meantime he wants me to see a GYN and gave me a name of one who he works with routinely. I looked her up on-line and one of her listed interests is gardening so that should go well...lol. Obviously doctors are trained to not comment on the actions of other doctors but you could tell by the way this IR was reacting that what I was telling him about my former GYN was not something he had never heard before. The moral of the story is do your own research and question your doctors. I'm lucky to be in an area where I have access to world class medical care. If I didn't get satisfaction around here I was prepared to go up to Boston to Brigham and Women's but at this point it looks like I won't have to.

Eden I hope all is OK with your mom. I imagine chemo can really screw up your system even after you're done with it so hopefully her problems are all just side effects of that.

I've been lurking on the book thread and I have to admit it looks and smells too much like homework to me...lol. Maybe next time.

Allrighty then. Time to hit the rack.

Sue