March, 2012!! Spring has sprung (or is springing-maybe).

Kim & Crissy I am dmailing you

Good morning, all, and Happy First Day of Spring!

All the lovely spring blossoms are wonderful! ~~enjoying all your photos.

Charlotte, you will enjoy those fresh veggies come harvest-time!

Can't remember if I told ya'll or not and too lazy to go back through the thread so I'll say it here: I'm being temporary mom to two teens and an 8 yr. old this week while their mother (Michelle #2) is visiting her aunt in Ohio, who is terminally ill. The kids are on spring break this week. They are all good kids, but busy with activities, etc. I am being "taxi-mom", which brings back memories! They are still sleeping this norning, which gives me some time to get online and keep up with things. The dogwoods, redbuds, azaleas, etc. are in full bloom here in central AR and are just beautiful! LOTS of pollen floating around, too! We are expecting rain today so hopefully, it will wash the pollen out of the air. My car is yellow and it is supposed to be burgundy! LOL

Ya'll have a blessed and peaceful day! Hugs all around!

Here's a link to some photos I took along I-40 on Saturday and here in the Benton, Bryant AR area on Sunday. You will see the dogwoods, redbuds, azaleas and the pollen!

https://picasaweb.google.com/105392295270959293400/20120319?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ6Jg6jlzdmquAE

This message was edited Mar 20, 2012 9:13 AM

Marilyn those are great pictures. I saw a lot of dogwoods on the way to Forrest Hill Thurs but not nearly what it usually is. I don't know why except the forrest had leafed out already and I couldn't see thought the woods as I usually would this time of year.

Charlotte, love the raised beds! I have threatened to do that because they say it is a lot easier to keep the grasses and weeds out with them elevated............... but I hate the thought of having to purchase all the dirt to fill them up. I spend a fortune on mulch as it is...... so I have avoided trying that. Wonder how long the wood will hold up for them until it has to be replaced? Doesn't look like it is treated ....but then not sure you would want treated lumber next to where you are growing things to eat ???

Some of the dogwoods are in full bloom around here- others seem to be barely budding out...... must have to do with the amount of sun they received or something?

I spent sunday afternoon working in my big round bed again..... and got new mulch in about 1/4 of it. Took almost all the 20 bags I had purchased a few weeks back!! I had almost half of it cleaned out, but I didn't get the mulch out last weekend and now I have to reclean that other 1/4 !! I was NOT a happy camper about that..... couldn't believe how fast it came back! I may never get this bed done much less on to any of the others. I have yet to get out to the woods to try my luck with the pine straw. I have another bed where I hope to use all pinestraw to avoid having to buy even more mulch! I have some big bare areas in this big round bed that I wanted to get some plants back into before mulching, but since I can't keep up with the weeds and grass I figured I better just go ahead and get the mulch in what I had clean.

It is pouring rain here currently, but we had a grass fire at the house this morning! Thankfully the wind was blowing away from the house.....apparently started when someone threw out a cigarette? not sure..... but a neighbor saw it and called the FD and then called the house and woke Kyle up who would have never known what was going on otherwise. Jessi and I were both at work. Sent him out to wet down the pasture closest to the house because I knew it would spread quickly...... the FD is all volunteer and I wasn't sure how fast they would get there during working hours. They got there quickly and got it put out with no problems. I had Kyle watching for it to possibly flare back up, but it rained briefly about 11 so that helped. Kyle was amazed at how quickly it spread.........

Pretty pictures Marilyn! I have my share of pollen too! My car looks green - or at least it did - it's pouring down rain here now so maybe a lot of it will get washed away. The dogwoods and redbuds have really been pretty here too. We have a lot of them in the neighborhood. I wish they would just last a little longer. I have two big redbud trees in my back yard, a huge pink dogwood and a white dogwood and all my azaleas that are just about to totally pop open. I love to just sit and look out outside!!! As I am sitting now I can see the dogwoods and azaleas out my back and then can see the dogwoods and azaleas in my neighbors front. Here's my pink dogwood. The picture doesn't do it justice. It's too big to get it all in the picture. I planted it as a little tree about 6 feet tall.

I'm really surprised out how everything has leafed out. My fig tree has even leafed out.

Just checked my email and found the following. You all might already know about it but thought I would post in case someone didn't know about it.
Don’t miss the annual



Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners’



Spring Plant Sale

Saturday, March 31, 2012

8 a.m. until Noon

at the

Randle T. Moore Center

3101 Fairfield Avenue

Shreveport, LA



Many varieties of native plants grown by Master Gardeners



Gardening Help Clinic

by Denyse Cummins, LSU AgCenter Horticulturalist

Get your gardening questions answered!



For more information contact us at 318-698-0010 or

www.lsuagcenter.com/nwlamg

Thanks Charlotte I didn't know about it but since gas is 4 dollars a gallon and that is 100 miles away I would not attend. I have a wedding that day at 2:00 anyway. The rising gas price is going to limit a lot that I do this year since I still drive a 10 yr old suburban. I don't want to trade it for anything smaller because I couldn't haul the things I want to haul and it only has 80,000 miles on it.

Know what you mean Cindy!! This high gas price cuts into our plant spending money!! I like to drive my truck on my plant shopping trips and it uses gas like your Suburban and is even older.

I usually drive the truck if I go anywhere, so it is rough filling it up too. I stopped it on 40 this afternoon and it only added a half a tank.
Of course the plants will be higher too, because of the fuel going up, it affects everything.

For some reason Jeff's dad had kept a box of bank statements that went from 1968 to 1971. We were married at the time. Jeff brought them over to me to dispose of. I just looked at a couple of them but it was amazing how cheap things were then! I'm going to look through them some more before I burn them. $15 utility bills. A day care picked jeff up after school and kept him for an hour or so every day. I had written checks to them for $2 and $3 and I would imagine that I would have paid for a week at a time. Checks to the grocery store were around $25 and I shopped about once a week. Now you can't hardly get food for one day for that!

Sandra it costs $50 the last time I filled my Honda and with the prices shooting up this week it's going to be more the next fill up. Makes you stop and think about where you go.

ditto on the gas prices! I never thought I would be glad to find a gas station that was still selling gas for 3.52 a gallon! :o(

Charlotte, your dogwoods are lovely!

It has been raining here in Benton since about 3 p.m. yesterday afternoon--off and on. Our high temp today is supposed to be about 63F which is considerably cooler than it was over the week-end.

I'm having some quiet time before the kiddoes wake up. Quiet time is good! LOL We don't have anything special planned for today but I am sure they will think of something!! *big grin*

I feel all of your pains for the price of fuel these days!!!! That is exactly why I run my HHR. I had a suburan until 2006 and I think it was costing me $90.00 back then per fill-up. Yesterday I fueled my HHR and it took $53.00 at $3.699 a gallon but I'm good to go for about 390 miles so I'm averaging a little over 27 miles to a gallon vs around 18 miles to a gallon in the suburan. Jim said he likes the HHR because not only does it save him in fuel, but the limited room cuts down on my plant buying. Of course, he doesn't know about my secret weapons...Cindy's expert packing and a friend like Mary D. that will haul extra for me in her vehicle.

I used to drive a surburan too Jeri and got rid of it in 2002 for the same reason. But I sure missed being able to haul stuff and that's why kept my dad's truck even through I drive it very little. Now that I'm doing my antiques again I have to have a truck to haul furniture.

My son posted a really long story on FB about his dad's illness and the three weeks he spent with him. A really touching story and he has gotten a lot of good comments that I think will mean a lot to him. He also included a picture he drew of his when his dad was 18. He drew the picture while he was spending time with his dad. He made some comments in his story about being an only child and several friends that are also only children shared their experiences when one of their parents died. I'm glad that he was able to share his feelings. I think he has an easier time writing it than verbalizing it.

Kim you're not out of my way at all because I'm in North Little Rock every day, usually in the shopping center where Stein Mart is or McCain Mall.

I took my tropicals out too and put them in the rain, they looked good this morning when I left for work!

Dave just bought himself a new Civic Coupe, that thing is so cool and it has an Econo button that shuts off one of the 4 cylinders and raises the gas mileage way up. We have a 2005 Toyota Tundra that gets about 19mpg that he was driving back and forth to work, a 30 mile trip one way, and it was getting too expensive, pretty bad when it's cheaper to get another car and pay the payments than to pay for gas for something that's paid off.

I don't know Kim if she's going to be getting any more perennials or not, I didn't see her when I went over there but every time I ask her she says yes she'll be getting some more stuff in. I'll keep checking back with her but her greenhouse is full of annuals nothing even remotely interesting as far as perennials and NO elephant ears at all. go figure.

Maybe she has found there to be more profit and less work in annuals!! She sure had some great plants that first year.

yeah she did. Not sure why she's gone this route, people plainly like perennials. it's still early, so I'll keep an eye out . I have the itch to buy plants, ug!! I guess i'm gonna just have to be happy with what i get at Rita's this year, I won't have much time to plant anything else. I spent all weekend last weekend weeding all the winter weeds out of the gardens that i do have, and still have 2 gardens left to weed. And We don't even want to talk about the veggie garden that danny is dreamin up. It' sbeen so wet, we 've not started on it yet. but, he is going to build me another raised bed just like the other one for Kiwi gold raspberries and maybe a currant bush and I'm going to try a couple of honeyberries this year in large pots. Someone else will have to take care of them and pick all the fruit ha ha.

Kathy Ann, I don't even work and I can't keep up! I don't know how you can tend to all that and work full time.

We got some good rain tonight, just hope it doesn't rain enough to wash away all my fertilize I strew this afternoon.

I think I've just about filled my yard up!! I've also been trying to plant things in some of my pots that are perennial. I planted some kind of grass in one of my big planters under the pergola and it is coming back this year. Really didn't know whether it would or not. I also have a vine in the same pot that I've had for a couple of years now. I don't know the actual name but I call it an alligator vine because of the markings. I really like it and it is really hardy but unlike some vines is very slow growing. I got it at Rita's or Homestead - don't remember which. My major purchase this year is going to be for the big pots on my front porch. I want some tall and evergreen and then may underplant it. Need to be giving some serious thought to my plan.

After the rain today the dogwoods were spectacular I guess cause it washed all the pollen away they were really beautiful. Here are a couple of blooms taken this afternoon

I love dogwoods!!! I always think of that poem of the dogwood being used when Jesus was crucified. The picture that hangs over my desk is of a beautiful dogwood.

So do I!!! One thing I love about old established neighborhoods - lots of dogwoods! Seems almost every house in my neighborhood has at least one. They are soon gong to be fading!!! I'm already seeing lots of leaves on my pink one.

I don't keep up Sandra, If my kids didn't live at home, I would not have a clean house. lol and my husband does most of the food growing plants.

Guys I have a special prayer request today. My son has a deposition for his custody hearing today at noon. He is suing his ex-wife for custody and his court date is set for next week maybe? His three precious little girls' lives hang on what is decided in the next few weeks. Please pray that he will have strength and wisdom for today's questioning. and that the court and the judge will be able to see the truth and make a wise decision. I really appreciate it - obviously it is a very long story but the story line is familiar - she is much more interested in partying and in her own desires than in being a mother, so while you are praying you could send one up that she would see the error of her ways and make some changes so their girls will have the kind of mother they deserve.

Thanks!!!

Amen to that, Karen! Prayers going up!

I agree Karen!!! It's a shame that so many people miss out on the most important part of their lives until it is too late. Ashley(DGD) is in counseling now and it is turning out to be mostly about her mother. Joann died and their was no choice for us!!! I pray that this woman's eyes are opened to the truth of life before someone passes and she sends a bad message to her 3 girls.

Karen praying! Mother's are so important to children!!

Yes definitely praying . Their lives are molded at a very young age. So many times the same behaviors are repeated unless they can get out of the bad environment. God bless your son for standing up and being a man, Karen. Love your photos

Jeri I hope Ashley can work through her issues too. God bless you for always being the rock to anchor her when she feels things are unsteady.

Thanks guys - what really stinks is that her Mom went down this same path. Got started partying, sleeping around, left her Dad and the kids to play her own games and finally lost custody of her kids, so she knows the pain she is inflicting on her own kids and yet she seems totally unable to stop herself. The girls are still too young to really have it figured out but they will soon 'get it' and that is going to be hard for them cause every little girl needs a good strong woman to guide her. But in this case at least there is a good guy who loves them and is willing to sacrifice for them and I guess that will have to do:)

Amen, to what Cindy and Jeri said, too! I totally agree! Hugs all around! I am being temporary mom this week to a little boy, age 8, who is a prime example of what ya'll are talking about. His dad got custody of him, thank goodness, when he was about 3 and he is in a stable environment now and getting the help he needs.

Karen I really thing that the who and what we are is in our genes. I talked with a niece that had been given away at birth for adoption. She couldn't understand why she was so different from her adoptive family until they told her she was adopted and a lot of her feelings and actions were family traits to our family.

Ashley was 8 days old when Joann died. She never knew her but she has the exact same mannerisms and actions as Joann. It's in the genes.

Karen I'm praying!

Jeri I'm glad that Ashley is talking about the problems, that's tough. It is absolutely in the genes. I take after my dad and love doing the stupid things he loves doing and its hard to hold back sometimes. In my opinion just from knowing myself and the person that I am, I chose to not have kids at a young age because I am selfish and I like partying and doing what I want to do. If I had kids I would be hurting them and myself and I didn't want to put anyone through that.

My DIL is adopted and so is her sister. They came from different families so they are not biologically related. They are day and night different in their personality. My DIL is very responsible, plans everything out (does spread sheets for Christmas presents if that tells you anything). On the other hand her sister is happy go lucky with no real thought or plans. For example she exposed a whole group of kids to some highly contagious childhood disease when she took her kid to a birthday party knowing it was likely they were coming down with something. I happened to be with my DIL when she was talking to her sister on the phone and she was telling her what happened. My DIL was saying YOU DID WHAT??? My DIL just has a hard time understanding some of the things her sister does and sometimes causes problems between the two of them. I think we all have different personalities but I understand what Jeri is saying. There are some things that just seem to be in our genes.

Yes Jeri and the problem is that a child only gets 2 biological parents and no matter how great someone else in their life is NOTHING takes the place of 2 bio parents who both love them and have it together. These girls are going to pay the price for their mother's immaturity and selfishness - I'm not saying other people can't make up for a lot of the issues but it just never quite goes away that they don't have what it seems like everyone else gets without even trying.

Crissy there is no reason why someone without kids shouldn't do whatever they enjoy - trouble is when you have kids parenting is inconsistent with some kinds of lifestyles etc. You are smart to wait until you are ready to put your children first because they need it so badly. In this case she didn't get pg accidentally she chose to have kids and then I guess it wasn't what she thought it would be and she is 30 so not like she's too young to figure it out:(

You are so right Karen!!! It's hard for a child at any age to understand why their parents or parent didn't care for them the way other parents do. The child is the one that pays the price.

I know Charlotte it really makes me sad to think that for the next umpteen years they are going to have a hole there where knowing that you are loved and cherished should be. The can't really verbalize that yet but you see it there in the way they cling to any adult female who shows the slightest interest in them. Of course they don't know anything else but she is just so unemotionally attached to them that it is a little bit scary. And you know how a kid can take any slight and believe that there must be something wrong with them to cause that person to treat them that way. I worry that they will grow up wondering what was so wrong with them that she couldn't be there for them.

Karen sadly there is nothing you or anyone else can do to change their mother. It's going to have to come from within her. The only thing you can do is to be there for them and show them that unconditional love that she it seems she cannot. You are going to be so important in their lives! It certainly doesn't replace a loving mother but they are lucky to have a father and a grandmother like you. I know it just breaks your heart for them!! It's hard to understand that all mother's don't have that love for their children.

Last week I saw a hummer in the yard but today one came to my feeder. I have had the feeders out about 3 weeks. So get ready you probably have one zooming around your place.

I saw one already too!!! Not at the feeder but at a plant.

Oops, well, I hate to tell you that I have had one every couple days or so for the last 2 weeks! Mine has been around flowers, too. Jeff saw him once close to feeder but is not certain if he ate. I leave my feeders out year round for the rufous hummers that come this way during the winter.