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dodgerdudette

# 461 Idyll Fall Roll Call !

dodgerdudette
14 years ago

Hoping for a post from everyone, no matter how small..

Time to check in !

Kathy in Napa

Comments (105)

  • chelone
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Woody, nice to hear from you, though I wish the news were better. I feel for Randy, esp.; it's so wrenching to watch your parents evaporate before your eyes. Neither of you are having much fun right now, and that's a shame. Hang tough!

    You'd have been proud of me today, though. I've had a hankerin' for chili, so I took the bull by the horns. I found a recipe, did a quick kitchen and pantry scan to determine if we had everything required. No. I put together a list, grabbed the grocery bags and headed out in the driving, northeaster to acquire the provisions. Returned home and prepared it according to the recipe. It smells wonderful. Earlier I made chocolate almond tapioca and a yellow cake, as well. I've decided that frosting it will wait until tomorrow. I'm about outta gas (until the chili kicks in later on) and it's time to chow down.

    The helpmeet was suitably impressed. And he's assumed the caveman position on the couch with some stupid football game one. Ugh. Actually, he has the cheese grating and cilantro chopping duties and he's now "on the move".

    Later!

  • drema_dianne
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Woody, glad you gave us an update. It sounds as though you have things well in hand, and are doing all that can be done. My thoughts are with you.

    Marian, I know what you are talking about as far as household repair. I am sure your guests are coming to see you. Light a cinnamon apple candle, or if you don't like candles, make cinnamon oatmeal for breakfast, or boil some water with cinnamon in it. Put on the teapot and enjoy your visit. It is hard to keep it up. My house needs many things done, but I don't know how to do most of them, and Skip is gone a lot. So, they get put on the back burner until something happens that moves them to the front. Well, this system has semi worked our whole marriage, and at this point, I am not going to worry too much about something I have no control over. Just do my best.

    Chelone, you are MORE than welcome to come down here and help me demolish my bathroom. Tears are fine.. I may join in:) I am waiting for Skip to install the vented ceiling light that we bought when we moved in 12 years ago. Yep. Then he has to put up some sort of foundation for the tile. I can't paint, because the wall around the bathtub is caving in, so I would love to have you here to help. I bet we could have it done in the 3 days he usually takes to travel. I am the type who likes to jump in, and get it over with. Check off my list. He is not a hurried person at all. It does come in handy though, when things go wrong in life, he doesn't come unglued, is very stoic, stable, and steady. Nothing is a big deal, rarely gets angry. I like that aspect.

    Cyn, sounds like your puppies keep you hopping. Maybe try again tommorrow.

    Michelle, I liked the pics of the garden tour. I bought a similar Fairy Book for Nina last Christmas. It is really cute with little pockets inside that open.

    Well, I am going to go veg out, and drink more liquids.

    TTYL
    D.

  • Marian_2
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Dear Woody...how I wish there were something I could do to help.....You and Randy have much more on your plate than anyone needs. I am surprised you have the strength to post here at all. You are one amazing lady.

    I appreciate the encouragement and suggestions about cleaning the enterior of our house for the company. There is no tool I can use to fix the mess on the livingroom ceiling. My arms will not tolerate holding up any type of tool, no matter how light, and the stuff that would fall from the effort would really play hob on everything below, including my chronic nasal problem! Sooo, it will just have to be ignored. I am gradually working on the lower areas, and am pleased with each improvement. It may not do my muscles good doing such things, but it sure does do my spirit good. :-)

    Today was an absolute perfect day outside. I did several chores, including washing the summer's mold and mildew off my car!

    Chelone, it is a toss up for my 'retirement' as to whether I will move into a cruiseship, or into your "biddiesuite". I like the sound of the food at your house. :-)
    I really am thinking that living on a cruiseship may be an option! I have heard of elderly women doing that. Lots cheaper than an assisted living, or nursing, home, and I love ships. They have everything one needs there. And I would never have to contend with chiggers, ticks,and other plagues anymore. :-) Naturally I would have to have a computer, and some house plants....

    I would like to post a pic of the lovely dawn we have had the past two mornings, but it is a hassle having to put a pic into PictureTrali before posting it here. I wish this site would adopt that option that most other sites have....just going to your documents and chosing any pic that you want....and it is free!

    Okay...that's enough from me....

    Marian

  • jak1
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Gee whiz, for the first time I just lost an entire wordy post when I went to preview. Photos and everything. Well He double hockey sticks anyway.

    The gist was, sorry so many of us are feeling downhearted just now - comes with the dreary month of November as our bodies start to hunker down for the winter. Change in light, change in temperature - resulting in changes in biorythms. Blah anyway.

    We have had a rotten week with TCS - the psychologist report went to the school and has so far been met with indifference. Our eight year old will spend yet another weekend chained to his desk as he tries desperately to keep up. The snippy note from his teacher has not improved my mood much either. Today was his first day on meds - we didn't see any difference. He will be alternate days for two weeks until we assess things.

    On a brighter note, it sounds as if many of us are turning our energy, or what's left of it, to the inside of our homes as garden time wanes. Even the fridge and the fish tanks got grubbed out here this week, and we straightened out some financial issues, which I absolutely hate doing.

    Our guest room looks great, but of course I neglected to take photos of anythiong but the baseboards! For what they're worth, here they are:

    This is what we have in most of the house now:

    {{gwi:187355}}

    and this is what the revised ones look like. We added a thin strip of moulding two inches above the original baseboard and then painted the whole thing to give a larger more elegant look:

    {{gwi:187356}}

    We are so pleased with this that intend to do this in the whole rest of the house. The baseboards need painting anyway.

    All my best wishes to you who are in the doldrums right now, expecially Woody, and also Bug re: Feebs, and Chelone, who is still reeling from the loss of friends.

    Till next time,

    Cheers,

    Julie

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Julie-the baseboards look GREAT! How clever. I am very impressed!

    Chelone, chili sounds wonderful. If the pups wake me up in the middle of the night again, I may create a brand new, beef-free variety of chili tomorrow! Teehee.

  • dodgerdudette
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Coincidentally, Chili is on the menu here tonight as well- I used ground turkey ,black beans, 1 Poblano , a can of Muir Glen toms, various spices and a dollop of molle. No lovely dessert though dam*itt! I do have the makings for chocolate chip cookies however , with the intent to make them next week for the awfice.

    I hauled more plants into the house and rigged up a quasi-shelter out of frost blanket fabric and the benches from my former now demolished greenhouse. The fuchsias and some succulents are the residents.

    Marian, lol I like the cruise ship option ! Youll have maid service and a cabin steward, and hopefully special arrangements will not be needed for the African Violets. You could not possibly set sail without them in my opinion .

    All for me, Im going to have a movie night and need to get going as my selection is almost 3 hourswaves to all !

    Kathy in Napa

  • chelone
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow, Julie, your addition to the mopboards looks terrific! Isn't it amazing how a little bit of thought can really dress up something that is too often just an afterthought? I think of you every day when the guy walks his Boston past the shop... . It appears to be a very bright, cheerful little dog, and his Daddy talks to him as they're walking. :) I'm sad about TCS and his trials at school. It's hard enough to be a kid without all that added garbage. How many hours a day do you think TCS has to put in to "keep up"? It astonishes me that we so routinely require gruelling days from children; I know several who spend the better part of 9-10 on their "work". I wonder if they're ever permitted to PLAY, run around, and be kids. Is it any wonder they hate school? I thought "child labor" put an end to that sort of thing years ago.

    The chili was good. Pretty spicey; chipotle peppers in adobo (something new to this house), chili powder, coriander, cumin, and a little cinnamon. We have frozen about half of it, retaining some for lunch today or tomorrow. I substituted chicken broth for the vegetable broth, but other than that there was no meat in it. Interestingly, it called for raw bulgar wheat as a thickener. I immediately wondered what Mary or Saucy would substitute for the wheat to make it gluten-free. In all, it was a good exercise for me. I can do nothing about the recently dead, but I can channel some energy into making the lives of the living a little bit better... .

    I don't know what the rainfall total was yesterday but it was a lot. There is standing water at the base of the red maple and the highbush blueberries in the centre of the driveway circle. That's fine because those plants have no problem with water and soak it up readily. More problematic was the flood in the helpmeet's garden. He decided to cheap out on the work and failed to install perforated drain pipe leading to a drain in the large, buried drainage pipe that was installed when we built the bahn. I told him I thought he was making a mistake... "it's C student work from someone far more capable, since you asked" were my words, I believe. He ruefully agreed the result was less than desired. I don't know what he is planning to do next. I hope it's installing the proper drainage pipe and I've offered to help with it, too.

    Time to deal with the dishes, frost the cake, and get on out to the Salon and clear out some more accumulated work. I feel like I'm drowning right now but it'll pass, the way it usually does. I hope!

    Marian, you can take over the Biddy Suite, so long as you'll oversee the Pride and letting them in and out over the course of the day... . You'll have to do some cooking, too. I'll clean up the trail. I'll bet your grand daughters would love some time alone with you. I used to love spending time with my aunt when I was about their age. The quiet and "lack of activity" was actually very nice. And I think it's something too many people overlook in this age of instant communication. We have a friend who is always checking her "crackberry". When she's here we make her leave it in her handbag... she's a little too "wired", if you ask me. :) Learning how to just "be" without constant activity or stimulation of some sort is important; it give your brain time to "cool off". Life in the slow lane ain't half bad!

  • chelone
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I think you're right about needing some flowers in the house, Marian (and all others). I think I would like to try my hand at an African Violet. I love their "candy" flowers and the color variety is amazing. The fuzzy leaves are appealing to me, too. I am also interested in a Christmas Cactus. We had a lovely white one years ago that was huge and gradually died off; the neon colors appeal to me, esp. the salmon-y ones.

    Mum had an African Violet that lived contentedly on the kitchen counter with a northeast exposure. The house had a woodstove, though it was not immediately near the plant. What do you do for your's, Marian? I know you heat with wood and I'm concerned they'll dry out too much. I'm also unsure about how much sun they like or will tolerate. And how chilly at night is OK?

  • ctlavluvr
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    A very damp good morning from Cornfield Park. The bittersweet that has almost completely taken over the Russian Olive stand seems to be the only thing with color. When does March get here?????

    Woody......good for Randy to get out there and do what's best for his parents, tough as that might be. I surely know the ups and downs of dealing with a system for healthcare, and I've heard that Canada has a tendancy to take its sweet time doing what's right. You are in my thoughts every day, and want you to know that some little blackish/bluish bird with bright yellow eyes loves the hips on the mini roses.

    Chelone -- some tough love, here. Get the heck out of that job. Take the leap and become your own boss. You've obviously got the talent, motivation, space and smarts to do this. The agony you go through just isn't worth whatever perks you get working for someone else. Can't remember if insurance is an issue, but if it isn't, what's holding you back? Certainly not fear, my friend, I "know" you better than that. Your mother did not raise a shrinking violet, and my guess is that when clientele find out that they don't need to go through a wretch to get your good work, they'll be swarming. Just my thoughts, but a good kick is sometimes needed -- you taught me that!!!!

    Poor 'bug. Keeping the Pheobs quiet???? On what planet??? My brother says "hi" to her, by the way, but wishes all dogs could be so loved.

    I missed the news about Mary's new job (finally!!! know she was getting nervous). Fill me in?

    Kathy - Monty Python. Firesign Theater. Gone are the days when one has to be somewhat smart to get the humor ....

    Marian - LOL about your house and your worries. Is there someone in your church who could help you out? Seems that the folks there love opportunities to give, and this could be a good one. Ditto others feelings about the goats.

    Cyn -- Sleeping in is one of those things here that just happens. I can plan it, end up getting up a 6a, then the next day need to be up at 6 and boom, it's 8.

    Today is my "home" day. Washing my delicates, ironing, Thanksgiving decorating and dinner planning (yes, the gang is converging here once again to my delight). Need to remember how to do pomadours (?sP) as the 7-year-old neighbor and I are going to craft to our heart's content on Thursday afternoon. We'll also be making dried apple slice stars, and glittering dried stuff to make bouquets. Our "indian" corn this year failed miserably, but he came up with the idea of using cranberries and raisins to mimic the look. My kind of kid!!

    Everyone enjoy your days, hello to all I missed, and off to the mindless chores that sound just about my speed at this point.

    Martie

  • woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Martie - my wait for a surgical date is largely an issue of we want a particular surgeon, who is very good and, therefore, in high demand. There are a limited number of hours in a day so a limited number of surgeries he can do, so under any medical system, there would be a wait time... I find the debate in the US about health care mind-boggling! If we were in the US, the medical care I've had would probably have bankrupted us. Here, I have paid exactly $0 for, over the years, several brain surgeries, uncounted numbers of MRI and other brain scans, three diffent rounds of hi-tech radiation treatment etc... Our system is far from perfect but I'm not complaining! (Sorry for the 'political' comments but I couldn't let that one pass - it's a bit 'too close to home' and I don't like the slurs that are being made in various places about the Cdn health care system.)

    Watch out for random rose seedling popping up - those little birdies scatter rose seeds all around the garden!

  • chelone
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    OK Woody, here you go. I've had to "upgrade" the software for my camera and as a creature of habit I'm struggling to retrain myself on how to post pictures.

    I present the Wrecking Crew:
    {{gwi:187358}}
    aka: Dumb and Dumber. They are brothers and going on 4 yrs. old. They will eat anything (including excrement that's still warm). I don't allow them to give me anything remotely like a kiss. I'm all for boosting the immune system by exposure, but not that way!

    Here they are in action. They will do this sort of thing all day long and they "play rough" which can be tough on Hydrangeas and Hostas if I'm not paying attention.
    {{gwi:187360}}

    This is the favored viewing platform. I have actually seen all three sitting up there looking out over the Compound.
    {{gwi:187362}}

    The Wrecking Crew requires a good deal of mentoring. And that's tiring business.
    {{gwi:187364}}

    And here is a good portrait of the Brain Trust:
    {{gwi:187366}}
    Please note the harnesses on the Wrecking Crew; they are absolutely useless for any sort of control. The Doginatrix purchased the training collars they're wearing. And the 6' leather leashes that go with them. Gotta have the right tools if you're going to get the job done easily.

    Polly remains skeptical about the value of having the Wrecking Crew around:
    {{gwi:187369}}

    You are standing behind the bahn and you're looking south/southeast. This is the Fertile Cresent:
    {{gwi:187372}}

    One of the Dogwoods we added to replace a dead Viburnum. I've weeded the area and rearranged the multitude of native reedy things that clearly like the area. This is about mid way down the Fertile Cresent.
    {{gwi:187374}}

    And this was taken at the fair. Can't you just smell it?
    {{gwi:187377}}

  • ctlavluvr
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for the insight, Woody. You're right, your treatment here in the US would've been bankrupting, and is for many. I didn't realize you were waiting for the best surgeon possible and commented out of turn. I thought you were waiting because, well, you were waiting for your turn. We are often mislead about many issues healthcare given the dramatic "sides" that have been taken in the US of late, and I really appreciate your first-hand feelings.

    Love the possibility of little roses all over -- there's always a place for transplant, it seems, when one loves a particular plant.

  • woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Chelone - I love the Wrecking Crew and their 'royal' buddy! Thanks for the pictures :-)

    Martie - waiting is always a hard process, whatever the reason... And you do start second-guessing whether is is better to wait for the top surgeon or go with whoever is available soonest. There's no easy answer as to which is the best option on that! Re the roses popping up - I have one that was seeded at the edge of the pine trees a few years ago. It keep coming back, although it's too shady there for it too bloom. This year, it clearly decided it needed more sun - and grew about 6' tall! It's obviously decided to climb into the tree, so I staked it and tied it up. If it gets another 2' taller or so it should reach enough sun to be able to bloom! It'll be interesting to see what it does next....

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Woody, thanks for sharing. I, too, wish reports on your health system and that in G.B. were more forthcoming and honest. Maybe we wouldn't have such difficulty passing legislation-oh no, that wouldn't work, would it?-Congress is involved!

    Chelone, love your pics of the brain trust/wrecking crew and their domain. They would have so much fun with my ding-a-lings! Poor Polly. Still, I bet she holds her own one-on-one.

    Bologna-burgers?

    Now, to my newest idea for saving my garden and plants in the back yard (wish I had the space you and others have, Chelone). I wonder if it would work to plant the areas now and then lay down the wire fencing over the garden areas as the plants go domant. If I cover it with some dirt and mulch, when Annabelle (lead digger) and Clouseau (her idiot assistant) try to dig to get those chipmunks, they will hit the wire and (aha) stop! It may take too much fencing/wire, but other than that, can anyone see any downside? DH suggests electrified fencing-he has no faith in my solution! I am hoping that the pups will learn not to dig in those places near the wall and wood pile before spring when I can remove the wire, but they won't realize it is gone. Sort of a Pavlovian thing??? I am betting there is something that makes this unworkable and I am relying on all of you to figure it out for me. THANKS!

    Now, off to the store to buy cheese and crackers and brownie mix for 120-our grade-level team has to bring snacks for our faculty meeting tomorrow-grrrrr-our principal's idea that we all take turns feeding each other. Won't share my thoughts on that or her!

    It is a spectacular day and I want to get out in the yard-that being the front yard, don't ya know.

    Cynthia

  • dodgerdudette
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Could that be a glimpse of the Lucky Shorts above Dumbers head ?

  • chelone
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Indeed! quick tell Sue! :)

    I've been opening the drainage ditch that drained accumulated water from the low area by the road this afternoon. I've decided that it will now be called the Eerie Canal. It was some tough diggin', and pretty mucky, but the water is now flowing nicely and draining away from the newly planted shrubs. Its been freakishly warm and very humid with intermittant fog all day long. Sort of spooky in a '50s Sci-Fi kinda way.

    I gotta get back to work.

  • Marian_2
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Chelone, I just now got back here, and saw your questions about African Violets. Actually, I think the humidity is higher in our house, due to our wood heat. I very seldom let the livingroom get above 72, and the humidity is usually close to 50%. Most of my violets are in my bedroom, where it is pretty cool all winter. I have them in the only window, and it faces southwest, so it gets lot's of afternoon sun. They aren't right in the window, but are on my old fashioned commode/chest of drawers. They do dry out rather drastically when I am negligent, which is becoming more and more frequent. :-( But perk back up when watered.They don't like to set in water very long. When they are either over-watered, or get too dry, they tend to lose some lower leaves. They seem so forgiving, for me, I can't imagine anyone not being able to grow them. Right now they are all pretty well covered with blooms. I 'did' douse them with fertilized water a few months ago.....a rare thing for me to do.:-(
    Holiday cacti is a very good choice, but are not all that handsome unless in bloom. I like my Thanksgiving cactus better then my Christmas cactus.They have a larger choice of colors. I espacially like the orangish ones. They started blooming about 4 weeks ago, and are pretty much done now. Their bloom time depends on the light situation. A dark spell helps bring them on. Not dark...like no light, but like a lot of cloudy days, or a room with no direct sun on them. At least that is my experience with them. I've grown, and hibridized them, for a lot of years.
    As for overseeing the pride...if you mean the mutts....my cats endanger my life bad enough,when I am trying to feed them. Well, Trubby does. He gets underfoot, and I am constantly thinking I am going to hurt myself falling over him.

    Juli , I love your baseboards. Most of our rooms have none at all! Not a great situation....

    BTW, I love the name "Eerie Canal" LOL. You come up with the 'neatest' names for everything, Chelone....

  • dodgerdudette
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Well, here it is Sunday night already. Tomorrow starts another extended work week, but Im going to try to avoid working Saturday,(will have to work Sunday) and should be able to recover over the Thanksgiving holiday period. This morning I awoke to a very pronounced frost, and patted myself on the back for the plant re-positioning I did yesterday. The Dahlias, remaining Zinnias, and my lone tomato were toast, and the Lantanas are burnt on the topmost new growth. All of my Lantanas overwintered last year , though one of the variegated models came back green .

    For some reason I thought the Wrecking Crew were smaller dogs. I cant even imagine what they would do to my dinky back garden ! I can well imagine Pollys disdain- my cats are very put out when canines come around.

    Marian, I am ridiculously proud of my one little African Violet I t has bloomed twice this year , and there have been no near death experiences either ! I want a white one too, but AVs sure seem to be hard to find anywhere. I say go for it Chelone..I think the light exposure is probably the most important factor.

    Have any of you attempted to propagate Ipomea ? Im going to give it a go this year, I always buy a few of them every year , it would be nice to have some freebies. I think you just dig the tubers and replant in spring when the eyes sprout ?

    Okay, time to hit the kitchen..waving to all ..

    Kathy in Napa

  • veronicastrum
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'll add a short rant on health care and then shut up. A couple of weeks ago, DD cut her finger while slicing bread in the evening and had to get four stitches. The bill is in and it's over $1,000! Turns out that none of the hospitals in her college town are considered "in network" for our insurance. It just does not make sense to me that we should be "penalized" for this minor emergency. I know we can afford to pay this, but I also know many others would be set back by a bill of this size. Our system flat out does not make sense.

    Woody, so sorry to hear of all that Randy has to deal with right now. Tough times, indeed.

    Julie, I too think the revamped baseboards look great.

    Chelone, thanks for the photos of the wrecking crew. I sent the link to DD, who is missing her Mystic right now!

    Speaking of dogs, Cooper the "granddog" made a trip to the emergency vet today. I helped out as they only have one car and needed to be in two places at once. Cooper's had bad diarrhea that appeared to be clearing up but then worsened again, but it looks like it is nothing serious.

    I did a lot of outside work this weekend as Saturday was warm and today was, well, not miserable. I have several muscles that are letting me know they've not been used this much lately.

    Here's my photo of the day - the duck blind out on the wetland.

    {{gwi:187379}}

    g'night!

    V.

  • jak1
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Gee, Chelone, I guess I hate dogs almost as much as you do:) The Wrecking crew are really hiding their true selves behind those adorable faces, right? You have quite a houseful when they are there....if they are not big on manners, it is no wonder that their parents like them to visit you - Rex can be a shining example to them. Of course, I am sure that you don't pay any attention at all to them *LOL

    Yes indeed, my Bostons are certainly cheery little fellows. They have a hard time controlling their exuberance, but we are getting there. They play with toys in much the same way as Dumb and Dumber. I confess that I too chat away to Ajax and Tucker when we are out strolling.

    Woody, I am sorry that you have just so much to cope with right now. I agree, the fact that one can have major medical care without necesarily losing your shirt is a true benefit - one that we are also very aware of. I hate the stress involved in dealing with aging parents. You do your darndest, and you know the outcome that gives you relief will be the loss of the loved one. I have to say, though, that I was the one of the four sibs that went the extra mile and beyond to care for Mom and Dad, and the grief and sorrow suffered at the the inevitable loss was directly proportionate to the amount of effort made to ease the journey. That is, I was grief stricken and sad at the loss, but knew in my heart that I had done every possible thing to help them in their final years. My sister, who had been some help, suffered pangs of guilt and thus more difficulty than I did. My youngest brother, who did a bit every 6 months or so, completely withdrew from any mention of the parents. My oldest brother, who did nothing, still, decades later, weeps and moans about how he would have liked to have seen Mom just one more time,although he went on two Alaskan cruises in the two years but didn't make it to the nursing home....Anyway, what I want to say is, Randy is a good son, and in the future will know in his heart that he has done what is right.

    Marion, I have been thinking a lot about your insecurity concerning the upcoming visit of your son's new friend. I live in a very nice and quite new house, nothing wrong with it and I am able to keep up with the housework pretty well. That being said, if I know in advance that company is coming, I race around, tossing any clutter into hidden closets, dusting, looking for fingerprints and dog licks on the windows, etc. Freaking out about the condition of my house. If company arrives unexpectedly, I race around closing doors, cleaning the bathroom, turning over the cushions to hide the dog hair, and chucking stuff out the back door so what I see as my lack of industry doesn 't show. On the other hand, if I go to visit someone else's house, I never even notice this stuff. I notice the warmth of my welcome, the cup of tea offered, the laughs and sometimes serious conversation, and the much too quick passing of time in good company. I was in Chelone's house for four days at IU 6 - ask me what colour her walls are??? Haven't a clue. I remember that the chairs were all comfy - but not what they look like. Same at Deanne's. I remember the gardens of course, but not much detail about the house. What has stuck with me was the amazing hospitality, the laughs, the smiles, the sharing. That's what it's all about kid. Don't worry about your house.

    After reading the snippy note from TCS's teacher one more time, I said, well, the heck with this, he needs to play with his friends and we did only one hour of stuff and nothing is complete. I sent a very nice note back reqesting some time with the teacher. I am calling the VP today for a more overall look at the situation. TCS goes to school for six hours every day and does at least one hour of work every night plus 15 minutes of music practice. His only outside activity is Cubs. Interstingly I had calls from two other parents this week-end asking about a research project that each child has been assigned. None of the kids had a clue and nothing come home to give direction. When I told them that I wasn't even touching it until I had more info about what the child needs to do, they all gave huge sighs of releif, and we made play dates for the kids instead. WooHoo, rebellion is in the air ! *LOL*

    Sadly, when DH cleaned out his fish tanks this week, he added a chemical to clear the water and instead killed off his whole collection of African Cichlids. Back to square one for hime. Akin to accidently spraying your best garden with Weed'n'Feed.

    Well that's it for a sort of seious post from me. I'll try to lighten up tomorrw.

    Cheers,

    Julie

  • chelone
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    "The finest health care in the world" is that healthcare which is affordably available to any and all and one that rewards the maintenance of good health rather than simply the treatment of malady. To achieve that other countries have focussed on prevention starting at birth by making the system freely available to all. A system where there is effectively no competition among providers (guaranteed by exemption from the Sherman anti-trust laws) will hardly deliver anything of the sort. Every single boat owning doctor I've surveyes shares that opinion. But they aren't paying multi-millions to lobbyist to guarantee the protection of their "market share". 'nuf said.

  • Marian_2
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    V, I know what you mean,about your muscles. I am feeing the effects of the window washing, and car washing that I did saturday, plus some cleaning out of the little shed connected to the woodshed where I had spent years throwing 'gardening' stuff...Nolon gained somemore metalic objects for his barrels of metal that he is rounding up for recycling. I moved the savable stuff into the little red barn. Next spring I need to clean IT out, again.
    I hope the price of recyclables goes back up and Nolon can get our friend with his trailer to haul it to the center.
    I am so glad that he is cleaning up all the years of stuff that he hauled here from his remodel and building projects. There is still a long ways to go. Thank goodness most of it is out of sight behind his shop and sheds 'complex'.

    We got rain last night, but no thunderstorms. Now we have fog.

    I like your duck blind pic, V.

    Back to my african violets. They do tend to get pretty tacky looking in the summer, and I have frequently threatened to throw them out....then they start perking up, and bloom for a very long time. In an air conditioned house they may not get tacky.
    I checked how many differnant colors,shades and types, that I have, and came up with at least 13, and lots of duplicates. I need to ease up space by giving some of the duplicates to friends.

    Kathy, several of mine came fron WalMart. A lot of them were given to me from a friend in Idaho before we moved from there. That was over 32 years ago !

    Speaking of 'old' houseplants....my original jade was a start off of my Doctor's large plant, from his waitingroom. I got it when Tim was in grade school. He will soon be 52! I still have the split-leaf Philodendron that I had at about the same time.It has never grown here like it did there. It was up a door case, over the top, and down the other side when we were preparing to move from there, I cut it way back, and it never has grown up like that since...

    Just for the record....I like our house, and the arrangement of it. And even the appearance of how I have it 'decorated'. It is just the year's accumulation of both dirt, and needed repairs, that bother me. Twentyfive years can really take a toll on a house that does not have anyone to care for it properly. The correcting of the livngroom ceiling is just way too much for me to comprehend. It would be a very major job, partly because of the moving of all that is in it out, in order to do the job, and no place to put it! Even just cleaning the ceiling would require protection of all that is under it. It is a rather small room, and is very full of furniture , etc. Those who said to ignore it are the ones I am going to chose to go along with. :-) I will pray that it is cloudy when the new lady friend is here. All the lights are low enough that they do not show the ceiling very much. :-)
    I know, I am a worry wart.....just like my dear mother was.

    I have taken my free turkey out of the freezer to start thawing. Although it is only a 12 pounder, it is almost more than I can handle. I used to be able to wrestle a 20 pounder! I will move the table out of the pantry to set the roasting oven on. I sure like that roasting oven.
    I plan on making my pie crusts early, and refigerate or freeze them. ( Now if my arms and shoulders will just get better! ) My plans are rather like the "eyes are bigger than the stomach" saying...:-(
    Tim said he and his friend would be happy with turkey sandwiches, but I want the entire traditional meal, as my mother always made it.

    My my, this fall weather has got me very chatty!!!!

    Marian

  • chelone
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Boy Marian, do I ever understand the accumulated clutter thng. We've been here going on 19 yrs. and in that time there's not been a lot of throwing out/culling of accumulated treasures. It seems that no matter how hard I work at it when I turn around there is another pocket of accumulated crap and blight. Seems only the feminine eyes see any of it, too. ;) And over time things break, wear out, and need to be replaced. And inevitably the accomplishment of it is messy and inconvenient even under the best circumstances. It's all part of home ownership. And I'm still trying to decide when a home moves from "new" into the "maintenance" phase of its life.

    They are unloading huge pieces of granite across the street and Rex has been beside himself watching all the activity. I leashed him and we went over to say hello where he was warmly received by the driver and the masons. He is much more relaxed about it all now.

    I am working on finishing a coat hem and then I will attempt to finish up the recover of an interesting folding step stool/ottoman. I've been trying to make a list of the necessary tools I'm lacking to make small upholstery jobs like that easier. I'm thinking about adding a pneumatic stapler since I know a large capacity compressor would be useful for a variety of things.

    So what, in your opinions, do you think is the optimal exposure for African violets? bright indirect light? I would like to keep some plants in the Salon but I'm not sure if the nightly temperatures might go too low for them to prosper. I'm thinking the coldest would be in 45-50 degree range. Since there is no water to the building and I don't work out there every day there is no reason to keep the place any warmer, though all that could change at any time.

    The Wrecking Crew total about 160-170 lbs.. When excited and out of control (their usual setting) they can wreak havoc in nanoseconds. We typically put the pretty lamp behind the woodstove for protection until things settle down. They are basically deaf until they've had a chance to burn off any steam (of which there's a lot) and so letting them run and wrestle out of harm's way is key to getting them to settle down, listen, and obey. My assessment is that they don't get nearly the amount of exercise they should and food occupies entirely too much of their time with their owner. When they are here I basically run them several times a day and then we work on obedience. A tired dog is much easier to train, I've found. And I NEVER use a food reward with them because they're too obsessed with it to pay any attention to the command given. I don't ususally use any with Rex, either; preferring to beat him into compliance. I seem to get more accomplished with simple repetition and a thrilled reaction to compliance. I find a quick game of "fetch" is the best reward, gives 'em time to run a bit before getting back to work.

    Cyn., dogs and gardens are a tough mix (the Crew has reminded me). I would be more inclined to ramp up the basic obedience work, with a focus on "leave it!" and a promise to myself to watch them more closely when outside. The fence thing would probably work but it seems like a lot of work to put it down and bring it up every year. I'd rather beat the dogs. I did use an electric fence several years ago when my BIL made no effort to keep his Golden out of the gardens here. She hit the hot fence exactly once and stayed out of the area. They're pretty easy to set up and for a dog barrier the wire doesn't have to be much more that 12-18". I think it's sort of presumptuous for a principal to tell faculty that they must provide nibbles for their collegues at a meeting. Bring your own damn snacks! maybe the self-sufficiency part of education was lost on her? or maybe she doesn't understand that that is an imposition on someone ELSE'S time and pocketbook. That would irritate me, too. :)

    I hope Copper's dietary isssues are resolved soon. Puppies are more than enough work without that wild card added to the already stacked deck!

    And Marian, thanks for the reminder that I need to sign the death warrant for turkey this week. :) And add a few items to the grocery list as they come to mind. Do you have a George Foreman Grill. I think I'd like to have one of those!

  • Marian_2
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You are soo right on all counts about preparing for company. I was the same way, even when my house was brand new. We have had two brand new ones. and our other two, that we owned, were in good shape before we moved into them. The second one required major cleaning (the elderly lady that owned it was unable to tend to it, and all the walls and ceilings were grey with what I think was smoke.) We are much younger, and able to do all the cleaning and painting before moving in. I painted the livingroom salmon! (Also the livingroom in our last house in Idaho.) I love that color. I painted the trim on the outside salmon also. The rest of the exterior was white.
    I guess I should do more remembering of what I once did. It is cathartic, knowing I have not always been so handicapped, and was once very energetic.

    Yarrrgh ...the poor fish, and your poor DH! Having an aquarium is too denanding for me. I had one many years ago, but nothing major.

  • gardenbug
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    A very nice time just spent catching up with my Idyll reading!

    Very good to meet Dumb and Dumber and see the tidied up fertile crescent and learn about the Eerie canal. Bolognaburgers????? YUCK.

    I'm sorry to see the condition of the duck blind though I too liked the photo itself. Is there a message there about even having a duck blind at all?

    Julie, I could go on for hours about TCS's teachers...so I'll save you all from that and say nothing ...except that I'd love clean, neat, handsome baseboards.

    I am among those to have an ugly textured ceiling decorated with cobwebs. Too bad, but there is absolutely no way to remove them except to remove the ceiling here. That ain't gonna happen. But we had a weekend guest who never noticed a thing, even though her own house is beyond immaculate. The next item on our house list I HOPE is a new bathroom fan which will require a newly patched ceiling and anti-mildew paint. First though, we need to pay for Phoebe's surgery. I'm nervous about this Thursday morning and the three month recovery period. Never a dull moment.

    I have lots of emotions concerning care of the aged and those dealing with illness. I can't begin to go there... The Canadian system has been a giant relief to me and my family, but the complexities involved in my parents' care in the US was a horror show of bungling and thoughtlessness...creating anxiety when I least needed it. I really don't understand why the Canadian system, even with its flaws, is so maligned in the States.

    On the up side of things I received a phone call yesterday from DD. Contrary to what I expected, the message was not about Ivy not yet taking to a bottle even though DD is returning to work today, but rather "Your granddaughter decided to stand unassisted today for the first time!" OMG.... I realize this is not a sign of intelligence or genius, but it certainly is amazing. To think that she has moved from birth to bi-ped in 6 month's time boggles my mind.

    Book Club is tonight and I must go finish my reading.

    Happy fresh new week to everyone!
    'bug

  • Marian_2
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    First: Marie....I feel that you do understand about the co-web covered ceiling.
    I am very sorry about Phoebe's condition. I pray that it can be corrected.
    And to all who are speaking about this country's health system....my son contends that 'we' have the worst one of all the 'civilized' nations...and I agree. We (Nolon and I) would not be so poor now if I had had access to a system like Canada's when I was younger.

    Now...for Chelone, I added a pic that I just took, of the african violets.

    {{gwi:187381}}

    There are more 8 more elsewhere in the house.

    As I said, the bedroom window faces the Southwest, and is not shaded, from leaf fall until the leaves come back on. When the leaves are on, it has filtered sun.I have no curtains on the window.
    I think 40-50 would be too cool. I let mine get down to 50-55. But they actually prefer cool to hot and humid.

    My orchids are still plugging along. I put them all out on the deck this summer for a short period during a good rain. It really seemed to appeal to them. The "Eileen" Slipper orchid has one bloom stalk. Three of the 7 Moth orchid's have stalks coming on. I wish they were going to be in bloom at Thanksgiving, but it will be much later than that. The Thanksgiving cactus will be done, but the violets will be doing their thing. :-)
    I will concentrate on having all my plants at their best. They should draw the attention. :-)

  • chelone
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Too bad Cyn. couldn't have prepared mini-bolognaburgers for the meeting, huh? Hey, if it's good enough for NASCAR it should be fine for teachers! ;)

    I was thinking about Randy today as I was working away in the Salon. I agree with you, Julie, about feeling pretty good about making the effort and "doing the right thing". It takes a long time to reconcile it all and make a place for it in your head. I have plenty of regrets and some longing for things I wish I done differently, but I feel good about stepping up to the plate and gettin' the job done when it needed doin'. One day Randy will feel the same way. But it sure is tough when you're in the thick of it. Give him a warm pat on the back for me, willya?

  • jak1
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Just in case anyone needs to know this:

    If you have to clean splashes of mustard off of your cellular blind, a q-tip dipped in Shout followed by a cotton ball and cool water does a good job.

    Don't ask.

    Cheers,

    Julie

  • dodgerdudette
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hmmm ..Cellular Blind ? Thats not Canadian for 'white oxford shirt' is it ?

    Kathy in Napa

  • veronicastrum
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Kathy, I think a "Cellular blind" is where you go to make cell phone calls without being seen.

    Cooper is doing much better today. The food seems to be turning things around. In the meantime, DH gave Mystic a rather large soup bone last night, and did not give him enough time outside this morning. I'm dealing with the consequences.

    Chelone, I am another who is losing the battle with clutter. DH has the bad habit of stopping a job when the task itself has been completed. He forgets about those last steps of cleaning up and putting away. It's a never ending battle, and sometimes I feel like all I do is trail behind picking up the pieces. Real progress is elusive.

    That said, I think I shall go clean the large pots that DH had left in the garage since our pig roast in September. In all fairness, they had been rinsed out with a hose, so they're not gross, but they do need an application of soap and water.

    Yours in suds,

    V.

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh darn! I should have thought of bologna burgers for the meeting! Something like that might put an end to requiring us to provide the snacks-teehee. Actually, I still enjoy the occasional bologna sandwich...just not sure about a quarter-pound slice!

    Beautiful violets, Marian. My mother always had wonderful ones. Me, not so much. I think our house gets too cold at night.

    Julie-funny. And keep after that teacher!!!!

  • dodgerdudette
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Marian, that is one impressive display of Violets ! They do look very content

    LOL V, the Cellular Blind could very well be the place where employees go to make personal phone calls on company time.

    Chelone, Senco is a manufacturer of pneumatic nailers and compressors and they usually have kits available that bundle the compressor with various finish /brad nailers/staplers. This is the preferred brand for contractors in our area of Northern California. I think thats a great investment for you . I would do some research on the compressors, some are designed to accommodate multiple framing nailers on jobsites which would be overkill for you. As I was viewing the photos of the wrecking crew I noticed the arm of that fantastic chair your have near your computer desk. I think it was my fave of your stash. All those little pleats, the shape , everything !

    Julie, what a very nice statement in your post regarding the enjoyment of visitors, and the environment one presents to them. You are spot-on, the warmth of friends is what its all about. I have numerous friends and neighbors who hire a service to do cleaning..sure would love to do that ! Its hard to keep up a 2000 sq ft house and work a 50 + hour week. I just clean up to the level that helps me to enjoy the room and the surroundings after a long day. I have a lot of very low wattage light bulbs ..out of sight out of mind !

    Time for some grubstill missing the absent ones

    Kathy in Napa

  • michelle_zone4
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Marian, Im very impressed with the age of some of your houseplants. I thought I was doing good to keep a schefflera for 11 years. It really likes it outdoors and lives upstairs during the winter. Last winter it lost all of its leaves but looked great on the patio this summer. It came from my BILs funeral. Most of mine fizzle within a year or two.

    I should really be in the basement watering the plants under lights of which many look mighty sad. Although, there are some that look fabulous.

    Julie, nice job on fancying ups the baseboards.

    Kathy, the pinecone display is certainly an unusual use of them. Ive saved the picture for future reference. We use ground turkey a lot these days in lieu of hamburger and black beans are added to our chili as well.

    Chelone, I very much enjoyed the pictorial from the compound. Dumb and Dumber do play the parts well. Since you asked, Kenzie just turned 5. Have you done much reupholstering? My mom and I once tackled a love seat when I got my first place. It turned out quite nice, but then shes a master seamstress. I have 3 chairs that Id love to have recovered and must search out someone that does it. One is a wooden rocker that I maybe could do myself, but thats a big maybe. The other 2 are tufted.

    Woody, thinking of you and Randy and the tough spot you are in.,

    My company changed insurance for one year to one with a lot less "in network" Drs. Etc. It was the bunk. They have now changed back. I really cant complain, but I know many can. DH has had several major surgeries at Mayo and the out of pocket expense has been manageable.

    Clutter is a constant battle isnt it? It does seem easier with a large house, but then I have to clean this large house too. Im in the mood these days to have the decorative elements of the house to be easy to dust. Like pictures on the walls instead of shelves with stuff on them. The problem is that I have so much stuff that I love. Ive been using the Swiffer dusters which do make dusting easier.

    This quote by William Morris says much to me "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful", now I have to get DH who is our clutter bug to understand the sentiment.

    My son's girlfriend just returned from D.C. She was covering the South Dakota Honor Flight. I've added a link below to the first in a series of stories she did while there. She's the lovely young lady in the pictures.

    Good night
    Michelle

  • chelone
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'll have to check out your link, Michelle, when I have more time later this afternoon. How is Kenzie enjoying bein 5 yrs. old? what was the "hot" birthday gift this year?

    I have all sorts of visions of how mustard happened to find its way onto the cellular blind, none of them particularly good. I recall how deep the and thorough the coverage was when I managed to drop a bowl of turkey grease some years back... .

    It's comforting to know I'm not alone in my failure to keep clutter under a modicum of control. Misery loves company, 'n' all. The helpmeet is not good about dealing with his mail. Nor is he particularly good about the finishing details when it comes to cleaning up. Remember the fracas over the missing coating shears a year ago? well guess what I found yesterday... discreetly atop one of his tool chests. They were not rusted and when queried he fessed up that he'd "found" them atop a pile of lumber that he'd moved last fall. I was immune to his apologies and told him to "put them away properly and keep your grubby little meathooks off MY professional tools. They're not marital property!". I deal with it at work and I deal with it at home; I'm not a neatfreak but it drives me nuts because it eats up too much of my time to clean up the trail.

    One of the machines I'm looking at (to replace my elderly Juki) has an automatic foot lift. With heavier duty machinery the electric solonoid is often replaced with a pneumatic lifter. This is because the machine's feet and needle bar are heavier and the electric solonoids often burn out quickly under the added strain. So "air" may be a very nice upgrade. I'll have to see if Senco is a player in upholstery staple guns (of which I know virtually nothing). I want one with the long nose so you can the staples down into more recessed areas without driving yourself crazy. Years ago I worked in a plant that used pneumatic cutting for its overlocks and it was great... .

    I've not done much upholstery aside from pretty simple stuff. But it's long held a fascination for me. And, as ususal, my interest tends toward the renovation of older pieces; in particular the more "classic" upholstery techniques involving hand sewing and horsehair. The chair you like, Kathy, is a very advanced project as it wil have to be stripped to the iron frame, and rebuilt from the frame up. That piece is either late Victorian or Edwardian and is in its original upholstery. The majority of the sewing on it was done by hand. It was given to me by a charming woman who moved to New Zealand with her Kiwi husband. I think of her whenever I look at it and wonder how they are.

    Gotta go.

  • denisez10
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I very nearly lost my passport to Idyllistan but finally located it under a pile of desk clutter ;) Turbulent times, with my dad in his second hospitalization in a week, but their household has been moved and they're now esconced in a dwelling that my mom will be able to afford on only half my dad's generous union pension should she survive him (which looks increasingly likely), and it's all one level, a definite plus. Something large and ungainly has been moved daily by me for the past two weeks, and that's including availing ourselves of professional movers, the kind that supposedly "do everything." Yesterday was a leather sofa that doesn't fit in at the new digs, fodder for craigslist. I know if I were sick in hosp I'd love to be read to, so yesterday I rummaged the shelves for something suitable. Dad's a history buff, and I know he loved H.G. Welle's The Outline of History in his 20s, so grabbed that but at the last minute added Cahill's excellent How the Irish Saved Civilization. The opening chapter, with the Roman army nervously eyeing the Germanic hordes over the frozen Rhine in the 5th century, is a stunner. I ended up just reading to myself as he slept, occasionally reaching up to calm his hands which keep trying to pull out tubing.

    Decompression the last two nights came in the form of Antique Road Show. Laying in bed this morning, I did my usual post-Roadshow mental inventory of stuff in the house. Nope, no real Roadshow material here. Not 3 feet away from the bed where I lay is this very old bureau I abuse daily, stuffed to the gills, a home sale find from an eccentric aunt given to me in my teens, which has this curvilinear front. Hhmmm... So I start googling. Serpentine seems to be the adjective I need. It's very beat up but I'd like to know what style it's in. Dovetail joints, keyhole locks. Two full drawers at the top, then two small drawers on the left, adjacent to which on the right is a cupboard door, then three more full-length drawers below that. Still mid google on it.

    Loved your yellow and red room, Kathy. All this talk of ripping out wallpaper is helping to arrest a drift I have in that direction. There's none in the house now, but I love pattern, and there's such amazing wallpaper to be had with the click of the mouse these days.

    Ein's been accompanying me to the new mobile home for the long work of unpacking, even though dogs have always been strictly verboten with my parents. The utility room off the back door is linoleum, so I tell him to sit there and not enter the carpeted areas, which he of course does very well. I doubt I could handle Dumb & Dumber, but a corgi is very much my speed because they have such razor focus and watch people so intently for cues and meaning. My mom chats with him as he sits there, watching us carry boxes up and down the hallway in front of him, never leaving the assigned space. She finds it amazing that dogs understand so much -- and I find it amazing that she's so amazed! Ein and I are both dismayed to learn Phoebe has more therapy ahead and wish her the speediest recovery.

    Drema described an aspect of her marriage a few posts back, a kind of turtle and the hare comparison, and I was nodding me too, me too! I want to do things now, this minute, because something else always intervenes. An interval of 20 years is common with projects here. We're in the midst of picking up a a stale project and replacing a lot of the old windows, having new ones rebuilt but saving the old glass where possible. For a week or so, a portion of the west side of the house was windowless, entirely exposed, day and night. A local shop does this outmoded type of work rebuilding old windows, mainly for historical districts now, a fascinating shop to visit, and the owner is full of stories. Of course, I couldn't leave without taking a discarded wooden window frame set out for trash. (Clutter? Was there some talk of clutter?) The owner said it was from Olvera Street, birthplace of LA. (Amazed I remembered how to hyperlink.) I just like looking at the weathered wood that seems to have aged into a different substance, almost stone-like. And I'll probably hang it on the fence ;)

    Shaking my head at the bad timing for Randy and Woody re his parents medical issues. About the healthcare debate, Woody, all I will say is I'm envious of those who can view it from afar! I've always expected once wrongs are recognized they will be immediately righted, or if errors in thinking are clarified, that the new info will be eagerly absorbed. If only it were so.

    Loved the new baseboards, Julie, and the budding rebellion against the tyranny of schoolwork ;) No easy solution there, that's for sure, but it does seem childhood is out of balance these days.

    Martie, the work you're doing for your brother is to be commended. State budgets out here are decimating our glorious state college system, with enrollment slashed and semesters canceled -- just as Duncan is about to transfer, of course. A teeth-gnashing time for so many on so many counts.

    The advice to Marian is spot on. Good job!

    Michelle, loved hearing about that tractor date you and Rick had a few posts back and how the training goes with new employees at work. I shared the lost dog story, and we all admired your daughter's sense of right.

    Enjoying the new idyllers' input and all who keep writing. It is appreciated more than you know! Now if I can just get the hang of brevity again...

  • candy_j
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Whoa!gone a week and so much reading to catch up on! I guess you just have to take the leap and hit the ground running. Wonderful five day visit with DB made better with beautiful sunny weather allowing us all to enjoy the last boating of the season and a rock hunting expedition among other family activities. Now its back to typical grey November with cold, blowing rain keeping me from the remaining yard clean up. On impulse, I had purchased some spring bulbs but it will be days for the soil to be workable and the weather evens out - if it does at all.

    Can Thanksgiving only be 8 days away?! I have not even started a mental plan let alone an actual list; many late nights ahead of me for sure. And I shall do exactly what Marian said"ignore it if it cant be done!" Thats such a good motto! Julie, your thoughts on visitors and being a guest is so true in putting perspective on the subject, how timely for you to have the right words to remind us all! Oh, and I love reading the clutter comments - that might be a fun Idyll title. Around here clutter can multiply in the dark closets during the winter.

    Martie, hope youre making some headway in your continued efforts. Kathy, your eye for color makes that room so upbeat, I love it! Special wave to Woody and Cindy out there, thinking of you both during these stressful times. Keep posting more photography V!lol at the cellular blind. Bug that is a precious picture of Ivy working with her Daddy! With her tiny hands mimicking his and her little head (I can almost smell that wonderful baby scent!) looking down in fascination - its just a very endearing photo. Michelle, that sounds neatIm about to check out your link when I get this posted.

    Chelone, happy you persevered with the uploading and I get a chance to see the infamous Wrecking Crew. And what big ol handsome boys they are! Cyn, your two pups sound so comical I hope youll post some photos of them soon.

    Drema, you must be my kindred spiritI too wear the germaphobe cloak. It dates back to watching one of those hourly news shows where they did an episode on raw chicken, public restrooms, restaurant food handlers, and viruses. I have never been the same since, LOL!

    Time to end this tome. First a photo of our 70 ft. tree being removed, the day after DB left! You can just see the roofline. I love trees but they should never be planted close to a house. This caused so much damage; cracking the driveway, debris on the roof, a limb falling on the car and it developed oak blight causing dead branches to come down on a regular basis in all seasons. The fall clean up had become unbelievably high maintenance so we are feeling quite liberated.
    {{gwi:187383}}

    So, still some Idylls missing it seems. Hope all is well with PMand Mary, wasnt she having computer woes about the last time she posted? Then theres the elusive Sue Ive not met! Ill take your word for it shes real but I remember somebody (Kathy?) coined a phrase about "imaginary friends" that struck me as such an amusing remark. So Im still waiting for Sue to appear

    Health tip of the day: Limit intake of junk food

    {{gwi:187385}}

  • gardenbug
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    This is such a busy time of year for us...and I am nervous about quite a few things. I have to remember that it will all be done in one way or another by the end of the year. I've always liked the saying "Only Robinson Crusoe got things done by Friday." I just wish Friday worked for me once in a while!

    I'd love to join the anti-clutter brigade. If I stop to look at furniture and the things that take over every horizontal surface, very few of them have sentimental or monetary value. As for function and beauty...hardly!

    The things that are weighing on Julie's mind strike a chord with me. I do hope that she and the school can develop a working relationship that will benefit TCS.

    DH has just walked in the door.

    Later!

  • gardenbug
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Back again.

    Saturday night's local theater production was great fun with memorable characters.

    Last night's book club was very enjoyable too. What a nice gathering of friends. One woman is a health care worker and has been very busy giving H1N1 vaccines lately. She always has wonderful solid information on aging, Alzheimers, manic/depressive behavior etc, as well as her own opinions. I came home with new ideas concerning depression and diabetes, something which affects DSIL's father. We all enjoyed the discussion. One member had just returned from Germany and caring for both her elderly hospitalized parents. She was there for the anniversary celebrations of the fallen wall as well. This all sounds gloomy but in fact was NOT.

    Last night DD & DSIL went out to buy a few more fish for their aquarium. DD has been getting things in shape over the past few weeks so that the fish are content and healthy. They got some Kuhli Loaches and some Neon Tetras. It seems that last night the remaining goldfish must have eaten a couple of the Neon Tetras. :(

    Today when DD returned home from work, she discovered kitchen utensils everywhere. It seems Daddy was playing "Pots & Pans" today with his little girl.

    Phoebe looks so healthy and is so antsy to run and jump that it would be easy to cancel her surgery. We won't, but it is hard to believe that she needs it by simply watching her.

    I am frustrated by the poor directions of my knitting pattern still. I spent a long time trying to figure them out again today but gave up. Instead I raked more leaves.

    Cute photos Candy!!!

    Nighty Night!
    'bug

  • jak1
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Well, here's hoping. I've sent messages to the school requesting meetings and the notes have come home, obviously TCS didn't remember to hand them over. The kids each have an agenda book where their homework assignments, teacher comments etc. are to be written. It seems that my comments written there are not seen or attended to. When TCS writes the homework assignments down, they are completely indecipherable so we often have no idea what is to be done....tonight I looked at the array of math sheets and decided that we were going to catch up on just this subject..took an hour and a half, but I was surprised to find that he can add and subtract three digit numbers in his head. His psychologist assessment put his mental math skills as "superior" - he was at the 92nd percentile for this. Yet his processing time for translating stuff to the written format put him at the 2nd percentile. Well, the kid can't write....

    Anyway, tomorrow he is going to the observatory with Cubs to look at the meteorites, and there will be no homework done. Fine with me.

    The meds to assist with focus and attention seem to be working, as we certainly notice differences on the days he takes the meds. Funnily enough, one of the possible side effects is appetite suppression, something his doctors and we all worried about, as you know how he got his name! (TCS stands for Three Carrot Sticks, which is what he ate for Thanksgiving dinner last year). Surprisingly enough, his appetite seems to be enhanced by the meds. Believe me, when he says "Do you think I could have another piece of pizza?" I hop right to it! Although the red onion and mustard sandwich on whole wheat that he had for an after school snack did not appeal to me...

    Anyway, I am tired and rambling here and I haven't really read all the posts, so I'll sign off and "see" you all tomorrow!

    Cheers,

    Julie

  • dodgerdudette
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Only a brief WALAT can be performed on late November evenings- after several nights in a row of freezing temps there is not much to see besides scorched Lantana, a black Iochroma, various summer annuals laid low. My frost blanket tent for the fuchsias worked like a charm. Rain is coming in tonight so freezes are over for the present.

    Happy to see you check in Denise, and such a bittersweet report for us on the parental front. A quiet reading time with your Dad in the midst of the turmoil I hope offers some peace of mind-and you seem realistic about what may be on the horizon. Hope your Mom is doing ok under the circumstances. I think we would all enjoy a view of your Ant. Roadshow bureau..maybe one of us will have insight to the origin..we are frightfully knowledgeable here on the Idylls !

    I can imagine how advanced an upholstery project The Chair must be Chelone,all those pleats and tufts-I would not even begin to be able to imagine how to do something like that. Not enough manual dexterity or patience. You have plenty of nice pieces around the compound to practice on though !

    Julie I wish you the best with teachers, admins and the like. It seems that the cookie cutter approach is the most comfortable for bureaucracies.. TCS is lucky that he is a Julie Job !

    Candy, Sue does in fact exist, as does her garden ..and a fabu-fabu garden at that . Think I took about a hundred photos there in July. I did see a post from PM over on the conversations side today-I often go lurk there when I am eating lunch at my desk in the awfice.

    All for me tonight, I have to conserve brain cells for the extended work week, such as they are.

    Best to all, and calling out to Mary..YooHoo Mary ???

    Kathy in Napa

    Idylls mingle with the mysterious Sue in the foreground {{gwi:187388}}From Idyllunion 6 July 2009

    And a small slice of Sues garden.. {{gwi:171370}}From Idyllunion 6 July 2009

  • chelone
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Denise, your post confirmed the nagging worry I'd had that your Dad's health was not all I'd hoped it to be. Time slows or nearly stops when you are on bedside vigil. I did a lot of reading, too. I commend the willingness to confront "reality" with respect to single storey living and reduced size in the face of reduced monthly circumstances. Not a pleasant thing to have to confront ever, but best done before a crisis hits. FEin work!

    An excellent decision on the large tree, Candy! We've had several "big uns" taken down over the years and while we inevitably gasp at the price the end result is worth it. We have the best part of 6 seasoned cord of wood stacked and at the ready for the woodstoves. Whenever I pass a new home and see a recently planted sapling I always make a mental not of its proximity to things like buildings, septic systems, power lines, etc.. We have a large Acer rubrum that has been threatening BIL's garage for years now and it's my wish that it be removed, but that may have to wait until the ground freezes as the requisite bucket truck would find the terrain of the Fertile Cresent a bit too soggy about now (we received several inches of rain on Saturday). And I love Mr. Plump Kitty in the box... :)

    I find beaurocracy increasingly frustrating as the years roll by. I've never suffered fools gladly and to be faced with abject institutional foolishness can send me right around the bed. I ran headlong into it dealing with "the finest health care in the world" and nursing holes. I suspect I'd be beyond consolation if faced with the school system. Several friends have been in that position with struggling kids and I've seen what it's done to them over time. One couple decided to simply go sailing, returning some years later with a happily adjusted kid who was several grade levels ahead of the classmates left behind... so while learning to walk "in step" is important to getting along in life, there are often alternate ways to master core skills. Hang in there, Julie.

    OK, time to organize my stuff and get out the door.

  • gardenbug
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    ~~~~ My kids simply were not cookie cutter material. Of course their parents weren't either. In the end we realized that we were the ones guiding them and THEY were the ones with the plans and the curiosity to create their paths. But we did not have obvious special problems to surmount. And at the time, I would not have had the ability to deal well with TCS's issues. That's why Julie was planted on this earth.~~~~

    Chelone, schools are another universe and can be Heck to deal with. Because parents care terribly about their offspring, no school understands the seriousness of a parent's involvement. Sort of like a hospital, right? With luck you may get a person here or there who clicks, but not a well coordinated effort. So you have to deal with the school as well as with the child. Life is tough and you acquire skills along the way that you never expected (or wanted).

    Later,
    'bug

  • saucydog
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    So much going on here. Denise, my first thought was, "how nice of Ein to do his part and impress Denise's mom." SunnyD's corgi, Small, both impresses and mystifies. It is good when a furry friend can help relieve some stress and tension. How nice to pick a book your father would enjoy and read to him.

    Julie, I don't have much advice to offer, but though my son learns differently, he still learns. We struggle each and every day during the school year. The school has been little help except when it was to their advantage for him to pass a test. I know that my son is so much more than the grades that he makes, so I look forward to a day when his true talents can shine and the focus will be off the grades as the be all end all...

    Woody, you are proof that when it rains it pours. You deserve quite a break after all of the stressors of late. I enjoyed hearing your take on the Canadian healthcare system. I am of the mindset that I will survive anything they throw at me by doing the research for my family. I did government healthcare while in the Navy. I didn't mind it, though I think I'd be a better advocate for myself now.

    I meant this to be a quick post. I've been trying to get to the office early and get home early, but as we are transitioning into a new software, there is lots to be done. I am enjoying the job a little more now that it is not in my house always staring me in the face. I always felt guilty over the pile that was sitting in the other room :)

    I had to see an ENT yesterday. I still have a middle ear infection, but I think I'm already feeling better. I am so thankful to have my hearing back, as my ear was plugged with debris from the first infection.

    Waving hello to all! What in the heck am I bending over for in the picture above? Looking at the 'tufa on the table, I suspect.

    Saucy

  • triple_creek
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Okay, its been raining for three straight days so my house is decluttered of dust bunnies and piles of papers to be filed. It is passably clean. I will be happier when I can get the windows washed.

    Denise good to hear from you. Sorry you dad is back in the hospital.

    Julie, I'm hoping things will eventually get better for TCS. If he didn't enjoy being with his friends so much, I would suggest homeschooling.

    Saucy, I was wondering what you were looking at too.

    Candy,wow getting that tree down was something. I think you were right about Mary having computer problems.

    Since I have been on the go all day cleaning Niki has decided to get some lap time while she can. She's curled up fast asleep. Sometimes she doesn't want to be held unless it is her idea. She has been sleeping in the house at night since it has been raining so much. It may be due to the earlier darkness that she would rather be in too.

    DH and sons have not been hunting due to the heavy rains and wouldn't you know it their were two deer in our front yard this morning. I don't know where Rebel and Rocky were because they usually don't let them get close.

    Not much going on here. I am hoping to get the rest of my bulbs planted and some more mulching done as soon as it stops raining long enough.

    Take care everyone.

    Norma

  • Marian_2
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Norma, there were at least 8 deer in our yard today. They came right up to a few feet of the house. I saw six all at one time, then 2 differant ones appeared, and much later a nicely racked buck was working on destroying one of my small paw paw trees! I took pics of all but the last one. I ran out and yelled at him, and he bounded away into the woods. All together, there were three antlered bucks, and 2 or three fawns with buttons. The rest were does. They are very comfortable in our yard, since no one has shot at them in our area. I suspect the woods around us were teeming with hunters, but we heard no shots today.

  • dodgerdudette
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What ever it was Saucy, I think Deanne, Doug and Wendy are looking at it toowas there a cat ?

    Hi Norma ..I remember when my felines were younger they were less interested in lap-sitting, but now they are very insistent, and will compete for available laps. I need to get my bulbs planted too, I hope I will get a few hours this weekend-looks like I will have to work a couple hours on Saturday afternoon, as well as all day on Sunday. I have Dahlias to move too-poor siteing on my part last spring.

    All for tonight !


    Kathy in Napa

  • gardenbug
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Plated snowdrops this morning, raked leaves, bought buttons, ribbon and fabric for Christmas gifts, walked Phoebe in the sunshine, knit a bit, helped DH with reviewing some abominably written papers on aggregates, ...and now am worrying about Phoebe's surgery tomorrow morning at 8:30am.

    In the photo above, I don't remember what Saucy is looking at, but I believe we were studying some interesting weavings done by the gentleman of the house at about the same time.

    Norma, I hold off on mulching until much later because I want the mice, rabbits, voles, etc....to find their winter homes and build their nests before I mulch around plants they'd love to munch.

    By the way, I found a solution for my knitting problem. I used my brain for a change and determined what the printed word had forgotten to include in the instructions. So the first hand puppet is nearing completion.

  • gardenbug
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    No, I plaNted snowdrops. Braiding them at this time of year would be impossible.

  • veronicastrum
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for clearing that up, bug. I thought you were arranging them on a plate, and that made no sense to me.

    I really should start a new thread but I'll bury my whining on this one. I feel like I am really struggling with my mood at work lately. During my morning drive, I told myself I was going to be positive all day long. It lasted until late morning, when the bossman announced that the office would be closed as usual the dat after Thanksgiving, but all salary personnel would be charged with a vacation day for that day. Well - I specifically asked him about this last month before I took the vacation day to attend the Rick Bayless luncheon. I told him I would save that day for the day after Thanksgiving if we were not going to be given that as a day off. He assured me then that it would be treated the same as it has in prior years.

    It's really relatively minor stuff, but it's taking all the fun out of my job. Monday morning, he and I had a little disagreement about how to handle a specific transaction. He was all piss and vinegar about the advice I offered; but when I called a total stranger at an outside company, the outsider thanked me profusely for recognizing an error that had been made and reacting correctly. A couple of minutes later I got a lovely email from a customer thanking me for following up on another matter. I feel like I'm turning into Stuart Smiley, "... and gosh darn it all, people like me!" Yes, other people do, just not the one I work for.

    And what is with Thanksgiving this year? Okay people, either you are coming or you are not. The only appropriate answers are yes or no. "Maybe", "I don't know" and "it depends" are not acceptable at this point, ok?

    If I get any surlier, Brenda is going to make me drive the combine for her. Heck, we won't need the corn head, I will scare the corn into the hopper!

    So if you have gotten this far, I have to say that it did make me feel better to get this off my chest. Sorry to end this idyll on a sour note. Now someone needs to get #462 rolling on a nicer one.

    V.
    (really, thanks for letting me vent!)

  • gardenbug
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here is my attempt at a bird hand puppet for the kids...and also for V and anyone who needs a smile... SMILE!

    {{gwi:187390}}

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