Our hydrangea has been looking really sad for quite awhile. Even though we have an automatic irrigation system, it has been too hot for the sweet flowers. The blooms fade quickly and the branches with large leaves droop all day long – kind of like me!
Since the weather has started to give us a bit of a break (80s rather than 90s and not quite so much humidity), the hydrangea has started to perk up, as if they’re saying, “Ahhhhh!”
We brought these in this morning. As you can see the hydrangea is blooming nicely now. The iris is twice-blooming iris, blooming in April and again in October. I feel rich!
Filed under Arkansas, Gardening, Greenwood, Mother Nature
Today has been a really nice day.
The weather is a bit warm, but not enough that we’ve had to close up and turn on the a/c. Doors and windows open are a wonderful change, and the ceiling fans make it very comfortable.
I told you about the deer I saw on the way to my massage. My massage was particularly luxurious today because my back stopped hurting. I didn’t have to consciously try to relax into the massage. I could just ENJOY. AHHHHHH! Thank you, Lynn.
I have a list as long as my arm of things that need my attention. I let a lot of them slide while I was hurting, and so I’m trying to take a few each day until I’m reasonably caught up again.
The aquarium water looked a bit murky, so I siphoned out 3/4 of the water, wiped the inside of the tank, then replaced the water with treated water that has been breathing and aging for several weeks. I changed the filter and turned everything back on. The fish seemed happy with my attention.
Since our temperatures are supposed to get more fall like early next week, I finally took the time to scrub out Amber’s kiddie pool. I had emptied it and left it upside down, but then hurt my back, so it was not only yucky, it had been rained on so there was a small lake weighing down the BACK of the pool. I scrubbed it with a broom and Simple Green, then hosed it out, turned it over, and scrubbed the back. I carried it around to the garage and put it between my counter and my elliptical trainer until I bring it out again next Spring.
I harvested two tomatoes from the planter on the east end of the house. I still have no idea if the two new tomato plants will do well or not. I’ll need to remove the old plants soon.
I still have two things on my list for today –
I hope you’ve been having a fun day, too. I can’t wait for the nice, cool, fall weather!!
I have found that trying to combine eating low-carb and feeding my diabetic husband to be a bit of a challenge. I fell into a trap of my own making several months ago, opting to eat what HE ate. NOT GOOD! Mostly now, I can fix low carb meals and then add extra things he can also eat into the mix.
I have found that getting a husband to try new foods, substitutions, and new recipes is a character-building exercise. For example, the substitutions of spaghetti squash for pasta and riced cauliflower for rice just won’t work for him. He’s like a little kid, making faces and being quite dramatic. Happily, though, he is very supportive of my trying new recipes.
I tried one for chicken thighs in the crock pot last night. You’re supposed to thicken the juices with xanthan for use as a gravy. I made rice for him and I ate spaghetti squash. I like anything with a gravy-like sauce, so I thought it was pretty good. He praised the tenderness of the chicken, and he liked the rice, but the sauce, not so much.
I’ll cut up the leftover chicken tonight, combining it with cream of chicken/mushroom soup that he particularly likes, and serve it over rice for him and cauli-rice for me. It’s not quite as low-carb with the soup, but I can work around it to make my day come out under my limits.
Meanwhile, I’m glad we’ve found some substitutes for things he loves so he doesn’t feel deprived and walk around looking hangdog:
Now I just have to practice NOT feeling deprived MYSELF when he eats without having to worry about carbs…. (I’ll try to make a list of good things I have found that make eating low-carb much easier and post them for those who might be interested.)
updatescolony.com
commons.wikipedia.org
When I was driving to get a massage this morning, I caught something at the corner of my vision. I slowed to find FIVE deer wanting to cross the road. Since I know deer tend to follow each other regardless of the circumstances, I just waited to see what they would do. The first deer crossed with no problem. The other four suddenly decided to follow the first. When they had crossed the road, I slowly started up again. When I was abreast of them, I saw a SIXTH deer still on the left side of the road, trying to decide if it should cross or not. I got past, so I kept going. I’m hoping the last one got across safely. What a beautiful sight!
Filed under Amazing Animals, Mother Nature
My friend, Marsha Koenig, sent this email to me this morning. It brought back so many good memories of some really talented, funny people. I hope this makes you smile and laugh, too.
Hollywood Squares Game Show
These great questions and answers are from the days when Hollywood Squares’ game show responses were spontaneous, not scripted, as they are now!
Q . Paul, what is a good reason for pounding meat?
A. Paul Lynde: Loneliness!
(The audience laughed so long and so hard it took up almost 15 minutes of the show!)
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Q. Do female frogs croak?
A. Paul Lynde: If you hold their little heads under water long enough.
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Q. If you’re going to make a parachute jump, at least how high should you be
A. Charley Weaver: Three days of steady drinking should do it.
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Q. True or False, a pea can last as long as 5,000 years…
A. George Gobel: Boy, it sure seems that way sometimes.
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Q. You’ve been having trouble going to sleep. Are you probably a man or a woman?
A. Don Knotts: That’s what’s been keeping me awake.
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Q. According to Cosmopolitan, if you meet a stranger at a party and you think that he is attractive, is it okay to come out and ask him if he’s married?
A. Rose Marie: No wait until morning.
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Q. Which of your five senses tends to diminish as you get older?
A. Charley Weaver: My sense of decency.
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Q. What are ‘Do It,’ ‘I Can Help,’ and ‘I Can’t Get Enough’?
A. George Gobel: I don’t know, but it’s coming from the next apartment.
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Q. As you grow older, do you tend to gesture more or less with your hands while talking?
A. Rose Marie: You ask me one more growing old question Peter, and I’ll give you a gesture you’ll never forget.
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Q. Paul, why do Hell’s Angels wear leather?
A. Paul Lynde: Because chiffon wrinkles too easily.
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Q. Charley, you’ve just decided to grow strawberries. Are you going to get any during the first year?
A. Charley Weaver: Of course not, I’m too busy growing strawberries.
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Q. In bowling, what’s a perfect score?
A. Rose Marie: Ralph, the pin boy.
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Q. During a tornado, are you safer in the bedroom or in the closet? A. Rose Marie: Unfortunately Peter, I’m always safe in the bedroom.
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Q. Can boys join the Camp Fire Girls?
A. Marty Allen: Only after lights out.
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Q. When you pat a dog on its head he will wag his tail. What will a goose do?
A. Paul Lynde: Make him bark?
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Q. If you were pregnant for two years, what would you give birth to?
A. Paul Lynde: Whatever it is, it would never be afraid of the dark.
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Q. According to Ann Landers, is there anything wrong with getting into the habit of kissing a lot of people?
A. Charley Weaver: It got me out of the army.
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Q. Back in the old days, when Great Grandpa put horseradish on his head, what was he trying to do?
A. George Gobel: Get it in his mouth.
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Q. Who stays pregnant for a longer period of time, your wife or your elephant?
A. Paul Lynde: Who told you about my elephant?
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Q. Jackie Gleason recently revealed that he firmly believes in them and has actually seen them on at least two occasions. What are they?
A. Charley Weaver: His feet.
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Q. According to Ann Landers, what are two things you should never do in bed?
A. Paul Lynde: Point and laugh.
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WE DON’T STOP LAUGHING BECAUSE WE GROW OLD,
WE GROW OLD BECAUSE WE STOP LAUGHING
Enjoy and pass on to your friends.
Filed under Blog Repost - Wonderful Posts
Your Daily Encouragement via Lisa Bearnes Richey
Filed under Attitude, Encouragement, kindness
This is a ‘vole.’
And this is a ‘mole.’
The past few years the memo has gone out to all moles, voles, and other ‘oles’ that the Lewis property has the tastiest grubs in the world. They have come en masse, steadily, wreaking havoc on our lawn. We used to use a lawn service who spread fertilizer, weed killer, and for extra money, would treat our lawn with something that was supposed to kill the grubs, making the critters go elsewhere. It didn’t work. We finally gave up, stopping the lawn service since our yard was too much of a mess to make the cost reasonable.
At Lunch Bunch our friend Alice suggested we try a deterrent that looks like worms created out of gel like stuff. You put them in the tunnel and then close the hole lightly.
We put one package of three out, choosing tunnels at random. A couple of days ago I found a dead MOLE on the grass in the back.
Since Amber is a digger, we’re not sure if we finally have a “mole/vole/or other ole” dog or if one of the worms we placed worked. It’s the first victory we’ve had in several years, so we’re pleased that SOMETHING is getting some action. We have no clue how many of these critters we have – we just know the lawn looks like something out of a late movie, “Revenge of the Oles.”
One down….
Filed under Amazing Animals, Challenges
quotesgram.com
We had a wonderful rainy day yesterday. It rained enough that my husband was finally able to burn our trash. We had been holding it in the shop, the pile multiplying, for over a month, waiting for rain to make it safe to burn. Amber went out to ‘help’ my husband while he burned all the boxes. He said she had a good time, running all around, wanting to ‘help’ him each time he added a box to the barrel.
We then had a list of errands to run, and of course, the rain decided to really come down the minute we pulled out of the garage. We drowned every time we got out of the truck and then returned, but I smiled the whole time. I would have used an umbrella if we were going to be out walking in it for awhile, but just getting out, rushing into the store and out again, it would have been only a hassle, and I would have drowned anyway.
By the time we got home, my hair was dripping. I toweled off my head after letting Amber out, then got thoroughly wet again trying to both clean off her nose and feet from the mud she picked up digging somewhere in the yard, and also trying to dry her off enough that I could let her inside. It took one washcloth and two towels. I used the 2nd towel on me after I let Amber in. Why is it that animals become so lovey when they’re wet and/or yucky?
We had lunch and read good books while listening to the rain. We had doors open when possible and a ceiling fan. It was WONDERFUL.
It’s really cloudy outside this morning, but we haven’t had any rain that I know of. As dry as we’ve been, I hope we get at least one more good rain before our chances go away.
Filed under Arkansas, Greenwood, Mother Nature
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Mother Nature is giving us a bit of a much-needed break. It started during the night. We had our bedroom window open with the attic fan on when suddenly we were awakened by an ear-splitting alarm from the gadget my husband built that sits on the window sill. It’s quiet until it gets wet – and then it shrieks so that we both get up furiously trying to get the thing to be quiet. I threw the gadget to my husband to get him to dry it off while I hurried into the hall to shut off the attic fan, turn on the ceiling and bedside fans and shut the window. Soon after I finished, my husband got the gadget dry enough to shut up.
This morning we’re enjoying a very light rain off and on. We’re hoping for a lot more, since we had the driest September – and driest month EVER since things like this have been recorded – with a TRACE of rain for the month. Thankfully, we have several reasonable chances to get rain this week. I’m doing a rain dance.
Amber had been playing in the rain this morning when I called her to come in. She immediately began to rub herself all over me, trying to get dry, I think, though maybe there was a bit of love there, as well. :0) We had to encourage Molly strongly to get her to go out and take care of business. Both doggies are spread out on the floor beside me now, looking very comfortable, co-existing quietly.
I won’t complain if we drown the rest of the week, trying to get errands done. We’re happy that Mother Nature has decided to smile on us.
Filed under Arkansas, Greenwood, Mother Nature
“Curious Black Swan” – Paul Militaru Photography
Filed under Paul Militaru Photography
girlshue.com
snappypixels.com
imgarcade.com
I love the diorama look of this one.
keeppy.com
This one just makes me smile. I love it.
GE Pro Attic Mount Antenna
We’re pleased with our efforts to ‘cut the cord’ and not have to have DirecTV, DISH, or cable (we can’t get that). We’re learning more every day on how to make our stuff work the best way possible.
My husband read that if we added an antenna in the attic and got some software (simplified explanation of what we need to do) we can go through Roku or our PlayStation to record programs over the air or over the Internet to watch later. Since we’re old and doofus, even with lists we have trouble watching programs at the proper time, the right day, on the network we should be watching. :0)
The antenna and coax cable came in the mail today. My husband immediately put the antenna together and we went upstairs to see what we had to do to mount the antenna in the attic. We discovered an old mounting pole still up there, so that part of the project went like clockwork. My husband saw some coax cable up there, so we came down again to see if we had anything left in the living room.
There were TWO coax cables in the cabinet under the entertainment center. We’ve had trouble with mice eating our wires, so we weren’t very hopeful that we wouldn’t have to spend the rest of the day running coax from the roof, into the attic, out and down the outside of the house, and then into the house again under the entertainment area to attach to the TV.
We hooked up one of the cables and searched for channels over the air. We got NONE. (The smaller antenna on the shelf got us 10 over the air channels, but not many we actually wanted to watch.) We hooked up the second antenna and voila! we got 32 channels over the air!
This is the first project in a LONG time that cause me worry that my husband had to go up on our two story roof, sidle around in the awful under the house space, cause ME to do something scary, cause a few harsh words, hurt feelings, a LOT of time and money, etc. It was a total pleasure!
We spent some time looking at each over the air channel to identify it and make notes. We then moved the ones we wanted into our ‘favorites’ on the TV. We now get CBS, ABC, NBC, CW, PBS, CREATE (they were demonstrating how to use the world’s most expensive sewing machine to outline quilt a piece), and FOX NEWS! The other channels were either duplicates or things we weren’t interested in. If the new hardware we have ordered and the software we’ve installed doesn’t allow us to DVR either over-the-air-channels or the Internet channels we get, I won’t be upset. We just won the lottery!
I usually think technology is a pain in the rear, but every once in a while, it’s GRAND.
ADDENDUM: We have since realized we don’t actually get Fox News yet. They broke in on the Fox channel to give an update on the horrible mass shooting in Nevada. We’ll look more to see what we need to do to get Fox News.
Filed under Lewis projects
We had an unexpected test this morning.
I told you that we’ve recently been letting Amber out by herself several times a day. Today the mailman drove up the driveway because he had a box that wouldn’t fit in our mailbox. Amber was out. By the time I got to the garage door, the mailman was out of his truck and Amber was wagging her tail so hard she could hardly stand up. He was laughing and had gotten down on one knee to pet her. She was ecstatic, trying to lick him and get as close as possible.
We’ve lived up here for over 30 years now. My husband prefers dogs who bark, giving folks a bit of a pause before they ‘invade our territory.’ We’ve never had a dog who bit anyone, but we’ve sure had some that barked – deep-chested, full barks that would make ANYONE take pause. I told my husband that when we got a new dog, I wanted one we didn’t have to worry about scaring people.
Amber is definitely not a guard dog. We MAY have to worry about her deciding to go home with whoever comes up here to deliver something or visit. It looks like she’ll never meet a stranger, as far as people go.
We’re keeping up our play dates with Nikki, the dog of our good friend, Carla, because Nikki is teaching Amber proper doggy manners. Amber is a bit intimidated, her hair sometimes stands up on her back when she gets scared. Nikki is friendly until Amber gets too exuberant in her face, and then she lets Amber know she is going too far and growls.
I’m really happy with her reactions so far. The mailman was a good test. His reaction was ‘Great dog!” Her reaction was, “Great man!” My reaction was relief and a huge smile. “Good Girl!!!” (More lessons on not jumping up to follow…”
Filed under Amazing Animals, Family
pinlavie.com
I LOVE this picture! What a joyous expression on this sweet child’s face. A HAPPY owl!
pinterest.com
I love the punniness of this costume. I’m sure he’s enjoying being a devil, more than appreciating being dressed as a deviled egg…
flickr.com
halloween-ideas.wonderhowto.com
creative-ads.org
I subscribe to Plant Care Today. I find lots of really good information and recommend the newsletter and website highly.
Today they published ways to keep your carved or uncarved pumpkins from rotting. I wish I had this information years ago when I was trying to be proactive and find a pleasing shape with a good piece of stem remaining on the top – AND keep it in good shape for Halloween – AND remember safety tips once you use the ideas. I’m reposting their good information here. –
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Below you’ll find a number of solutions and techniques you can use to preserve your pumpkin, keep it from drying out, extend its shelf life (don’t expect long-term storage life) and slow down developing mold.
Apply A Bleach Solution
Perhaps, the best method to prevent your carved or uncarved pumpkins from rotting is allying a bleach solution to and on it.
Spraying your pumpkins, including the inside, the edges and all cut openings with a mixture of 1 tablespoon of bleach per quart of water can get rid of all the mold, mildew and other unwanted stuff.
Another way is to put the pumpkins in a bucket and soak them in the same bleach solution with water for about 20 minutes. Giving your decorated pumpkins a solid misting with a bleach-based spray, such as Clorox Cleanup with Bleach can also come to the rescue.
Borax Rich Pumpkin Preservation Sprays
Specially formulated to prevent pumpkins from decaying, several commercial pumpkin preservative sprays such as Pumpkin Fresh and Pumpkin Dunk’N extend the storage life of your carved pumpkin and keep it from rotting.
Containing water, borax and sodium benzoate, they work as a fungicidal solution that kills bacteria and mold. All you need to do is dry the surface and spray the pumpkins with any of these marvelous sprays to make them last until your Happy Halloween.
Rubbing Alcohol or Floor Cleaner
Spraying some rubbing alcohol can work wonders when it comes to keeping pumpkins from rotting and avoiding mold build up.
Floor cleaners can also work as excellent preservatives for uncarved pumpkins, keeping them shiny and fresh for up to four weeks. All you need to do is apply an acrylic liquid floor cleaner to a wet towel and wipe the pumpkins with the same.
Acrylic Finish Spray or Hair Spray
Hair spray and acrylic finish spray are another great sealants that prevent pumpkins from getting dehydrated and work as a barrier to mold growth, at the same time preventing rodents from eating your jack-o-lanterns away.
WD-40
Exhibiting anti-freezing and water-repelling properties, WD-40 is amazing when it comes to keeping uncarved pumpkins fresh for longer. WD-40 also prevents insects and other creepy crawlers from swarming around the inside of your decorated buddies.
Carved pumpkins can reap the benefits too! Simply spray WD-40 over the surface of the pumpkin and wipe off the excess, followed by waiting a day to allow the spray to dry completely before you place a candle inside.
Petroleum Jelly Sealant/ Tabasco with Vaseline
You can make sure that pranksters think twice about touching your pumpkin art by applying petroleum jelly to your sterilized carved pumpkin.
Smearing just a thin layer of petroleum jelly on the interior, the edges, and the cut-out sections of your jack-o-lanterns to create a barrier to combat bacteria from reaching the flesh and keep moisture trapped inside, at the same time adding some shine to them.
If you are going to paint your pumpkin, you can use Vaseline as a sealant to protect your work and help them last an extra week. Tabasco sauce plus petroleum jelly together help to repel pesky pumpkin-eating critters.
Vegetable Oils
Most of the vegetable oils available out there can be quite helpful in preventing a pumpkin from getting rotten. Dry the pumpkins completely and rub a small amount of vegetable oil taken on a paper or cloth towel over the surface, in a way that it looks shiny but isn’t greasy.
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Avoid Exposure To Sunlight
Pumpkins rot quicker when exposed to direct sunlight. Put them in a place that’s away from the sun and try to keep them as cool as possible to make them last for about a week. In warm weather, you can also put your pumpkin in the refrigerator, but make sure you don’t freeze it.
Hydrate The Pumpkins
Over time, pumpkins tend to start getting drying out or shriveled as they lose water content. In order to revive a dried out pumpkin, submerge it in a bath tub or a bucket of water overnight or at least, for a few hours. Make sure you wipe off excess water after taking the pumpkin out to prevent molding.
*Remember, chemicals and oils are usually flammable and can prove to be dangerous if you choose to keep your pumpkins from rotting with these solutions and place candles insides.
*Instead, you can put glow sticks or battery-operated tea lights inside your Halloween jack-o-lanterns.
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Thanks, again, to Plant Care Today. Click on the link to check them out and see if you’d like to sign up. I’m glad I did.
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I love Halloween. The creativity in the costumes and the talent and thinking outside the box on the pumpkin carving simply make me drool. Since our driveway is 650+ feet up a steep ridge line, and out away from town, we don’t have the hoards of trick or treaters we used to have. In some ways I miss it, even though one year we spent $200 on candy, not wanting to turn anyone away…
hative.com
One Halloween I’ll never forget my husband got a truly awful mask and put a pillow high on his back to make a humpback. He covered it with a big blanket. The first kids showed up and one little girl cried. My husband ripped off the mask to show her the monster wasn’t real and she agreed to forgive him, particularly since he gave her a candy bar. The word quickly spread and the whole neighborhood of kids HAD to visit ‘the house with the monster.” Our son, Brian, was scared of the ‘monster,’ too. Even when HE put the mask on and wasn’t happy until the mask went away. My husband had the time of his life that Halloween.
7online.com
I have fond memories (from went dinosaurs roamed) when we went trick or treating in groups of friends, without parents, having a blast. I went with a bunch of friends. We were gone until our sacks were bulging. We brought the candy home and my mom made us put it in the cupboard after choosing a couple of pieces to eat, doling out the rest until the end of the year.
coolpumpkindesigns.blogspot.ca.
I always drooled over the costumes in the stores, but we never bought them. We always came up with costumes on our own, with funny hats, maybe a mask, borrowed shoes, oversized clothes, blankets, etc. It was fun to try to figure out what we could do that would be gory or funny.
I remember our family trying to carve a pumpkin one year. My parents were both only children who had never carved a pumpkin. We did the best we could, finally achieving a more or less classic look, after working ourselves to death and making a huge mess. Every year as our son grew up, I tried to carve one. I got a bit better each year, but never carved one I really thought looked good. I love seeing what really talented folks can do now.
Enjoy your celebration this year!
creativeartworksblog 