Confessions, still and again, part umpty-ump

I have to agree with you, picante. Chemicals are often the culprits in Lou Gehrig's disease. And you are right, we should not have these neurotoxins inserted in our environment.

The Tai Chi camp out will be at City of Rocks state park this year between Deming and Silver City. We usually have it there. Everything is outside. My teacher is fixated on moon phases and meditations, esp. full moon. So, we will have one practice that extends from Saturday night in to Sunday morning. It will be silent. We're nice to be camped near! I really love these events. Makes a healthy transition in to the fall/winter season. I hope I will be able to go. On the other hand, the family is all "stirred up" as you can imagine. I talked to one of D.H.'s sisters for an hour last night. In fact, the condition of our niece is unchanged. But, the conditions of everyone else have gotten more and more stressful. She did have a priest come talk to her yesterday. She can hear but not speak or control her muscles at all. Her mother said that having the priest there calmed her and she was more relaxed afterwards. Which is good. She is a devout Christian. So, I am glad she is getting some relief. She is in her late 20's, almost 30's. Very young for this disease which she has lived with for about the last 10 years. It has gradually gotten worse. I am going to buy some bulbs today and plant them with her in mind. We don't know what will happen and maybe she will see them bloom in the spring.

What a good idea, roybird. Does she live in Santa Fe? Glad the family thought of the priest. Maybe the priest could help some of them as well. Sometimes the family needs as much help as the sick person.

Its hard to watch somebody you care about go through something like this. You don't want them to suffer or die, but there isn't anything you can really do to change it.

Meditating on the moon all night is probably just what you need right now, roybird. I hope you get to go.

Yes. I bought some cute species tulips,"Little Beauty"which are hot pink, white and blue; 10 white Muscari, 3 large "Dreaming Maid" tulips which are a blue-pink and white for my niece's bulb area. I have some white tulips with a little pink that I'll put those near. There are already some yellow and red ones in the general area , so I hope they can all get along! I bought one tulip for me "Spring Green " which is green and white. I think it will go over near my orange ones. I will probably end up with more tulips later on. I watered at my friend's house who is out of town, watered here and planted some sedum and ivy that were in pots. Trying to get things together because we are supposed to get a freeze here Sunday or Monday.

I have a question on the bulbs (yes, this is my first time ever planting bulbs outside!). Is it okay to plant them if it may freeze that same night? I have some to plant, but it may freeze tomorrow night, and apparently it will surely freeze Thursday night. Any advice?

Bulbs can be planted as long as the soil can be worked. So, you don't have to worry until the ground is frozen which will not be over night. People here plant tulips, etc. throughout October and November, generally. Be sure to plant at the correct depth for the type of bulb. The bigger ones go deeper and the little ones not so much. They are really easy!

Actually it is a little early to plant tulips. Not that you shouldn't. But the usual recommendation is October. I don't think planting them now will hurt a bit though. Do listen to roybird's advice. She has some of the prettiest tulips I have ever seen.
I have bought a bunch of species and Darwin tulips on dahlia's advice which was confirmed by the people at Denver Botanic Garden. These are the ones that grow and multiply here. I saw them at the DBG spring sale -- growing in the garden, not for sale. Now I hope to grow them here. Species iris and Darwin iris are supposed to grow and multiply here.
BTW, I don't have much experience growing tulips and other bulbous stuff. I am learning, but am very much the beginner. The advice I am giving you is just stuff I have heard from reliable sources. On my own, I know nothing.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I appreciate your sage advice!

It is just about October! My experience with bulbs is that some years are better than others, just like everything else. I suggest planting tulips and daffodils because the daffodils seem to like a warmer winter and the tulips prefer a cold, wet winter.

Good to know, roybird. I also think we should plant tulips and daffodils because they are both lovely and the deer don't like daffodils. I need to plant a whole bunch of those as deer repellent.

I'm planting bulbous things now because my ground freezes earlier and I have so many to plant. I plant right into early November. This is also the time to plant asiatic and LA hybrid lilies too. Not orientals though.

Wow I will have a lot to catch up with when I get back, LOL!

Not quite back yet, computer still being fixed, but at least it IS being fixed, whew! This substitute one is not fun at all but at least I can get most of my work done.

I am making a small bet with myself as to whether this thread will reach 300 posts, or someone will start a new one, before I get back........ *grin*

Hope all are well and all is well, no time really to read and know, just sayin...... dropped in to pick up some info, but I w ill be back. Hoping to see Roybird's contest photos, still, one day, whenever.

ciao for now
Kyla

Ugh! frost warnings for tonight and tomorrow night! I still have stuff to get into the ground. It's warm enough today and sunny, but the wind! I can't work in 30 mph wind!

Glad to hear from you Kyla. Best wishes for your sick computer.

Hi, Kyla! Jude, we are getting those intense winds here, too.

Ditto. The leafs are gonna be gone in no time if this keeps up!

It snowed here today.

Luckily I got all the ripe tomatoes out of the hoop house yesterday and the day before. DH's sister and her husband helped me, bless their hearts, so I have lots in the freezer now! Also gave a lot away. It looks like I may have to puree a bunch more that are still sitting here and freeze them too, but not today.

I am letting the hoop house go to coldness without a struggle this fall. Ending early and that is all I have energy for this year.

Actually, if I had sold every tomato out there all summer for the prices I got Saturday at the silent auction I would be wealthy. They were going for $4 each. Unfortunately I don't think I have buyers at that price for that many...

Hope Kyla's computer is restored to proper electonic behavior before this thread swamps the forum...

brrrrr mulch. Thankfully you had help with the toms. So glad to hear the auction went well! I brought the toms in on the weekend and the plants are now part of my newly compiled and piled compost heap. I think I will kiss my dahlias farewell tonight as I have bulbback and bulbbutt from too much digging, dividing and stooping and no gumption to erect teepees and ghosts in this wind (or to retrieve said teepees and ghosts from the neighbours satelite dishes)

Snow already! Sigh. I keep hoping we slip into a nice warm, dry spell for October.

Bulbback and Bulbbutt sound like two cartoon characters.

I did move all my still to go into the ground plants up against the back of the house (north side, brick wall, sheltered) and watered them thoroughly. I also picked the last of my runner beans and pulled out the vines. Everything else can wait until it's summer again (and in Denver, it will be soon). The leaves on all the tress around town are turning quickly - about 2 to 3 weeks early it seems. It would be nice to have an actual _Fall_ season. Usually in spring and fall it alternates sumer and winter days until one or the other wins out. I started today with the heat on and now the swamp cooler is running. Typical. Not liking the wind though.

The trees downtown are red an beautiful, but with all this wind I am afraid their leaves will be gone very soon. The ponderosa pine needles are falling on the grass very rapidly. I mowed the lawn yesterday -- yes I now have a working lawnmower again -- and already today there are pine needles all over it. I am frantically planting things and potting irises that have not been planted in the ground. Time seems so short until the ground freezes.
I, too, dahlia will be planting into November -- bulbs, garlic, shallots, irises, oriental poppies and sedums. I am so far behind.

Paj, your yard will be mases of blooms when you get all that established!

I had put some nice geraniums in my tubs in the spring thinking I would unplant them and put them in houseplant pots for the winter. I think it will freeze hard out there tonight. I finally, just before 9 pm in the dark, got the gumption together to go uproot them. I did not want to go clear out to the hoop house to get a trowel so I found an old not loved spatula in a kitchen drawer and used that. Old not loved spatulas make terrible trowels, in case anyone wondered.

But the geraniums are now in a bucket in the house. If they are lucky they will each get their own pot tomorrow.

I am skipping the dreaded twins Bulbback and Bulbbutt this year...

Sad to see the dahlias go.

I am hoping I will have lots of blooms next year -- hopefully more than this year, not that this year was so bad. It's just that I buy so many more plants than I can plant. I feel guilty. Most of them get planted eventually, but sometimes they spend a year or two in pots, and some don't make it, though I am getting better at maintaining things in pots-- secrets I have learned, larger pots. more water, all year long.
Sigh. My aspirations are so much greater than my time and strength!
Important life lesson to be learned there.

A sad day. Our niece, Bridget, died this evening. We are currently canceling plans and waiting to hear what we need to do next. I'll let you know. A rough night ahead. In a way I am glad she was able to let go now. It was becoming almost impossible for her parents to continue caring for her at home and I think she knew that. She was a very sweet, girly-girl. Very intelligent and mature for her age. We shared the same birthday and always sent each other cards even though we were not terribly close. When we did spend time together we liked watching basketball games on t.v. Before she got sick she was a runner. Please forgive this sad post.

Sorry to hear that Roybird. I'm sad for your loss.

Oh, roybird, I am so sad to hear of Briget's passing. I know that you and your whole family will be very sad. I am hoping for comfort for all of you. This cannot be easy.

Roybird, I'm sending my thoughts and prayers for you and your family. So sad, and so difficult to find the right words to comfort... hugs to you.

Thanks, folks. I'm afraid I'm not handling things very well right now but your kindness helps.

Don't give yourself trouble about not handling things well. Let go of the need to do a good job of handling things for awhile. Just do your grieving. Your ability to handle things will come back in time.

Paj said it well there. I am so sorry to hear about your niece. My heart goes out to you.

I am saddened by your loss dear funny bird. Please allow yourself to be sad. {{{{{roybird}}}}

roybird, sorry to hear of your loss, and agree with all the above. My prayers are with you.

Donna

Thanks everybody. I am feeling better, although exhausted. After a sleepless night and much time spent by the phone, the Minnesota family has decided to have one memorial there and then come here for another memorial at the end of the month. Which is what actually works best for all of us. I just wish we could have known that earlier. But, things happen as they happen and who can be organized when someone dies? D.H.'s parents are relieved that they will not have to travel. They are very concerned about flu and I can't say as I blame them. I got a lot of work done today cleaning out my studio and putting things together for my friend's garage sale. Tomorrow is another day.

Oh, roybird! Thinking of you.

Me, too. ♥♥♥

Well, goodness. I guess I will have to start a new thread.

Mulch, hope you are healing? and glad you got your tomatoes in.......

Roybird, (((((((((Roybird)))))))) is really all I can say......... but, well, wow.

okay, starting new thread and gonna give a bit of news over there.

Ta-Da! New thread here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1046958/

This message was edited Oct 10, 2009 5:05 PM