Tag Archives: working in the yard

December 4, 2024 · 9:18 am

Happy Wednesday 12-4-2024

HuffPost UK

Do you realize that Christmas will be here before we know it? As I age, the time whizzes past my head faster and faster. I barely begin the day and it’s gone. Same for the week, month, and year!

I’m spending a lot of time in my art room. I’m having a blast, working on orders from my Etsy site, gathering finished things for orders to mail, making presents for my friends, working on new things to list on my Etsy site, and more. It feels as if I just get started up there and then it’s time to come down and fix lunch, dinner, do errands, etc. I love this time of the year, but I’m a bit concerned that the time is passing SOOOO fast!

ABC News – New York

I was looking at some pictures of lake-effect snow that is happening in some parts of our country now. I’m very thankful I’m not in the middle of that. We would NEVER be able to get down our steep driveway. We would just have to ‘survive’ (hopefully) until the spring thaw…

When we first adopted “Monster Cat,” (aka Jet) I got out a woven ‘bread basket’ and put it on the counter to the left side of my computer monitors so that we could hang out together and she could be comfortable while I worked.

As you can see from the 2nd cat photo above, she sleeps when and wherever she wants to, regardless of my ‘plans.’ I was going to add something to my desk calendar a minute ago, and found her sprawled across the whole thing. I’ve now made my note on a sticky and will transfer it to my calendar when the cat has decided to move on…

The Spruce

Today it may get into the 60s! To celebrate that, I may spend some time this afternoon working in the yard, trying to neaten some things up for the coming winter.

Enjoy your day!

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September 8, 2024 · 10:52 am

Sunday 9-8-2024

ShopWorldFly-Etsy

This is truly stunning. I can’t say enough about it.

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I had a fun day yesterday. Instead of going out and weed-whacking, as I “meant” to do – I played in my art room. I had a great time, only feeling a bit guilty about not starting my clean-up of the yard. I will TRY to get out there today, right after lunch. REALLY. :0)

Our weather is wonderful. Really fall-like. Our high is due to be 81 today! And the humidity is down. You can actually walk outside and breathe at the same time, not frying like an egg. Truly amazing.

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I’ve been considering getting new covers for Amber’s dog beds for quite a while now. I’ve been dragging my feet because we got new covers once before and spent a fortune on them. I decided to see what I could find.

I couldn’t find any covers offered for beds as large as we need them. About a week or so ago, I found a man on Etsy who does custom replacement covers using denim – exactly what I wanted. I still dragged my feet because I need THREE of them (Amber has a bed in the living room, another in the utility room, and a third, smaller one, in the office. ALL of them are looking thoroughly disreputable.

I reread the information provided on his site, read the reviews again, and finally bit the bullet and ordered today. When we get them, I’ll take pics for you and then let you know if they last a reasonable amount of time.

Monster Cat has sleeping places all over the house. She doesn’t, however, have one in the bathroom. I’m going to look for a cat bed to put in there, too.

I hope that you’re having an enjoyable day.

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September 7, 2024 · 9:47 am

Saturday 9-7-2024

Patricia McConnell

We had a busy day yesterday.

Melnor – Ace

We had another blowout on the irrigation system in the front yard. It was the same place it blew out before, right outside the well house. My husband fixed it again, using a bit different technique. I reprogrammed the two units (one for the front and a different style for the back and we tested both manually to make sure they were working and that nothing blew out.) Then we came back out twice later to monitor the actual watering, tweaking the flow in several planters.

I set my alarm to see if the generator actually turned on and did its test at 2pm. It DID, so we’re good on that. :0)

While I was out, I was shocked to see that Mother Nature had turned the ‘ripen’ switch on and I had a BUNCH of ripe tomatoes. I gathered a whole basket full. I’ll see if any more need to come in. It had been a while since I’ve been out there, so several of the tomatoes had gone bad. I’ll need to clean up the plants soon.

First, though, I will start a daily get-out-and-work-in-the-yard session now that it’s finally cooling off some. There is a LOT to do, but I’ll TRY to be smart about it and do a bit each day and not hurt myself. That project starts today.

I did two loads of laundry yesterday, folded things and took the basket upstairs. Today I’m washing sheets. My husband asked me to tell him when I’m ready to put clean sheets on the bed, so I’ll do that.

WonderClosets

This is my new motivation to lose my lard. It was delivered recently. I like my tops to be loose, so I’ll need to lose a bit more before I can wear this. I absolutely LOVE it, so it’s a good motivation for me to keep my mouth shut. :0)

HandmadeHavenbyLinda on Etsy

One of the nurses from our primary doc’s office called yesterday to tell me that our doc has to have a SECOND surgery for the shoulder she broke several months ago snowmobiling with her husband on vacation. The last time we saw her she had her arm in a sling and was going to physical therapy. This is a real bummer.

The nurse asked me if we would agree to see the nurse practitioner at our next scheduled appointment. Since this is a routine appointment, I readily agreed. I asked her to make sure that I was NOT scheduled for the one thyroid blood test that my insurance won’t cover. (I’m disputing that with the company now).

I asked her to tell our doc she’ll be in our thoughts and prayers and thanked the nurse for all the extra work she was having to do to reschedule everyone.

When we go, we’ll be going to the new facility they just moved into, so that will be interesting, too.

I hope today is a nice day for you.

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August 1, 2024 · 8:36 am

Happy August 2024

Poster My Wall

In Arkansas we’re welcoming August today with a heat index this afternoon of 112. GACK! Happily, I had a productive morning outside yesterday, reprogramming our irrigation units to each run 15 minutes. We monitored the watering yesterday afternoon and all went well.

I didn’t find any ripe tomatoes, but 2 of my tomato suckers plants are still alive, so I’m a bit hopeful now. I started on one end of the house and got 5 flower planters weeded before I got too hot. They were in the shade and the ‘excessive heat warning’ didn’t start until noon. Still, with the outside work, I came in wringing wet. I showered and washed my hair for the second time yesterday before lunch. :0)

My husband took our dog, Amber, to fill up the gas cans in preparation for the new mower to be delivered some time tomorrow. We have four, so we each grabbed two from the back of the truck to take out to the shop.

I haven’t decided if I’ll work outside again this morning or take the day off. Even with working out there in the coolest part of the day – in the shade – it took me a long time to get back to a normal temperature.

The Organized Mama

I’m going to try to get up to my art room today. I’m starting to ‘wood burn’ in my dreams now, a sure sign I need to get up there and get the new piece started.

Stay cool and enjoy your day.

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June 16, 2024 · 8:56 am

Father’s Day 2024

Times of India

Happy Father’s Day! Being a good dad is a hugely challenging, rewarding role. I hope you are swamped today (if not every day) with love and appreciation for your efforts.

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Greeting cards in progress

I suddenly had an idea for greeting/note cards and spent part of the afternoon and evening working on them. I’m making cartoony-looking ‘birds’ made from a feather, featuring a quote about birds. The inside of the cards will be blank so people can write what they want for any occasion. It’s been awhile since I wanted to do anything with my art, so it’s nice to be able to focus on something so much fun.

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Anderson Lumber

I’m determined to finish spraying with KillzAll today, and I’ll get outside very soon, before the temperature-with-heat-index becomes lethal. It really doesn’t take long for me to get over-heated these days, so I have to be extra careful. I’ll dash outside in a minute and see what I can get accomplished.

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Enjoy your Sunday.

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June 12, 2024 · 10:48 am

Wednesday 6-12-2024

Karin de Haas – Funda Altincekic Aysel

We got up early (for us) this morning, did not pass “GO,” and went directly to the local clinic for me to get a follow up blood test to see if my new thyroid hormone dosage is correct now. (I had my thyroid radiated/killed several years ago due to Grave’s Disease, so my thyroid dosage is important, and the level was too low.) I’m actually hoping that my doctor will decide to raise the dosage again, based on my energy level and some other things. I should know in a couple of days.

We always reward ourselves after we have blood work done by enjoying a delicious breakfast at our favorite local restaurant, The Dari. I felt very pampered (and full!) when we finished. :0)

Dakota Storage Buildings

We’re home for the rest of the day. I’m going to try to get the weeds in my flower plants under control today. I’ll also check to see if we have any ripe tomatoes to harvest. Yesterday my husband fixed a break in a hose connected to our irrigation system. I’ll test the system to see if it’s working or needs more soon, since the daily rains SEEM to have stopped.

Ohio State News

We just had our quarterly pest spray on the 21st, but we had to catch a LIVE scorpion off the ceiling in our foyer last night. oooooh. I just called our company and asked what could be done. They are sending our guy out again for a respray at no charge on Friday afternoon. You can’t ask for better service than that.

I wish you a very enjoyable day.

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May 6, 2024 · 10:23 am

Monday 5-6-2024

Kids & Animals – Andreas Roeth – Pinterest

We got a lot of rain yesterday. It finally stopped enough for me to tackle the huge bush (“Japanese Yew” – thanks for the app, ML) that lives in a planter on one side of our front porch. I decided to try to basically cut it down by half. It had gotten totally out of hand and cut off the view down the sidewalk when we stood on the front porch.

I got most of the upper half cut off yesterday. I’ll work on it more today to try to make it look better – not just LOPPED OFF, as it looks now.

I have most of the planters in reasonable shape now. I have one to tweak, and then I’ll tackle the pots on the deck next.

I have some zinnia seeds to sprinkle here and there in various planters. I always do this, forget about it, and then have some nice surprises later in the season. :0)

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May 3, 2024 · 10:52 am

Happy Friday 5-3-2024

The Night is My Friend – Facebook.com

I felt this way earlier. We had to get up early to go get lab work done first thing this morning at our doctor’s office for a routine appointment next week. I had to get up twice during the night to talk sternly to Amber, who was barking at ghost gophers. She was finally quiet. My husband gets up before I do much of the time, but he was sleeping soundly when I awoke. Murphy’s Law that since we were both finally sleeping well, we had to get up.

After our tests we rewarded ourselves with a nice breakfast at The Dari, our favorite restaurant in Greenwood. My husband is pretty picky about how he wants his eggs, and he’s gotten spoiled here because they ALWAYS get it right.

We are now home, I’ve just made a pot of coffee and MAY be able to function rather than essentially sleep-walking through the morning. (My husband is taking a nap.)

The weather people are trying their darnedest to look like they know what they’re doing, but I think they’ve thrown their arms up in the air about whether it will rain or not. I’m still reading forecasts, but then just look out the door and decide.

I did some work outside yesterday that I’ll show you in another post. I plan to spend more time out there today (weather permitting) and weed whack if it dries enough or weed and prune more planters if it doesn’t.

Enjoy today and the coming weekend.

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October 6, 2023 · 9:13 am

Happy Fall, Y’All!

ASA Builders Supply

I know ‘autumn’ began on the 23rd of September, but since Arkansas has been experiencing record-breaking heat for the month, it really didn’t SEEM like it. Just an abstract ‘wished-for’ concept.

Recently we got rain and a cool front that appreciably lessened the high temperatures. This afternoon we’re due for another cool front (without the rain this time) that will take the temperatures down even farther. HOORAY! The high will be in the low 80s today and I think in the high 60s tomorrow. Woo HOOOO! It’ll be NICE when I’m trying to work outside. I can’t wait!!

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SeniorGif.com

We have Lunch Bunch today. No one has contacted me yet, so I’m hopeful that SOMEONE will be there to eat with us. If not, we’ll just enjoy some lunch and do our errands.

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Makoto Shinkai Potato – Tenor

I’m planning to do a couple of weeding sessions on the area to the side of our shop and in front of our garden this afternoon. I’m making progress, but it’s slow.

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Delish

I’ll also get the makings of chili in the crock pot when we get back from Lunch Bunch. Not sure what else is in store, but I hope the weather where you are is nice and that you have a wonderful Friday.

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June 19, 2023 · 10:25 am

Juneteenth 2023

Audacy

“Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Deriving its name from combining June and nineteenth, it is celebrated on the anniversary of the order by Major General Gordon Granger proclaiming freedom for enslaved people in Texas on June 19, 1865.” ~ Wikipedia

reddit.com

My husband is alive, even though he woke me from a deep sleep at 0-dark-thirty this morning wanting me to remove a tick from the back of his knee. The light blinded me so it was hard to focus. When I did, the tick was so small I thought it was just some dirt. I could hardly feel it. I tried to remove it with my fingers, but finally found some forceps in the bathroom with which I was finally able to remove the tick. As I was wondering why we needed to do this in the middle of the night rather than the morning, my husband started to snore. Soon after I tried to get back to sleep, the alarm went off. AND, as I type this, guess who is taking a nap in his recliner in the living room….

The only thing on our schedule this morning is gathering trash and driving it down to the bottom of the driveway. We spent some time cutting branches in the driveway yesterday and will probably do another session today. It doesn’t take long for us to poop out doing this, but little by little, we ARE making a difference.

I am also planning to work outside, weed whacking, harvesting and cleaning up the veggie garden, and fertilizing my tomatoes. I’ll have to be careful, though, because it is supposed to be 95 today with a strong sun.

Just when I think I’m doing reasonably well today, I call the dentist’s office trying to schedule a check on our GeoThermal system. (Their phone number was just above the GeoThermal number on my desk calendar.) Embarrassing!

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December 2, 2022 · 9:08 am

Friday Fun 12-2-2022

Final Fantasy XIV

I’m looking forward to Lunch Bunch today even more than usual. Due to Thanksgiving last week, our restaurant wasn’t open for our lunch last Friday, so it’s been two weeks since we met. I want to find out if Linda has moved to the retirement place and what else is going on with everyone.

It’s actually warmer this morning than it has been. It’s 51 degrees F. already and is supposed to get to 60 this afternoon! Woo HOOO! I’m hoping to be able to continue my yard work, though I haven’t decided what I’ll tackle yet, if the weather is cooperative. We’re supposed to have light rain off and on during the day and a strong cold front coming through overnight, so it’s still a roller coaster here.

It’s funny. I’m reading After Sundown by Linda Howard and Linda Jones. It’s about a CME (cornonal mass ejection) bringing their world to a standstill with no electricity until further notice and all the things that derive from that. This morning I checked the news and read about solar storms possibly affecting our power grid in a minor way. Eerie.

And with that, I’ll wish you a happy, stress-free day.

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October 27, 2022 · 11:16 am

Thursday Thoughts 10-27-2022

NeoGAF

I managed NOT to come downstairs in the middle of the night and read while stuffing my face last night. I woke up like someone had nudged me about about 3am, but firmly laid there with my eyes shut, avoiding temptation. I’m NOT overeating at lunch and dinner, but I AM having to convince myself I’m not starving to death between meals and in the middle of the night. I know. I’m certainly old enough to know better.

I can’t believe how beautiful our weather has been since the two days of storms we had. It’s 57 degrees F. right now and the high is supposed to be 70 today. I’m planning to get outside after lunch and work in the yard. My onions still need to be stored, my elephant ears got pretty battered during the storm and I need to clean up what’s left as much as I can. I’m still working on replanting the iris I dug up when I converted the planter from an iris planter to a tomato planter for the spring. I’m not even THINKING of making a list of all I need to do outside because it’s overwhelming. I’ll just plod along and do what I can for now.

Facebook

DAY 104 for daily yoga practice. I wish I looked as nice as this lion when I practiced. I bet he’d be impressed with all the cracking and popping my body does as I move into the positions and stretches.

I hope that you’re enjoying a beautiful day, too. Make it a happy one. :0)

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June 28, 2022 · 9:02 am

Good Morning

Jeremy Paul Wildlife Artist – “Mirror2”

Good morning! I’m up and mostly functional, though I’m feeling a bit blurry this morning.

Our doors are open again, taking advantage of another day of low humidity and ONLY hot temperatures by mid afternoon, rather than the breath-sucking, slap-you-in-the-face heat advisory and excessive heat warning weather we have been ‘enjoying’ lately. This is due to continue until Friday, when we have several days of rainy, humid weather again and rising temperatures. Good things can’t last forever. I’ll take it and grin while I can.

Our first ripe tomato of the season!

Our first ripe tomato of the season last night was cut up with great ceremony and enjoyed with our dinner. It was a pretty tomato with no blemishes or bad spots, and was delicious! :0)

We will leave for errands in about 45 minutes, but we have no big plans for the day. The most ‘exciting’ thing is that the water department folks will leave the sample bottle on the porch sometime today. I have a note beside my computer about it so I don’t forget. I get the sample tomorrow morning and they pick the bottle back up sometime tomorrow.

iStock

I plan to spend some time outside today, doing something constructive in the yard, if possible.

I hope your Tuesday is healthy and happy.

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June 20, 2021 · 9:20 am

A Bit of Success

WiffleGif

I finally had a bit of success on losing the lard. I’m almost back to 30 pounds down since my heaviest now – hoping to hit that officially in the next day or so. I’m learning once again how much easier it is to put it ON, rather than taking it OFF.

Yesterday I was moving most of the day. I was in the shop working on the refurb of our Box Turtle Yard art piece. It was hot in there, but I had a fan. I was up and down, pulling and hauling. After resting a bit, I weed whacked, doing two sessions that I had to stop when the weed eater started to smoke! My husband will look at that today to see if it is salvageable. Anyhow, it was a lot of work out in the hot, so I guess that helped finally shed a bit more of the lard.

Today I’m going to put the refurbed box turtle back where he lives in the yard, take pics to show you, start work on another piece, use the leaf blower to clean up the two sidewalks and garage pad, and then cut up lots of veggies for the “kielbasa and veggies” cookout for tonight.

I hope you have a happy Sunday, too.

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August 15, 2020 · 4:21 pm

Yes!

Honest to Paws

I spent two hours in the yard, cleaning up today. I used the leaf blower to clear the concrete areas first, and then tackled the front yard. It took me quite a while, but I finished it. I did short sessions, resting and drinking a ton of water in-between. I will do more tomorrow, but that’s it for today.

 

I also cleaned out the aquarium. This is an experiment, really, because the filter system says to only change the charcoal filter part this time. I did this, but the water still turned cloudy. I’m hoping that with the fresh water and decorations today, we can go another month before having to clean out again. Next month the schedule says to change the charcoal part again, plus the foam part. We’ll see.

Meanwhile, the fish have sparkling clean water to swim around in. They didn’t say anything about the changes. They are just interested in feeding times, but “I” am happy that we seem to be making good progress on coming up with a better system to keep my fish healthy.

I have now taken a shower and feel MUCH better. I’m planning to veg out the rest of the afternoon, enjoying the air conditioning, my recliner, my book, and maybe a nap.

Hope you’re having a fine day.

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June 13, 2020 · 9:32 am

Young at Heart

picturequotes.com

It’s going to be warm today, but the humidity will be low, so no complaints.

I’ve been PLANNING to get out in the yard for a couple of days now, but never got beyond the talking state.

I’m going out now to weed whack.

Wish me luck!!!!

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May 20, 2020 · 10:20 am

Thoughts on a Wednesday 5-20-2020

source unknown

I have found this to be good advice – smiles are contagious, and they make you AND the recipient feel better.

That said, I just had words with my husband. He was in our home office, working at the computer, so I decided I would use the opportunity to vacuum the 1st floor carpeting. Suddenly, he and Amber, our 95-pound yellow lab,

were in the living room with me. They decided to go out on the back porch, but we had the door open, creating a nice breeze. I was vacuuming and suddenly was hit with 95 pounds of dog flying into me, trying to go after the ball my husband threw for her. I scowled at him, and he grinned sheepishly at me, after helping me up. The SECOND time the dog came flying past me, getting tangled in the cord, I put her out on the porch and shut the door. I finished vacuuming and put the dog bed back down in the living room. I opened the back door to allow husband and dog back into the house. The next thing I knew, the dog was flying for the ball into the front of the living room into her bed, sliding about three feet with the slobbery ball and bed. I then told my husband in no uncertain terms that I had vacuumed in the living room in order not to bother him in the office, and that consideration seemed to be only going one way this morning.  He agreed, grinned again, hugged me, and sat down to read in his chair. (It is now time to look at the picture and suggestion above again.) 

National Geographic

We trapped Raccoon # 3 of the season overnight and so took a trip to relocate him first thing this morning. I have a nice mental picture of him finding the two others we have relocated so far this season and having a happy reunion far enough away that they won’t return to our home. My husband cleaned out the humane trap, had to replace the plastic bowl we use to hold the bait because the raccoon trashed it, and refilled our bird feeders. We have no idea how large the current raccoon family is. We’ll see if we get all the bird seed cleaned out tonight.

We have had two absolutely perfect weather days,

Clipart Library

and I can’t sing high enough praises. I like rain, but it starts to be depressing when you get day after day of cool, gray, rainy weather. I am smiling at the sunshine, trying to encourage Mother Nature to provide more of this.  Since it’s supposed to be nice today, I’m planning to do some weed whacking in the area behind the shop and beside the veggie garden, where my husband can’t use the riding mower. When I get that all cut down, I’ll also spray some weed killer right around the big trash barrels that hold the ingredients of Mel’s Mix for the garden, plus around the propane tank that serves the shop. I’ll take some pics when things are presentable.

I hope that you are safe and well, having a happy day.

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December 12, 2019 · 1:16 pm

Thoughts on a Thursday 12/12/2019

Penny Yaffe Krakow-shoebill stork love-photographer unknown

A good, busy day so far.

We took my husband to get a blood test to be read at his doctor appointment next week. Any time either of us has to do this, we ‘celebrate’ by eating breakfast at our favorite place, The Dari, in Greenwood. We got our mail on the way home and I started laundry. We’re on the 3rd load now. We changed sheets on the bed, will fold the laundry later.

I went back to town to get a pair of earrings from the local shop and include them in an order from a good friend from Spain. We discovered that for some unknown reason, it is significantly more expensive to send something from the U.S. to Spain than it costs the other direction. The people at the post office couldn’t give me a reason why. It is still the cheapest way we can send something as small as a package of earrings.

Today I will make a batch of egg/sausage/cheese bake, a recipe from Suzanne Ryan of Simply Keto. This has become one of our favorite recipes.  Last time I added broccoli. My husband wasn’t as happy with that, but said mushrooms and spinach would be fine.)

I’m in the middle of a grand experiment, trying to make wooden earrings for people who do NOT have pierced ears. I got the small round disks painted on both sides, and today I’ll try to glue the clip-on findings to the backs of the earrings. Then I’ll wear a pair – though I HATE clip-ons – to see if they hold together. I’m also painting yet another tee I stained (sigh), plus working on a set of note cards.

I’m about halfway through my to-do list for the day now, so I’m taking a break to have a cup of coffee and write this blog post.

Our weather is super nice, so I MAY get out and neaten up the yard a bit this afternoon. Yoga and my elliptical trainer are on tap for this afternoon, too.

I hope that you are having a fun, satisfying day.

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October 12, 2019 · 10:07 am

Thoughts on a Saturday 10-12-2019

Beautiful World

 

It’s 40 degrees F this morning and sunshine-y.

It’s too cool to have our doors open this morning, but I am REALLY enjoying the relief from our relentless summer here. It’s nice to NOT have a ‘heat index’. Somehow, knowing that makes me even hotter. I’m planning to work outside this afternoon, cleaning up around the tomato planters where I pulled out the plants a couple of days ago. I may have to throw on a sweatshirt!!!! Woo HOOOO!

It makes me a bit sad that in one week our son will be going back to Thailand. He came home at the end of July (27 hour trip with the flights and the layovers) to help us through the aftermath of my husband’s stroke.  There were lots of tests and decisions to be made. It was a super tense situation, but we finally got the information we needed and did what my husband would allow to avoid another stroke. The crisis is over. My husband is almost completely back to normal. It’s time for our son to get back to his life. I’m collecting lots of hugs (thank goodness he is super generous with them. We communicate almost daily when he’s halfway across the world. He set up a secure chat program we use, plus a conference call program we use from time to time so we can see each other. The only thing missing is his world class hugs. We are SO lucky.

 

I am still fighting with technology, but I’m happy to have two shops on Etsy now –

ArtworthyNoteCards –  hand-painted personalizable stationery, note cards, and greeting cards

TotablyYours  – hand-painted, one-of-a-kind tote bags

 

Amazon

 

I’ve admitted that I’m like a little kid when it comes to motivation to do things I would rather not. I’ve been giving myself gold stars on my desk calendar each day when I practice my yoga, do my elliptical trainer, or do a job in the yard that is drudgery, rather than fun. This week – if I stay on track today and tomorrow, will be a 15-star week!  It makes me happy to look at all the stars on the desk calendar, but I’m also FEELING better for the exercise – and that is really the point of it all.

If I can get my technical problems solved today, I’ll try to get up to my art room this afternoon. I have the BEST of all dilemmas – whether to experiment with my new crayon melting tools or experiment with my new Unicorn Spit stain/glaze kit my wonderful SIL sent me.  :0)

 

 

I hope that you are enjoying YOUR Saturday, whether it is with relaxation or fun.

 

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June 11, 2019 · 1:05 pm

Good Intentions

Word Porn via Meade Dennis Adams

This is me in a nutshell.

I have a boatload of good intentions, but get distracted easily. This results in guilty feelings. If I’m doing something INside, I feel guilty about the things that need doing OUTside, and vice versa.

Yesterday my husband mowed the lawn, so we look pretty good out there right now – particularly if you ignore the fact that we have a collapsed brick planter in the front yard with a tarp load of potting soil covered in front of it.  I figured that the LEAST I could do was use the leaf blower to clean up the sidewalks. THAT led to using the leaf blower to clean up our garage , and THAT led to blowing off the garage pad…

When I came INside, I remembered that I really needed to clean off our stove top. The dishwasher is happily cleaning the removable stuff, and I finally got the top cleaned up. When I get it put back together, I won’t want to USE it – messing it up again. :0)

I DID manage to change out the aquarium filter – hoping that that will put off my having to change the water and clean it out immediately. And THAT led to watering the poor window sill plants that were sitting there, hands around their parched throats – saying, “Linnnnnn-daaaaaaaa!” HOPING I would finally notice them.

I very carefully ignored the pollen-covered porch – again – while sitting down to rest. I really DO need to vacuum the first floor today. It’s to the point where the balls of dog and cat hair grab your leg as you walk by.

I realize I’ll never get completely caught up, with all the stuff done inside and out, particularly since my husband mentioned a few minutes ago that he wants to get started rebuilding the brick planter tomorrow…

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May 26, 2018 · 11:02 am

Weekend of Playing in the Dirt

stayathomeeducator.com via sites.psu.edu

 

This weekend we’ll be in and out, trying to get as much accomplished in the yard as we can – while living to tell the tale.

The weather looks like typical July or August for us – lots of bright sun, 90’s – 100+ temperatures and little, if any, chance of rain. The problem is that it’s only May!  We have doors and windows open most of the morning and then have to close up to run a/c for the afternoon and early evening, opening up again when if/when possible.

  • The bright sunshine after rain last week is causing our grass to grow as we watch, so mowing and weed-whacking will be one thing we need to do this weekend.
  • I need to scrub out and refill Amber’s kiddie pool. She doesn’t ‘swim’ in it a whole lot, but she rarely goes out during the day without running through it, drinking a bit of it, and maybe lying down in it enough to cool herself off a bit. (She is 14 months old now and weighs 93 lbs. To say it’s a ‘challenge’ for us to keep up with her is a laughable understatement. :0)
  • The rain and sunshine are causing the trees – and other ‘stuff’ on both sides of our long, steep driveway – to attempt to grow together, blocking anyone from coming up or going down. I’ll drive the truck slowly up and down the driveway – my husband with loppers and a ladder in the back – cutting things back. We’ll need to do this several times before it will be reasonable again. We also need to cut down things at the bottom of the driveway. Our robot is almost surrounded by greenery!
  • My raised bed square foot garden needs a lot of work. Yesterday we got some lettucy-type plants, broccoli ‘stir-fry’ plants, and some cantaloupe plants at the co-op. I got them planted, but need to harvest, prune, pull-up, and otherwise get the garden under better control. My bolted lettuce plants need to be pulled, chopped up, and added to our compost barrel.

And the list goes on. We’ll do as much as we can – resting between sessions and drinking boatloads of water.  Assuming we can do most of this by the end of the weekend, we’ll go to our local nursery next week to find some flowers for the deck and yard.

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

 

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Filed under Gardening, holidays, Housekeeping - Maintenance, Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds

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October 26, 2017 · 4:17 pm

Folding Myself into a Paper Airplane – Take 13

The Awesome Daily

I told you that I did something mysterious and hurt my back. I have no clue what I did, but I was in real agony for about a month, unable to do much except gripe, groan an try to sleep while my husband tried to keep things afloat and take care of me. I’m really not interested in repeating this experience, so I have CAUTIOUSLY begun my yoga for old ladies stretching again, plus CAREFULLY starting up my sessions on the elliptical trainer.

I have to put Amber on the porch because getting on the floor is an invitation for 65 pounds + of dog to sit on you, mouth open, with too many teeth available.  I’m doing stretching on my own on my mat, rather than trying to do a lesson from my “Gentle Yoga” DVD set. I’m up to 10 minutes again on the elliptical – pretty pathetic, except I don’t know what I did to trigger my problem. I’m treated myself kind of like a time bomb at this point, hoping to ease into more and more.

Since I’ve been walking and playing with Amber several times each day, plus working in the yard, I’m still getting a reasonable amount of exercise.

Now – If I can JUST be a good little girl and eat my low-carb stuff, my world will be complete.

taolife.com

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April 23, 2017 · 12:56 pm

The Sun is Shining!

After several cool days and rain, the sun is shining! HOOOOORAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!

We have what looks like a three-day opportunity to spend time outside before four more days of cool and rain this week.

It’s been SO cool and rainy, I haven’t checked on our garden in several days. I’ll do that today. I’m hoping there will be some good things to harvest. If so, I’ll post pictures later.

I have flower planters to clean out, weed whacking to do, and planters to get ready for new plants. We’re hoping to go to the local nursery tomorrow for a flat of periwinkles, several purslane plants, some geraniums, and maybe a flat of gerbera daisies – one of my very favorite flowers – if they still have flats for sale.

To celebrate having such a nice day today, my husband suggested that we get steaks to grill on the deck tonight. We always turn on the rope LED lights while we’re out there, and we can listen to our wind chimes on the porch and the new hummingbird bird bath waterfall while we sit, enjoying the evening and each other.

The errands are done for the day. I’ll finish my coffee and head outside to see how our garden is faring.

I hope you’re enjoying a fabulous Sunday, too!

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Filed under Arkansas, Gardening, Greenwood, Mother Nature, Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds

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February 28, 2017 · 4:09 pm

Last of the Personalized Christmas Ornaments

gc-butterfly1

“Butterfly”

 

gc-lamb

“Lamb”

 

gc-rockinghorse

“Rocking Horse”

I finished the last of the 20 different hand-painted wooden personalized “Gingerbread Cookies” themed Christmas ornaments today.  I’ve had a lot of fun making them, along with the personalized Christmas Cards on the same theme.

If you’d like to see the whole collection, click HERE

I’m also working on a special group of ornaments as Christmas presents for good friends, so I’m having a blast in my art room lately. :0)

In the shop, I’ve started a new mosaic bowl. The design is free-form, meaning I’m just doing what I like. The sides of the bowl really slope, so I can only do a ‘ridge line’ each day, covering the glass only on the very top of the bowl, then turning it and adding more. Otherwise, the tiles slide down the bowl and dry wherever they end up. (Lesson on a previous sloping piece.)

I love days when I can do errands with my husband, get outside and enjoy the weather, spend time in my art room or the shop (or both), do a couple of “things-I-really-need-to-do-today” and THEN have time to start or continue a book….

I hope that YOU’RE having a fun day, too.

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