Hanging in there- part 4

We came from here. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1096779/

The last thread was getting very long so here goes.

The picture is not the best but it is a self photo and reflects my mood most of the summer. My hair is a bit longer and really full now. It came in wavey and more salt and peppery. Every time my hair grows back in it is a supprise as to what I'll get.

Mary, so glad your daughter is CA free, working in a dental office my boss CA screens our patients once a year at their exams for oral CA.
I hear that it is hard to find sites that give advise for caretakers, every patient is different, I think that keeping a positive attitude is the key, don't sugar coat the facts but find something positive to do or say. The nurses at the cancer center are very good at this, I listen to what they have to say to other patients, and they are amazing.
Today is grocery day so I need to get moving. Catch you all later.

This message was edited Dec 6, 2010 1:10 PM

Thanks for the new thread Chris! Hopefully we can help improve your mood as you've certainly helped all of us many times in many ways. Glad to hear that you've been reading again. Got any good recommendations?

Watching movies through a Wii is pretty cool. Do you use it for games too?

Here's my garden helper whose got both eyes on you!

Hi Chris. I just got back from the grocery store myself. My work has been so energy consuming for the past two weeks, so I've fallen behind on the house chores. Couldn't sleep last night - restless I guess, wondering when I would find time to catch up. Ended up taking today off to do mail, bills, grocery shopping, and laundry. Ho hum, but takes more time than it should - would rather be outside enjoying the beautiful fall day. As everyone else has been posting, my gardens were really pathetic this year too. I have ordered all kinds of seeds to get a jump start on next season. At last count, I now have about 50 different things to try - overly ambitious, but what the heck... Have a nice afternoon! Terri

Gita, the brugs look like lovely bells all hanging in a row!

Chris, you gave me African Impatiens, which I didn't get to sprout. I didn't do all the seeds so I'm going to try again. Also, columbines, which I'll try now that I have sand to start them on.

Awww to the one eyed frog and dog. How nice he has a safe place to live.

Mary, that is scary, and you sure did need someone to talk to. I'm glad your daughter is OK!

Chris, when I saw the thread activated the other day, I assumed it was one of us, but for some reason I paused and re-read your very first post before continuing. Imagine my joy in seeing it was you checking in! I've missed you alot and I love the picture of you. Seeing some of the scenery thru your eyes, (and picture,) you had a beautiful place to reflect on things. It's too bad it had to be such heavy thinking. We got groceries today too. I am stocked and loaded for the winter :o)

Stormy, exellent picture! I didn't have those, in fact, I'm lucky to find one a year. I did have dragonflies of all kinds. It was almost magical!

Terri, my house has been going by itself all summer, cleaning-wise. I've done the bare necessities, but it needs a deep cleaning, room by room!

Chris, I have a short story. I alternate between hysterical giggles and feeling terrible.

I was transplanting flowers over the last few weeks. In one part of the bed the dirt was really cloddy. I was scooping up some of the clods to just dump on the compost pile and let the winter soften them. I was turning dirt and chopping away. I turned another shovelful and more clods. I brought the shovel up and banged it down..... just in time to see a toad. I got him. I just froze and kept saying ''I'm sorry, I'm sorry." After a minute he hopped over and sat in the iris. I swear he was eyeing me. I just kept apologizing and later he was gone. I usually see them in time, but I think I unearthed him. I just felt so bad at hitting him and hope he was in between clods so not to have taken the full brunt. If an extra sqatty toad shows up, he might be getting out of Iowa!

Peace

Billy, those garden beds sure are pretty and that has got to be the greenest lawn I've seen in a long time!

I got the Wii last year and I have a few games, I get them through Amazon.com, you can get used games at a fraction of the price, also people can post their reviews about the game and that helps in deciding which ones to buy. The sports one that came with the game was good therapy for my broken wrist.
Billy, that is a lovely picture of your yard. I also had some close calls with a shovel and toads, hate when that happens. Those African Impatients seeds might be getting to old. I'd plant them all next year a see what happens, if you get one to grow save those seeds.

Don't mention house cleaning, I just do enough to get by. Try to do something each day I don't go to work. Yesterday was the kitchen floor that was pulling out the frig and cleaning behind that too. Grocery shopping is enough for the day, putting everything away is a job in it's self.
The price of apples are back up $1.49 a lb. they were .99 cents for the last 2 weeks. How are your prices in other areas?

I paid $1.49 this week at the grocery store, but that was for some delicious super-crunchy Raeburns! Got a bag of Honeycrisps at Sam's last weekend that I think was a little better priced per pound.

Hi Chris, So glad your posting again, I'm sure Holly's excited also. She's away but has been informed we've heard from you. I think I got some nice apples the end of last week at Karns for 99 cents. Ric

Crazy weather here, it hit 77!!!!
lots of reblooming going on...
stella de oro opened today

Billy how do you get that grass looking so great???? it's just beautiful

Thanks for the yard compliments all. The picture was in May, when we have the best lawn. Most of it's Kentucky Bluegrass, but we have other kinds growing now. As long as we have rain it stays green. A lot of shade in the yard helps too. Today, it's still green, with a bit of yellowing. We treat for crabgrass and weeds, but not every year. DH mostly walks around every day pulling weeds :o) And people ask what he does with himself all day, being retired.

Chris, I will plant all of them! Our apple prices were still 99 cents. I like the Gala and Fuji and pick those that have a shiny waxy coat since I like mine crispy. They seem to be the newer batches.

Stella is so pretty! I have three, but they were all in the same bed. I moved two this fall to spread out the color.

We froze last night.

I took this picture the other day.

Our power went out for a few hours last evening, I was in the middle of watching "2012" an end of the world disaster flix, Wow talk about effects. LOL Must have been a transformer blew, and we were not having winds or rain and no motor vehicle accidents.
I like the Gala apples too, I did pick up a bag of Fugi 3lbs. at $2.50 about 83 cents a lb. I'm not excited about buying in bags as you can't inspect each apple for nicks and bruises. No savings if you have to throw some away. Red grapes were 99 cents a lbs, and they are really tasty.
I have a few Stellas at the end of the driveway, I like when they shoot out a bloom when you least expect it. I have some yellow and orange-red mums blooming.

Chris, laughing over the power out and choice of movie!

I was watching a movie during the big storm on Saturday and I missed so much of it, I'll have to watch it again. I hate it when that happens.

I just looked up Koyannisqati - Life out of Balance, on Youtube a couple of weks ago. We had watched it on tv a long time ago and I wanted to see it again. It's interesting!

The grapes HAVE been really good. We won't buy them when they are expensive and always taste first. The stores finally got smart and leave bags open. We buy a lot more often when we can taste.

Alas, my Stellas quit a while back and now it's too cold for a bloom :o(

Well, I've got to get up and get dressed.

Crispy apples... me too! I shall share my secret method, which always gets me strange looks in the store. The owner of Catoctin Mountain Orchards came over to me once to see why on earth I was listening to his apples...

If you put the apple near your ear and flick it with a fingernail, you will be able to tell its texture. Hard, crispy apples will give a brisk "tick!" while softer apples will sound like more of a "thunk." If you try a few different kinds (Granny Smith are almost always very crispy, while Red Delicious are often soft), you will hear the difference between them.

I'm a grape-taster, too! I think stores have come to expect it now, but what I used to do was select a small bag, then secretively taste one (usually when I was in a different department)... if they were good, I'm come back for another bigger bag or two... if they were bad, sometimes I'd suck it up and buy the small bag, but if they were really bad I'd sneak the small bag back into the bin. LOL

Chris, yeah, that was quite the special effect! I'm glad your power is back. Hope you're not picking up branches etc... lot of areas seem to have been hit with some strong winds & rain this week.

LOL, I thunk watermelon, sniff cantaloupes and bags of potatoes. Now I'll be flicking apples LOL

I was watching the movie in "netflix" when the power came back on I just hit resume and the movie took off where the power went off. Here is a great move to see "Tortilla Soup" and I watched "My life in Ruins" I loved them both.

LOL Chris, I never thought of sniffing the potatoes. Great idea! I've generally preferred Gala & Fiuji apples for eating, but the last two years started buying the Lady apples. I like their small size and crispness. Now there is an organic farmer's market nearby with a whole array of beautiful apples I've never heard of, so I'm trying some of them. Honestly I've only started buying apples in the last two weeks as I have been peach & plum obsessed this year.

I can't remember there ever being a better peach year than this one. It seemed like no matter where the peaches came from they were almost all wonderful. I think that I was only disappointed once this season. There were so many different plum varieties available too and I particularly enjoyed the different small varieties as well as the pluots. This summer I sought out and bought from more farm markets than ever before and was rewarded with a lot more variety and better tasting fruits. Surprisingly, some of the farm markets were priced well below the supermarkets too.

Grapes were another item that fell off of my shopping list as some of the produce stores and stands had such incredible buys on cherries, that I bought them whenever possible. They were indeed a delight and so many seemed much larger and sweeter than normal. Since the cherries ended our local produce store has had incredible buys on small figs. LOL So now I'm onto my fig obsession. Alas, those are winding down now too.

Of the supermarkets, I've been finding the best quality and prices on fruit at Walmart. I like to buy the fruits individually too. They are still underselling everyone on Blackberries. I read that they have become the largest retailer of locally grown produce and I've rarely been disappointed with anything I've bought there.

Right now the Helianthus are in full bloom. This is the first year I've ever been able to get a photo of the bloom from the top as with the draught, they are shorter than ever before. The plants are only about 4' tall this year. Last year, they were all well above 6' tall.

Yep, I sniff cantaloupes too, I often scratch the stem scar 1st. Being down south so much this summer, I had my fill (almost) of fresh peaches, nectarines, plums, and such. Many of the farm markets would let you mix a bag of any that caught your fancy and some of the varieties they offer would never survive the trip to commercial markets. Pricing was about what you would pay at a chain store and certainly fair for the quality. Ric

If any of you have an "Aldis" grocery store nearby--RUN--don't walk--there for the best prices on everything.
It is owned by a German firm--so you will not know too many of the brands--but everything is
first rate. They are, sort of--like a warehouse format. Cases piled high--prices above.
Dairy is good--meats are limited--but fresh--HUGE frozen section...Clean and wonderful!

Also--know that YOU have to bring your own bags (or buy them there for 5-10 cents)
and bag your groceries yourself.
They do not take any grocery coupons
They do not take credit cards. Debit or cash only.

This store is easy to get hooked on.....

Gita

PS...Speaking of yummy apples--try the "Honey Crisp" ones.....better that Fujis...

Hello, Ladyg--just stopping in to wish you well. It has been a very busy summer and I haven't had much of a chance to keep up with forums, but I haven't forgotten about you. Time to rake leaves and reflect on next year's garden plans!! I'll catch up with you eventually.

I love Cameo apples for eating, nice and crisp have not had a bad one yet since I discovered them about 3 yrs ago.

Hi Chris, Just popped in to say "Hello". Holly's stuck in Atlanta on a 4 hour lay over, the bus from Philly should be in Lancaster by 2am or so, but she's on her way home! Just got a deal on apples, at the Giant, $.99/#. The selection included Gala, McIntosh, Red or Golden Delicious or Jonagold, US Extra Fancy. Later! Ric

Heya! Oh, Holly has been in my thoughts all week... sure hope they found some whale sharks to dive with, although I know the reef there is supposed to be stunning in and of itself!

I'm munching on a local apple, a 'Spencerville Red'. We picked up a half bushel today when we drove down to Heyser Farms, near our old townhouse. Paid $20 for the bag, which Jim figures was at least 20 pounds, so that's a decent price. :-) It's our favorite apple. Jim pointed out that we'd be able to swing by pretty easily for more apples or for the special pressing of 'SR' cider on our way back from Baltimore, so there's a silver lining to having to drive out there for my radiation treatments next month!

Wish I could send LadyG some Spencerville Red apples! If we get around to drying them this year, I'll save some for you... dusted with just a little Vietnamese cinnamon... heavenly!

Hi Chris and y'all,

I posted on thread #3 a few minutes ago before I saw this new one. I just wanted to be here.

We had our first ever cantaloupes this year. It was just a fluke. I threw the rinds and seeds out in the compost heap, noticed some really pretty leaves leaves a few weeks later, and cut down all but three plants and watered them through the drought. We got a bumper crop! Unfortunately, it was so late that we were only able to get three before the nights got too cold for all of them to ripen. The deer (or something) seem to like them even if they're not completely ripe.

Jill, Keep eating those apples. They're so good for you. It's great to live here in apple country and get to taste real apples. I always thought there were two kinds--the red mealy ones and the green hard-as-rocks ones.

Pam

Oh Chris, You have no idea how happy I am to hear from you. Please don't feel pressured to post often. Just know how much you are cared for and keep in touch once in a while. Sorry no Whale Shark pictures. They said the last one was seen about 4 or 5 weeks ago before the series of storms started blowing thru. I did see a couple of eagle rays one was pretty good sized and a sting ray that was as big as a car hood. Just huge. There was a pod of dolphins running with the boat one day that had 3 very young babies with them. Probably not more than a few days old. I do have a nice tropical flower for you.

I am glad to be back posting. I'm hoping that next spring I can return to gardening. It took me a long time to come to terms with not being able to do what I love to do. Watching the weeds grow became the pastime. I had to finally stop and smell the roses. Sitting and enjoying what did grow, watching the frogs enjoy the unkept watergarden.
Now that I am down to working 2 days a week, I have more time to leisurely do things at home. Finally got the dinning room table cleared off, and the paper-shredder has been getting a workout. It sure helps to watch the show "Hoarders" to put you in the mood to get rid of things. LOL
I think that apples priced below $1.00 a lb. is a good deal from what I have been observing.
We spent some time in Amish country in early September, the apple harvest had not started yet but what I did buy was really good. The peaches I bought there were much better then our local ones here. Next year I'm going to plan the trip a bit later, and load up on apples and winter squash.
We found out that going down to Amish country on a Thursday and staying over night is the way to go. A restaurant that I really like had all their food on a buffet, they do not run the buffet on Friday and Saturday, and we found that there is no wait to get in like there is on the weekend. Also they include a big slice of pie with the buffet, the only thing is you have to eat the pie there no carry-out. We were stuffed when we left. LOL We got a $10.00 certificate for breakfast with our room, we had 3 restaurants to choose from so we walked up to the dinner close to where we stayed. Again we were stuffed and only had to spend .95 cents.
I was pretty tired when we got home but had the weekend to rest up and put away all the bulk food that we bought.

Holly, so good to "see" you. I was doing my post as you were doing yours LOL
Sounds like a good trip even though you did not see what you hoped for.
Did Ric make an apple pie for you ?

Something was nudging me to check out Dave's today. Am so glad I listened to my gut!!! Hearing from Chris has not only been the highlight of my day, but of my week and probably the whole month. Thank you so much for checking in and letting us know how things are going with you Chris. By the looks of this thread, you can't deny the love that is felt for you by those in the group.

Yep, you are in good company with those of us who didn't have much success with their gardens this year. Mine was over taken with weeds also. John fusses that whenever I go out I find weeds to pull and complain about rather than looking at the beauty that is there. I started cleaning out one of the Day Lily beds last night and plan to finish cleaning it today. There is definitely a wheel barrow full of debris to go to compost bin. It felt good to be out and doing it though.

Hello to all who wrote. As I was reading through the most recent comments, I smiled when thinking of each of you. Chris.....we love you lady!!!

Ruby

I really appicate all of you and your kind words and concern. When one is gone for a while it is hard getting back into the grove. I realize how much I missed you all. You might never know how the warm welcome back has made me feel.
Love you all.
Chris

Hello everyone. I can't believe the weekend is winding down already. They never seem to be long enough, but I spent time with family and good friends so I'm counting my blessings. I have laundry to finish up tonight, and will be watching the Steelers and Saints game until I fall asleep. Chris, the people I have met on DG truly are a special lot - the caring, humor, and common interests we share are always a spirit lifter whether on the giving or the receiving end. Terri

Chris, ROTFL, I sniff bags of potatoes too!!

Stormy, your fruit obsesion has made me hungry for fruit! I love helianthus! My neighbor gave me doubles and they all reseeded as singles, but I don't care.

Jill, apples will kill bacteria in your mouth. Just think how good they are for the rest of you :o)

Pam, cool on the canteloupes! We call ours muskmelons :o) I had squash in my compost pile.

Holly how neat! What a wonderful time you had and I'm glad you're home safe! How daintily beautiful!

Chris, I agree about watching hoarders. I am getting ready to do fall cleaning. I took the past week to delete blurry or almost identical photos from all the folders, and update the e-drive. Believe me, it took all week and now that I had time to actually name a few butterflies, I need to re-update that folder.

I love shopping amid the Amish. We have the old order, strict German Amish who speak their language, Menonites and the happy one's. I'm not sure which they are, but they are more likely to converse with you.

Chris, just being gone a week makes it hard to get back in the groove. I usually just start reading and pretty soon I'm commenting in my head. Then I know I'm ready to jump in :o)

You have made it easy to rally 'round you. Just seeing your picture from work with all your friends gives a glimpse into your life. You have good gardening tips and are just a happy person. I'm glad you are back!

My cats, seven years ago. They were about 5 weeks old and still had their blue eyes.

(I thought we needed a warm fuzzy picture :o)

aaaaaaaawwwwwwwwww little baby chubby butts!!!

I had to work today, boss's wife has the grand baby for a few days as her daughter sprained her ankle and is on crutches. I put in a long day on Tuesday too, so I'm looking forward to a long restfull weekend.
Cute kitties, Billy.
All my flowers have suffered from a heavy frost so the garden is done for this year. Nothing left to do but pull them up for the compost pile. Have a few bushes to wrap in burlap before the s*** flies which might be anyday now. They are calling for Lake Effect this Saturday.

Good Morning Chris! Hope you have a restful weekend. We're going to Rawlings conservatory with Holly's parents after breakfast, for the mum show. We'll post some pics later. It's supposed to be nice this weekend, especially Sunday. I'm hoping we have enough git up and go to finish a bunch of stuff preparing for winter. We had 2 killer frost this week, so it's a matter of raising some tubers and mulching the beds. I also need to mow, hopefully for the last time this year. Ric

Onewish, I just love that picture if I do say so myself. The grey turned out to be the dominant one.

Lady, how IS work going? Are you still really tired? The daughter is so lucky to have a Mom to take the baby. A baby at our age is hard!!

As I look out, I see last night's freeze took everything. Yesterday, I had pulled up the last chance tomatoes and cages, and dug Glads and the 4 O'clock roots. They (clocks) are really getting big after 3 years of saving them. I dcided to let the Calla Lilies go. They haven't bloomed well and even tho I love the leaves, it's time for a change.

We have most of the storm windows on and are ready with the snow blower and plow. DH is pretty good at getting us winterized.

Yesterday was grocery day and flour was on sale. I bought 5 bags. I have been mentally baking bread in my head, so I'll be doing it one of these days.

Today I'm making a squash pie using the ''Joy of Cooking'' recipe. It was the third book I looked in for the recipe. It must not be something people make nowadays. It's almost a pumpkin pie recipe. I'm determined to not lose the squash. I call it my vitamin A, and it's less painful than getting a flu shot :o)

Ric/Holly, I can't wait to see pictures! I've seen some really pretty Mums this year that people have posted. I finished mowing last month, and I miss it already. You'll get it all done if you get a few good weather days.

Well, morning has crept up on me again. Time to move on and see how Critter is.

Ric, I can't wait to see pictures, not having a conservatory close to me I have to rely on virtual visits. If I still lived in Pgh I would just hop on a bus and spend a day at Phipps or at the museum.
Work is going great! The only draw back working 2 days a week I loose track of what is going on. I have the most experience with our computer program so I am the computer solver at work. Now with winter coming I'll be calling off if the roads are bad, and getting out in the cold has an effect on my chest muscle where I had surgery, some pretty nasty spasms.
Billy, take pictures of your pie and breads, we want to do some serious drooling. LOL

I have made the decision to have our 20 year old cat put down this afternoon. She has been getting worst over the last few days and stopped eating, I think that she has an issue with her mouth, she even stopped lapping up liquids. She has been following me around most of the time when I'm home and I can hear that she is not picking up her paws very much when she walks. I'm afraid things will really get ugly over the weekend when the vet is not in the office.
She will be missed, but she has not been that much of a lap cat and always stayed much to herself. She had a tendency to bite if she did not want to be petted.
I'll have to call DD as this was her cat before she moved.

Chris, I'm glad work is going well. How long before you can go back full time, or at least add to the days? I can see why it's more fun than sitting at home. You work with a great bunch of people! Will the spasm's go away over time?

Oh Chris, I'm so sorry for your cat. She sure lived a long life. I kind of prefer the independent cat. Lap cats are nice, but I don't sit long enough, and they can sit all day if you let them. I hope DD takes it well. It's a relief to make the decision and not watch them suffer. It's still hard to do tho.

I made my pie this morning and it's cooling. Still too hot to cut. I used up four more squash. One had a bad spot and I could see brown seeds. I closed it up and set it outside to be tossed across the road. I've only had to throw a few so far.

I added B and D vitamins to our winter regimin. I decided even with whole wheat bread, we're not getting enough B's. They say the older you are the less the body absorbs them. Since we aren't outside and the sun isn't strong, we aren't getting the D we're used to now. I stop that in the late spring.

I've also started fall cleaning. I must have done a good job last year. I only found three things to pass on to Goodwill from my dresser and nothing from the shirts hanging in my closet. I'll keep looking!

Smiling. I forgot the drool factor.

Squash Pie!

That pie does look good Sally!

Chris, so sorry to hear about your cat. Even if she was independent, it is still sad. It's great to hear that you are enjoying work at the office. LOL I think that we all need to start watching "Hoarders". Even though I only have 2 magazines still coming in, they are still so piled up. I need to attack that pile soon.

I'm so glad that you were able to enjoy your frogs this summer. We all thought of you every time we saw a frog and were hoping that you were enjoying them. How are the girls?

It's wonderful that you were able to get down to the Amish country. That buffet sounds like a winner. I'm still finding an occasional bloom here and there. Found this small Iris just now while the sun was struggling to come out. It's definitely too soon to be talking about s**w!