#21 Practical Matters for Phsically Challenged Gardeners

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Yay!!! It works now! Congrats Terry and Melody.
We are still hanging around here. Kay and I both think PlantFiles was Dave’s better work.
I was sorry to hear about your father, Carrie. You do have a sib to help you out with everything, right?
Hope your Dave is better, TTC. Any new bumps and bruises from this last seizure?
I can’t figure out how to find people on, ATP. If you are still checking in here, Kb and Beth, we are in the Sandbox. I think Nadi titled it, “For Physically Challenged Gardeners”. I am still working on getting everyone together. Some I will have to contact via snail mail.
I don’t think there will be any competition between the two threads. They have completely different vibes.
Kay is doing okay. There is quite a bit less of her though. She’s lost about 50 lbs. Wheat is apparently an irritant to her immune system. We just need to figure out how to get enough calories into her that are gluten-free, low protein and very low salt. I think her weight will stabilize once she gets the hang of eating in the new way.
It’s great to have easy contact with all of you again.
(Jim)

Grrrrrrrrrrr!!

Posted message and didn't take. Gotta get ready for my day now so I'll post it again later. Good to hear from you guys!
AG

I have to do it this way on the preview page i copy and paste it in the lower change box then hit the bottom post reply and it then works odd that the top one does not post it.

Hmmph. Now that I'm over the initial shock, it seems to be working ok.


Oh my...I am UNBELIEVABLY sleepy today.

Hi!
Feel like a bad friend but it isn't intentional. I have honestly been inundated with a kazillion things and will be all weekend. I believe Monday will be the first time---NO Monday is the first time because I will make it so, that I have time to chat with you guys.
Hope everyone and all is well.
Didn't want anyone to think I was being a butt or ignoring them. Not so.
Talk to you all very soon. :D

Peace. Out.
TTC.

I know how that is, TTC. Hugs, Carrie.
I would not mind there being less of me weight wise. The problem is I feel like I have a bit less going on between the ears. lol.
k*

I am happy I lost this weight. (I am still figuring out where I fall between the tiniest I ever was (in 1997) and the biggest I ever was (July 2014 or June 1976, maybe) in terms of which clothes ft me.) I would rather be this weight than heavier. The thing is, in high school and college, I could weigh myself several times a day if I chose, although I remember being weighed at the pediatrician and ten years later at the obstetrician. Now, I have no real recollection of what I weighed other times. I remember when I showed up pregnant with each daughter. I remember when I was losing weight in chemo, being thrilled that I was under 130 and then nervous when I went under 125. I don't know what I weighed when I got home after pneumonia but my doctor wanted me to eat a ice cream shake daily. When I had chemo, I could step on the scale myself, but it wasn't an ordinary scale. It had side handles, so you could hang on and still get an accurate weight. When I had pneumonia, I have no idea what I weighed. The ONLY reason I weighed myself in July was that there was a wheelchair roll-on scale at the YMCA. The only reason I started telling people I had lost weight was when I was alarmed myself.

Women and weight is such a touchy subject.

Hi, all things are well here but I have lots of cleanup. The power company line service has once again butchered the poor tree. Well guess it is time to clean up the mess and just smile then see about getting it removed so it does not look so bad.

well planned upload a photo there is still a problem for me on that keeps failing.

That's no fun--I love your pictures! I like pictures in general, but not too many and they should be such that I can get a gist from the thumbnail. I will confess right now, if I am tired, I sometimes don't enlarge so I can't tell the subject, Of course the whole point is to be able to enlarge them. OK, I'm a loser.

Agave, dear, where are you?

GRRRRRRRRRR!!!

Posted a nice long response yesterday, come here today and it is gone!!! &(%# and @$%! this. It is so irritating. I'll try back a bit later this afternoon.

Frustrated AG

You are not a looser Carrie have the winter blues gotten a hold on you?
Agave Kay says the same GRRRRRRRRRRR!!! every time she goes on to DG her Adobie flash player crashes. I reloaded Firefox and the flash player to no avail.

Jim, no, I'm fine, I don't usually feel like a loser.

I had periods in the past when Firefox and Adobe were messing me up. My Adobe flash player would crash every time Firefox updated. I think there was a particular version of Adobe that my computer liked. I would have to UNinstall the latest version and go back to the old version. I would automatically get in that situation every time the thing got updated.

Then Ray suggested I try Chrome. I should mention in our house, Ray is the hardware expert and I rule in matters of software. I use the term "expert" to mean knows more than the other person. So it took a long time before I tried Chrome. Once I did, I was much happier, and Adobe and Chrome play happily together.

His computer got a lot worse and I got a new computer, which upgraded him, too. I use Chrome on this new computer, and I don't have browser problems. I have OTHER problems, but I think the biggest problem is that I'm not really used to it.

Hi :D

Let's try this one more time folks! Sigh.
Ahhh..the weight loss thing. Amazing how we all feel about it. Is anyone happy? That's a serious question. Is anyone truly happy with how they look. I lived in L.A. and saw some of the most amazing men and women that worked as models and were hired in upscale stores specifically for how they looked. If you complimented them not a one could say, 'Thank you.' The first thing they said was, "Oh my nose is too big, my legs are too short, I could be thinner...etc." I guess like what you got unless you got the money, time and inclination to change it or fix what you can within your own means. Perhaps just accepting it may be an alternative? Most of us can't.

I still think I'm going to get up in the morning and 'see' the same person I was when I was 32. Then I go...AAAAAAHHH! Whose grey hair, wrinkles and bifocals are those! Hey....THAT never 'moved' by its self before. I used to have to make it 'move'. And gee, weren't these supposed to be 'perky' ? Do you know where I can get a bra in 34 long?"

Time is a thief and a liar.

Weight, well weight loss sucks if it is because of an illness. I'm thin but I wasn't always. I'm thinner than I ever was in my life but that is by design and intent and I really have to watch what I eat. That was a science all unto itself. I try to keep myself between 107-111. Personally I like the feeling because I was always, 'chunky' as a kid and as an adult always looked like I could stand to lose 10 pounds.

Being super thin is a novelty with me. It's also a topic of humor for my best friend of 27 years. Tonisha's philosophy is, "Oh yeah. That's right. I forgot. You're a white girl. None of you are happy unless you all look like you're starving to death." I think she just may be right.

Ever stand in the grocery store check out aisle and just 'look' at the cover of the women's magazines? Not Elle, Glamour, Vogue but Better Homes & Gardens, Women's Day, Self, etc. There isn't a cover that doesn't mention weight loss, how to do it, how to do it fast, low fat meals, low calorie meals, how to look 10 pounds thinner in anything you wear.

Ever notice right under or next to that there's a mention of how to get a man, keep a man, find a man, or what's wrong with you because you don't have a man or you suck in bed that's why you can't keep a man happy? Ad nauseam.

Jim..........are men's magazines this way?

I'd love to see women's magazines with pictures of 'real' women on them in all shapes, sizes and colors. I think it would be interesting to see the consumer response. If I had a magazine I think I'd call it 'Get Real' and write articles like:

'10 Ways to Keep a Man: feed him, let him watch football and hide when you have PMS or Menopausal mood swings.

"How to Lose a Ton of Weight Fast: Drop the dead beat loser you're dating."

"How to Avoid Those Unwanted Holiday Pounds: Move out of state so you don't have to deal with the relatives and stress eat to cope."

"Why a Hot Fudge Sundae WILL Satisfy You More Than Any Man."

"Youth In a Bottle: Toss out those overpriced face creams and bring on the Scotch!"

"The Answers to All Your Problems: The Top 10 Excuses that really Work!"
1.) Blame your parents.
2.) Blame your kids.
3.) Blame the economy.
4.) Blame Political Party X or Y.
5.) Blame your in-laws
6.) Life is unfair.
7.) I was forced to go to religious school as a kid.
8.) Because I said so.
9.) Because I'm a ......fill in the blank (race, gender, physical attribute, education level, limitation in life, advantage in life, age, religion, political affiliation, nationality, where you live, etc.)
10.) Everyone is an A----hole but me!

So what do you think? Would the magazine sell? :D
Now hopefully we're all laughing and feel better about ourselves!
Peace. Out.
TTC

BTW Jim and Kay wanted you to see the Dragon Fruit you had given me. It's growing! Its even got tap roots forming. How's the crab cactus I gave you?

Agave I quit reading most magazines because of the fact of their over zealous ideas on the proper look for men and women, except for computer magazines gorgeous tech.
The crab cactus is growing well. The pine comb cacti is still the same and does not seem to be setting roots not to sure why at this time. they are in cactus medium.

Agave and Jim, Nice to see you both. I wouldn't buy your magazine, but then I don't buy any other magazine either. I read Redbook when my mother had it lying around; I have a clear memory of lying in bed with my mother and reading over her shoulder Agatha Christie and Redbook. Then I got US News and World Report when I was in college and then I had MS and kids. Nowadays, it seems like so much is delivered electronically that I can't imagine subscribing to something. But IF I were going to subscribe to any magazine, it would be yours.

I am still relatively obsessed with Wikipedia. Today was Billy Joel (again), Percy Grainger, hosta spp. and chlorophyll. I can write if I just get a good enough title. For instance, Ray came up with "The Twelve Plants of Christmas" and it pretty much wrote itself. (Too bad they didn't publish it until January 15.) Now I have in mind "Fifty Shades of Green" but I don't know what it's about. Maybe just photographs.

Happy Valentines day to you all.

Thanks, Jim! We sent valentine cards to the grandchildren in Texas and gave them to each other.

Hi,
Not ignoring anyone. Feel like stir fried garbage. :( Husband has been nice enough to share upper respiratory infection and bronchitis with me. Grrrrr. So have been feeling well enough to do a few things but then the moment I do I want to keel over and do nothing but sleep. Sigh. Will be with you guys soon.
Hope you all had a great Valentine's Day.
Hugs to you all.
Stay well !!!
Peace. Out.
TTC.

That's taking "what's mine, is yours" to a whole new and unpleasant level. I hope you both feel better soon!

Hi guys! :D
First day I don't feel like I got sand packed up my nose or am running a temp that comes and goes. Also first day I don't feel like I'm in a walking coma. Been on antibiotics for 2 days now. Today is day 3. Have 7 more to go, oh YIPPEE!!!

DH and I went to urgent care on Thursday...eye roll. Our doctor couldn't see us until Tuesday. We would have either been dead or cured by then. Seriously? Tuesday? Let's see they were booked Monday and Tuesday. Of course they aren't open on the weekend. You know, nobody gets sick on the weekend right? Wednesday (traditionally golf day for doctors in Arizona) the office is closed so the soonest they could take us was Thursday! Oh and the receptionist said we were lucky as they were completely booked but there was a cancelation and the doctor could see DH and I together at the same time but we would be charged for 2 office visits! Aint that nice of him!!

So we took ourselves to the urgent care next to and affiliated with the hospital. BTW it is cheaper and faster IF you have the brains to get there 45 minutes early and stand in line in front of the door.

The place opens at 9:00a.m. and we got there at 8:15a.m. We were 4th in line. By 8:50a.m. there were---no exaggeration, 28 people standing in line all sneezing, dripping, coughing, shaking and only one guy who had his finger wrapped up because it was bleeding (probably needed stitches). I'm pretty confident he'll be back next week standing in line sneezing, dripping, coughing and shaking.

They took us together and didn't charge us for 2 visits and we got in in 20 minutes and out 30 minutes later. Now what was so hard about that? Whole thing cost us $65.00 plus our RXs.

Really mad at DH as this could have been prevented. He had a 'cold' at first and a cough. I told him that didn't sound good. Go to the doctor. It sounds like bronchitis. "Oh no," DH says, "It's allergies. A spring tickle. I get this cough every year." Uhm...NO! He's barking like a dog and sounds like he's going to hack up a lung.

I don't know if guys are just stupid, ignorant, too macho or oblivious to the health and welfare of themselves and others but they refuse to go to the doctor. So subsequently he didn't go until he was really, really, really sick.

By then I had it. Grrrrrr!!! Of course I had to give him a healthy dose of "I told you so" and point out the fact that due to my Epilepsy antihistamines are forbidden. Ever take cold medicine and feel like you're stoned? You know that feeling like you're flying and tired and spacey all at the same time? Yeah...bad. Real bad. Also can't take a lot of prescription cough medicines. Codeine is a train wreck as well as any other kind of opiate based product.

Subsequently I spent a few days with my eyes and nose running like a spigot although it felt like it was packed with sand, my head banging from my sinuses (there's only so much aspirin one can take in a day) and generally being miserable due to his stupidity. Grrrrr!!!

So there you go. Aint love grand?
Well the good thing is I lost 4 pounds is 2.5 days so it looks like I can go eat some carbs. I've had no appetite and that aside everything I try to eat taste like nothing and sits in my stomach like lead including soup. I've primarily lived off of banana-pineapple smoothies I make, water, tea, an occasional spoonful of soup and sleep.

On a happier note........
I hope everyone is well and staying sane if they're not. Our weather has been insane. We had the coldest and wettest winter on record and then in mid February when it is supposed to be 74 degrees we are at 90---the hottest temp on record. We will be in the mid to upper 80s through the rest of this month and from what I see part of March. Makes me wonder what summer is going to be like. YIKES.

Jim,.......
Post me a picture of the crab cactus and the pine cone cactus and let me see if I can give you a diagnosis of what's going on with them. I need to see them to better let you know.
The Dragon Fruit is growing quite well and has developed some tap roots. I have it indoors and may keep it inside until next year. Maybe I'll put it out on the patio occasionally in the Summer to start getting it acclimatized to some heat and partial sun. Don't want to fry it though so I'll be keeping a careful watch on it!

Have a good day all.
Peace. Out.
TTC

Oh, my gosh, Jacqueline, be careful and take care of yourself! It sounds TERRIBLE! Do you think the antibiotics are helping? On account of my almost dying in 2002 (and being so sick this summer) my PCP willl ALWAYS see me on short notice. This summer I had to wait until later in the day but still.... then again because of Medicare/Medicaid I don't usually see the bills. DH goes to VA so not the same at all.

Sounds like a terrible case of whatever it is, though! Somebody (I forget who, and it may even have been my kids' pediatrician) told me to alternate Tylenol and ibuprofen to manage a fever. Please don't take too much aspirin! Fevers make me feel like poop. I hope maybe you're feeling a ittle better now. Anribiotics also make me feel sick. Poor Agave! Poor DH!

Good Morning Carrie, :D
Yeah whatever plague I got has made me feel and look like the wrath of God. Amazing. Who knew hair could get so greasy in 4 days? Ewww! (LOL). I've been taking baths and giving the legs and underarms some halfhearted swipes with the razor and been lying in my hot bath to primarily drain but have let the hair go until this morning. Scrubbed it twice and finally bothered to comb, and blow dry-style it with a round brush as per usual. Hair, at least looks much better than the rest of me!

Good news though only lost another half a pound because I could eat a whole big bowl of soup, had 2 scrambled eggs later and another one of my very good vitamin packed fruit smoothies. (In blender 1 banana, 1 can crushed pinapple, 1/2 cup o.j. and some ice. Blend until as thick and smooth as you like). Seems the natural fruit sugars give me an energy boost.

This doesn't seem like much but is a whole lot more than I have ate in the last few days. I'll try some more eggs today and soup and see if maybe I can get in some toast with my eggs and some crackers with my soup today. My stomach is growling sometimes if even just a little. That's an most excellent sign. Also I don't feel as dehydrated so I've slowed down on the massive water and tea consumption (another reason why I've probably lost so much weight quickly) and I'm not mouth breathing anymore. I can breathe through my nose.

Can anyone explain to me though how one can lose weight but their thighs don't get any smaller? Exactly how is this possible?

Still have 6 more days of antibiotics and am doing better each day. YIPPEE!!
Everyone out here has succumbed to the flu but I only have a sinus infection. So I guess I am much more fortunate than most. Must be the massive amounts of zinc and selenium I take all year round (2 main ingredients in cold medicines) and the high dose B12 I am required to take (My body does not synthesize or absorb enough protein naturally as is the same problem with 30% of the U.S. population!)

Husband went to work yesterday and they gave him an easy 'sit down' job. He got to drive around in circles all day in the perimeter truck so he was by himself and out of the building and away from everyone else that is sick. Today is his "Friday" and then he is off as normal the next 2 days. I'm glad as he is also feeling much better but still not up to full speed. He's better but just wants to sleep a lot.

He told me two units in the prison are completely locked down because the inmates are sick! That's about 400 people! They're not punishing these guys but sadly they're locked down as if they were being punished. They're just trying to keep them contained and prevent them from mixing with all the well people and touching and using all the stuff everyone else uses until they get well.

I feel bad for them since they've done nothing wrong but it makes sense to do so. Dave said they all seem to understand the reason and have been pretty good sports about it. Most of them are way to sick to complain or want to go stand in line for the chow hall or out to rec anyway!! They're all just lying around half dead like the rest of us.

DH also said the people that are normally flying the desks (unit and case managers, and correctional counselors) are out on the floor due to the amount of officers out from this plague too. There's a serious shortage right now of officers due to this plague!

Poor Zoe doesn't understand her people aren't well and can't walk her so she's bouncing off the wall. Poor dog hasn't been for a walk in almost a week. :[ Poor baby. Thank Goodness Greyhounds are relatively lazy creatures but I think even she's going to flip out soon. Tomorrow I'll insist DH walk her!

Carrie, you're very lucky to have a doctor that will see you almost immediately! We have a PPO so we can go when we want and to whom we like but the problem is we have to deal with their schedule and what's convenient for them. Since neither of us had the flu or temps over 101 we weren't considered a priority.

Also my disability is a little different too so it makes me less of a priority than a person such as yourself. I don't know what to call me. Physically able for 90% of the time but mentally disabled 100%(LOL). I'm kind of a 'gray' area there too when it comes to the children, elderly and disabled and pregnant women taking precedence for doctor appointments and priority treatment versus myself and my disability.

How scary to have almost died in 2002!!! YIKES, what was that from? I do remember you telling me how sick you were this summer. I felt so bad. What an awful experience. You go through so much but stay so positive. Sometimes I don't know how you do it.

Stay well yourself. I hope this awful plague has not reached your area and if so you've been able to avoid it. Lysol! Lysol! Lysol! Spray it with wild abandon on anything and everything you can. Also they've got a great all purpose surface cleaning spray and liquid floor cleaner and wipes which I love for things like the toilet handles, sinks, etc.

On the nicer side though did go stand in the front yard for a few minutes yesterday (hat on head) and absorb a few rays and take a look at the plants. Very nice even if it was just 10 minutes. Maybe I'll try to sit out on the patio and read a magazine or look at a catalog for a little bit today.

O.K. everyone have a good day.
STAY WELL !!!
Peace. Out.
TTC

A few of the plants in my yard. Oh, last photo is my husband claiming this is the only way he can get my attention now days! (LOL)



It also appears that the antibiotics are working.

TTC, I tried several times to post pix here. No go. I will put the pix on your Tree-mail. Crab cactus is doing great. Pinecone cactus is slower to adapt.
Sorry to hear you have been so sick. I will wait until after the GCs have visited to say we got by a year without flu. I love those little guys, but they are germ factories.
It's the busy time of year here and we are playing catch up on top of that. We are serious about the veggie garden this year to to cut down on the grocery bill. Onions, shallots and all the members of the allium family are in the ground. White potatoes are so hard to grow successfully this far south, we are waiting and making sweet potatoes our staple. We sadly neglected the sweet potatoes last year and still had a good crop.
The APAP machine has breathed new life into Kay. She worked all day yesterday. Her computer is down until the new switch comes in so boredom may have something to do with her new found ambition. She's reading Off the Grid by Robert Kingette, a visually impaired writer for Wired who went a month without the internet. He now considers computer access like a basic utility for VIPs.
I'm packing up some of my tender ornamentals for their new life in Florida. Our new low maintenance plan calls for getting rid of ornamentals that need overwintering. Plants like edible ginger still have a place in the winter greenhouse.
It has been so comfortable the last few days we have left the doors and windows open in the mornings. That's great, but the fact that it is this warm this early doesn't bode well for summer.
My BIL is lending me his tractor with front loader and grader . That will make catch up possible....maybe.
(Jim)

Hi guys,
didn't want you all to feel like I had abandoned you. I hadn't. Just been tired although I feel better. Stuff really wiped me out so I've been sleeping a lot although I am feeling much better! Then had lots of errands to do like grocery shop, clean...clean...clean...clean some more, do mountains of laundry, and go get the taxes done. Sigh. Two more days of antibiotics left. YIPPEE.

Not much new on the home front except we will be tile shopping. Finally going to get the kitchen and bathrooms done and it looks like we are leaning towards doing the living room. Popular out here since everything is an open floor plan (which I despise). Cheaper, cooler in the Summer, easier to clean, doesn't get worn out or stain the way carpet does and if you own pets or children, well the benefits are obvious there. So looks like the carpet will be relegated to the bedrooms and the hallway. Suits me just fine. Tired of vacuuming all the time. Much prefer my Shark Vac n' Steam.

Hope everyone is well and feeling good.
Talk to you all later.
Peace. Out.
TTC

I would rather a tile floor even over vinyl flooring. When I drive my wheelchair INside from OUTside, I drag in leaves, dirt, water, mud, slush, snow, whatever is outside comes in with me. I've always been trying to invent some automatic way of cleaning off the wheelchair base when I come inside.

We always pick the sturdiest flooring available. We have beautiful tile in the bathroom floor that's 5-10 years old. I would like to tile (or actually REtile) the bathroom walls. They were fine, a gross 50's color of baby blue, not 50's enough to be retro, but enough of a color that I disliked it. So brilliant me, I decide to have a few beautiful Mexican tile put as accents in the ugly pale blue wall tile behind the sink. That plan got worse and worse (the tiler broke tiles in getting the old tiles out to put the accent tiles in etc) so I decided to have the whole backsplash area tiled. So at the same time that we had the floor tiled, we had the behind the sink area tiled with a bright contrasting color. TERRIBLE IDEA.

So I would be interested in tiling the walls on two sides from the floor to about shoulder height. Any idea about how much that would cost?

Agave, you asked me upthread a while ago about when I got sick in 2002. It was from Influenza (with a culture) and Strep pneumonia. I thought I was supposed to avoid flu vaccine because of the immune response but I was wrong! My asthmatic kids both had flu shots but not me. I was also (at the time) taking an MS drug that dampened my immune response. So I guess it was a perfect storm.

I was basically only half conscious for five weeks. I was in ICU, I was in isolation, I had a transfusion and I had the DTs from coming of klonipin. It was awful! But I truly think it was worse for my family. My kids were so little and they were really scared I would die, the doctors told Ray and my mother three or four separate times that they should say "goodbye," I was worried that if I did die, my kids would have to live with their yucky father so my mother was trying to get a temporary custody appointment, it was horrible for them. For me, it was very simple, either die or don't die. For everyone else, there were all these stressful things happening at the same time.

A lot of people came to visit me in the hospital, my brother came from Chicago and my sister came from Italy! My father came from New Mexico, my cousin drove up from Virginia and my aunt came from Cambridge, MA. I only mention that because most of those people you only see at a family reunion, a wedding or a funeral. My aunt lives pretty close, but she only turns up for soap opera type melodramatic scenes. I knew it was serious when she showed up.

So since then, I ALWAYS get a flu shot.

Agave glad you are doing better. Hope the cold shots the jet stream aren't giving you much grief. Stay out of the doctors office I am fine till I go there most times.
Carrie Yikes that sounded like it was a death bed seen out of a movie the type we all wish to never happened. I am so glad you fought through it for you family as well and for us here we would be poorly read with out your articles.
I got a new tool. I had a gas powered husqvarna farm tough 20 inch chainsaw I just cant pull to start not to mention carry for more than a few minutes. So I got a Roybi 10 inch 18 volt cordless chainsaw light and efficient. :-) So BEWARE trash trees closing in on the side of my driveway you or your branches are subject to the blade!!!

Hi gang,
Yep...last day of the dreaded antibiotic. YIPPEE! Am feeling much, much better. Thank you. Stay away from doctors' offices and you won't get sick! Flu shots I guess have their merits but I will never get one. Had one it almost killed me. Sick for 2 weeks with a fever that went form 101-103 and an ear infection. Still got sick anyway.
Haven't had a flu shot in 3 years and this was the first time I was really sick and not even the flu but a sinus infection! Husband doesn't get them either and hasn't had the flu. Upper respiratory infection and bronchitis. Everyone we know who had flu shots got...you guessed it...the flu! Personally, I'll never get another one in this life.

Glad it worked for you though and really benefitted your health and was a life saver. Couldn't have asked it to perform better and do what it should. :D
I guess it is all dependent upon person and condition. I dunno. Sounds like you had a bad mix going on there: MS drugs, pneumonia and a weakened immune system that made your flu all the worse and incredibly dangerous. I can see why you get your shots.

What an awful experience though and how alarming to tell your husband something like that and throw the whole family into a tailspin. The guy should of been smacked. He should have been telling family to encourage you to 'pull through' and focus on getting well and adding their support to yours. I swear doctors don't 'think'.

Yep, new home fix-up nightmares. Sigh. Our house sold in 10 days so we had to find a place and move like...NOW. We like our home but they put in vinyl in the kitchen and it is getting torn up and knicked and scuffed. The carpet is a blue gray and everything in my house is beiges, browns, black and red. The carpet is also old, has a random stain here and there and cheap. Sigh. We have yet to paint. The walls are white but they're that white with a 'bluish' tinge. We won't discuss counter tops. Blue Formica in the bathroom....EWWWWW!!! And of course my shower curtains are, you guessed it...beige, brown and red.

Yep, this return will be dedicated to paint and tile. Next one will be dedicated to carpet for just the bedrooms and hall. If I can squeeze anything out of that it will be nice bamboo blinds for the windows. I HAAAAATE cheap metal mini blinds with a flaming purple passion. Had them in every apartment I ever lived in and all they do is collect dirt no matter how much you wipe them, dust them or wash them. They also get dented, bent and 'crinkled' after you use them a few times. I HAAAAATE CHEAP METAL MINI BLINDS! There should be some kind of law against them.

Husband is worried about me getting hurt on the tile if I fall during a seizure. I said, "Why? Last house had both carpet and tile and they both hurt equally when you fall on your head so what does it matter? Let's get what we like."

As for tiling the walls, hmm...not sure about the cost but I do know what they call 'subway tiles' works the best and is relatively inexpensive and looks very nice. May want to check into those. Come in every color imaginable too. Looks sharp and very stylish.

We'll be tiling shopping soon and doing our little project the beginning-middle of March when dearest is on vacation. Ohhh goody. We're doing it ourselves so it ought to be real interesting in The AGAVE household. :D LOL

Jim...
Now why did you do the typical male thing of getting tools more powerful, bigger than necessary and more than you can handle to do a simple job? Right tool for the right job dude! Look at it this way, you can do more damage and destruction to those nasty trees if you can wield you might chain saw rather than having it drag you to the ground. :D
Happy chopping, slicing and dicing!

As for me, here was my happy surprise today! Fully open blooms. Look closely at the buds I took a picture of previously. They all appear to be opening cream but one(left on bottom) looks as though it may open red/pink! Curious if it does this on one plant!!! Also Cow's Tongue prickly pear is getting new pads. :D

Have a great weekend all.
Tomorrow is Downton Abbey day. :D
Peace. Out.
TTC

Look! Look-y. :D :D
this happened today. I got a 2 for 1 deal in terms of bloom colors! YIPPEE!!! :D
Hope all is well.
Peace. Out.
TTC

How long will that bloom last? Is it thick and waxy, or thin and fragile? I guess if you spend most of your life being prickly, a big beautiful flower like that is wonderful.

I am getting admitted for a routine colonoscopy this week. I have been trying to schedule this for about a year.I won't go into detail, but this is just another interaction with the health care system and many more opportunities for people with a medical name tag to say thoughtless and rude things to me. I can't remember an example but I'm sure you have all heard your share of comments.

I hope none of you are voting for Trump today. He is as "anti-disabled" as any candidate I've ever seen. End of off-topic prohibited political comments. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX9reO3QnUA

Donald Trump has a new campaign slogan: "Yes we Klan!" rofl

As for me, well I am Buddhist BUT we subscribe to basically the same religious tenants as all others. Five most common religions in the world: Christianity, Judaism, Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu.

Not a particularly religious person. Buddha said, "Piousness is personal. I am not concerned with your God or Gods. I am concerned with ending human suffering." So this gives me the liberty to subscribe to any point of view I want in terms of God.

When it comes to voting I subscribe to the book of Mathew 25: 31-46.

It is very clear exactly what GOD says and makes MORE THAN abundantly clear on whom to vote for. It also makes MORE THAN abundantly clear on what WILL happen if you don't fill out that ballot correctly.

May I suggest, if even out of idle curiosity, take just the 3 minutes to read EXACTLY what God says. So that's it from AG's sermon on the soap box.

Yep Carrie,
Sadly the blooms on this cactus are indeed fleeting. :( They last approximately a week and then they die. Blooms that is, not cactus. The flowers are thing and have petals that feel exactly like any other flower. They do not have a fragrance. The nice thing about cactus flowers, however, is that they usually have multiple 'buds' and the cactus will bloom repeatedly for awhile. This is wonderful in that you get to enjoy it for a month or so. Especially nice since the blooms I had, have already withered and passed.
I'm not sure if you can see it in the picture or not (I'll post a better one) but if you look around the flower area you'll see all the little 'fuzz balls'/bumps. Those are buds for new flowers. There's no guarantee that they will all open but the potential for them to is definitely there! YIPPEE.

I am sorry to hear that you are getting admitted for a colonoscopy. Ouch! I am, however, that you finally got in for what seems to be deemed a necessary procedure to check the status of your health. And yes, I couldn't agree with you more with certain procedures and the people who perform them to take advantage of the situation and be rude, mean, insensitive and just plain ignorant because they're unedumacated!

I could also go on with the list of comments in regards to the stupid things people say and have said to me but they're innumerable. It is really hard for me since my disorder is so 'bizarre' and not necessarily seen to the naked eye until something happens. As I had said, my major frustration is that I 'appear able' and can be but I truly am not as cooking up my hand, staples in my head and innumerable goose eggs and black and blue faces have proven.

Perhaps my favorite comment I received after having a seizure is, "Don't you take your meds?" Seriously? I mean think about this. My response is, "NO! I thought it would be a Hell of a lot more fun for me and certainly more entertaining for you if I didn't A-hole! Now that we know what my problem is what is your excuse for being a high functioning retard?" This usually shuts them up and shuts them down effectively.

Feel free to amend and borrow the phrase if you so desire when addressing persons who piss you off.

O.K. inundated with things to do today but also have some great songs for the day.
"Everyone's an A-Hole" by Reel Big Fish.

Yep, great song set to a fun Reggae/ska kind of music. Put it up on you-tube with lyrics. ROFL!

Also in terms of politics here's the most profound songs I've ever head.
Thunderclap Newman: "Something in the Air"
Buffalo Springfield: "For What It's Worth"
Bob Dillon: "These Times Are Changing"

Happy reading and happy listening.
Good luck with your procedure. I'll keep my fingers crossed for good news.
Below photos are of 'fuzz balls' potential future blooms on cactus.
Peace. Out.
TTC

Grrrr. More SOP screw-ups from the doctor's office and the hospital scheduling department. The procedure is now scheduled for Mon. March 14. I should be able to think about something else for a while.

We are going to try to go to Texas tomorrow. It's hard, because I love the weather there (especially compared with here) and I love seeing the grandkids, but I hate flyng and I hate paying for hotels and cars. Nothing neutral or ambivalent, definitely love/hate!

We have crocus here now, and it's past time to force forsythia. Forsythia were named after Forsythe, but it sounds like they were named after being forced. I also just ordered more amaryllis for the winter/spring.

Hi Carrie,
Sorry I've been absent but I've just been super busy. Catching up with the garden, the cooking and the housekeeping before DH goes on vacation a week from now. Then we can really mess up the house by ripping up linoleum and laying tile! Ohhh goody!

I'm glad you don't have to think about your medical stuff for awhile. What a relief right? Texas with the grandkids sounds nice. Arizona with TTC is nice too! :D
Always welcome to come visit should you desire. Happy to show you around, especially Tucson which I think you'd like a great deal.

Much like you I hate to travel and do so badly but will tolerate it because it gets me to where I need to be so that I can enjoy the things I want.

I miss Spring flowers. So pretty. So fragrant. I do remember Lilacs and Hyacinths, Daffodils and Tulips; Cherry and Apple Blossoms. Iris and Peonies. Lily of the Valley and Crocus. Sigh.

Let's see here we have thorns, spines, really freaky plants and some really fun blooms that last all too fleetingly.

The Torch Cactus above is going to bloom again as has some other things in my garden. Here's some photos. Here's also some ready to bloom so when they do I'll take photos and post them. (The last plant doesn't bloom but it is just so fun to look at with its red tips!)

Stay well,
Have a great trip.
Peace. Out.
TTC.

Song for the day: "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkin Head" by XTC. Just hysterical and another complete spoof song on ridiculous politicians and politics. Came out many, many years ago!

BTW how are Jim and Kay?

That first one, I forget what it's called, but those were ALL OVER the place in Texas. Almost to excess. They are definitely un-New England.

Yes, I haven't heard from Jim or Kay either. Is this maybe a big spring planting time for them? They haven't been on Facebook either, but then again, they are very infrequently on FB.

I doubt we will come to Arizona, my dear. My daughter went to school out there for 4 years, and we made two or three trips out there then. Currently, with my new car (delivered 3/22!), I think we will be making local road trips.

The weather is REALLY warm. On the radio they said it was the warmest winter in recorded history! I suppose it's really a BAD thing over all. but it's more pleasant for us while the earth is heating up; we can wait for the end of the world without wool aocks?

Good Morning Carrie,
That first one is an Aloe Ferox or some hybrid of it. Pretty plant but here it has primarily become a shade one! Our weather has changed so much that what used to be a 'typical' desert plant tolerant of mostly sun and heat is now a partial shade plant.

The one in my photo gets no sun past 2:00 in the afternoon! Our hottest time of the day here in AZ is between 1:00p.m. and 5:00p.m. Most other places (OH, PA, WI) it was between 10:00a.m. and 2:00p.m. Big difference. Also our nights aren't warm. I remember going swimming back East, on warm summer nights. Here...well it goes from 110 to 85 but the ground holds no heat. It's dirt not soil with rich composted plant matter and rich in minerals. It's literal dirt. So nothing, including water, will stay warm inside that dirt.

In New England the A. Ferox would make a splendid indoor potted plant. I had mine indoors for the winter and it did just wonderful. Very green and grew actively. Needs a bright sunny window but keep it a few feet back if you can so it doesn't catch a chill from the cold glass or drafts. Summer you can move it outdoors. Spring...well that depends on what you call 'warm'. If it was below 70 degrees I'd leave the plant indoors. The good old reliable Aloe Vera makes a nice house plant too!

When you look at them you can think of TTC :) Sorry to hear you won't be coming to AZ any time soon. Really disappoint you won't be sharing that 115 degree five month Summer with me! Remember that the next time you say you envy my winters! Late Fall, Winter and until mid-May IS the only time we get out of our house! The rest of the time we hide and venture out scurrying from car to store, store to car, car to home like little cockroaches.

We've had the wettest and coldest winter on record. Can I have all your wool socks? I have a nice collection of 'fuzzy' ones. I like wool. We've also had the hottest and driest Summer on record too. So far this year we are making a new record with it being the hottest Spring on record as we have been 12-16 degrees above normal. February used to be in the high 60s and low 70s. Now it is in the upper 80s and we even had a few 90 degree days. We're all aflutter when we get a few 70s.

My running joke is I change clothes more in one day then they do on Downton Abbey. Heat is running in the a.m. I have the doors open by noon. By 3:00 I turn on the air. By 7:00 I go back to opening the door. By 9:00 I shut the door. By midnight the heat kicks on.

Nah, no hole in that ozone now is there? Hmm...great boots, leggings and sweater or sundress and strappy heeled sandals? I'll have both ready for the final day on Earth. I always like to be dressed appropriately.

Local road trips sound like a much better idea for you! All the more fun in a new car! Good for you! YIPPEE!!! I miss driving sometimes. No, not the driving. I miss the independence that comes with being able to drive safely. I 'can drive'. I have a license. I just DON'T drive for obvious reasons. Also AZ doesn't seem like the most forgiving or compassionate place when it comes to people such as I or the accidents we cause.

I don't do FB. Too busy and too many odd balls. Also I try to keep as much personal stuff off of social media as possible. Gardening sites are fine. When it comes to FB, Meet Up, Pinterest, etc. I just don't do them. So my chances of seeing anyone there is non existent.

I think you may be right in regards to Jim and Kay and the farm. It is a farm. They're probably planting for spring. I'll send Jim an e.-mail on the other site and see if I get a response. Have you thought about calling them. I did the one time. They were happy to hear from me. I'm sure they'd be happy to hear from you.
It seems they've kind of wandered in and out since that episode with their daughter (Tigger?) I'm not sure how that got resolved. Also, if I remember correctly, Kay had some work on her eyes done. Not sure how that turned out.

Today I have to finish up the gardening. Just putting two more plants in for the year. Pretty much nothing to do after that except weed, weed, weed, and water occasionally. It will be too hot and late for plants to 'acclimate' and 'grow' well here if I plant in May through Summer.

So that's it for me.
Hope you're well.
Peace. Out.
TTC








Aloes and Agaves are primarily native to Africa no the U.S. but even their climate is not like ours. Since Aloes are succulents they can burn easily just like any little succulent you may see in a garden bed. Some shade is necessary. Also a lot of our Agaves are sun sensitive when younger, variegated with pale cream, white or very light green, or just of a specific species. All of them love some humidity but not a lot of water as it will quickly cause root rot. :( (I've lost a few and learned the hard way).

The temps in general in this country have changed so much that now when I plant shop if it says, "Full sun" I look at the plant carefully and use common sense. Meaning most likely it will need a few hours of shade. If it says "Full Sun, 6hrs +" I'm pretty confident I can let it cook in the sun all day. Anything that is labeled "Partial Shade" usually means 2 hours of sun at the most or shade all day long. If it has a flower on it (Poppies, petunias, pansies, snap dragons, begonias, geraniums, etc.) it basically becomes the texture of a potato chip and dies within 3 days.

Why they sell these things in my area is beyond me. Unless you have an enclosed patio/sunroom off of your house these won't live in Zone 9B Arizona Low Sonoran Desert. I guess BB stores that are national buy 'nationally' and are on a seasonal schedule NOT a regional-geographical/weather schedule.

I am sure Jim and Kay will come back. They always have before. They stay away for periods--technology hiccups, health challenges, family issues--but they'll be back. :) Katie came back several times before she truly transitioned to ATP to say goodbye, and so did Debra. (Debra was before your time. She had MS, was from DFW, liked plants.)

We used to have an aloe vera plant. We had a lot of house plants die around 2012, and then we didn't bring any to Texas with us, then I had 1 or 2 from Home Depot, and then they died. I have a pothos on the kitchen sink and the PCA waters it. I believe we had a few houseplants on the back patio that spent the winter out there. (Boohoo.) I am too dependent on other people to water stuff.

I am like you, in that I don't so much enjoy driving as I adore the independence. How do you get shopping done? Do you trust him? Ray is not so good at remembering to get things or to look at the list I made! He has millions of other good qualities, though!

Hi Carrie,
Sorry I haven't gotten back to you sooner. Yep...you guessed it. Fell on my head again on the 14th. No damage as I did not literally fall.

I had smaller seizures where I just stop, convulse a bit/shake, and am very dazed. Only bad thing is I chew my lips when this happens so the inside of my mouth is kind of tore up. Hey...if this is the worse then I'm doing good! No burns, stitches, staples, bumps or bruises! :D

Anyway it made me tired for the last day or two BUT also makes my mind spin and sleep has been hard. (Over abundance of electrical energy in the brain? I dunno. ) So I've just been kind of taking it easy. That's why you haven't heard from me. Sorry. Wasn't being rude.

Kind of bummed out too. I had been seizure free for 2 months and had actually entertained the idea that if I could stay so for 3 months I could drive just LOCALLY and maybe work 15-20 hours a week. Plenty of little drug and grocery and convenient stores all within 10 miles of me so it wouldn't have been too risky. C'est la Vie! Yes, I miss my independence and freedom.

As for going to the store and whatnot I have the world's most wonderful husband. :D We do everything together.
Shop, get our hair cut, go to HD, WM and Lowe's, run his errands and mine in the same day. Only bad thing is the man never seems to get any time off in earnest or any "him only" time because he's always carting my butt around on his day off. Things I used to do on my own, I no longer can. I used to do the grocery shopping, take the dog for nail trims, go to the salon when I wanted, etc.

I guess that's why he's wonderful. I try not to impose on him too much and encourage him to have some time for his self and not feel guilty about it. He finally has even if it is just sitting and watching TV, grilling, playing on the computer, having his friends over or maybe going out bowling or golfing. I stay quietly in the background and leave him be at these times. I garden, read, work on my own little projects, talk to my 'plant people' (LOL). I wish I could offer up more for him.

Sorry to hear Katie left permanently. I do know Jim and Kay pop in periodically. Their kids/kids problems, the farm and their own health keep them quite occupied. I worry a bit about them due to the weather also. It has be very bad down South and with the rain, tornadoes and flooding I am concerned for them. If it doesn't hit them directly I am sure it is impacting them in that everything around them has been hit hard.

I haven't heard from Bets either on the other website although I did 'Tree Mail' her. I've seen her popping up once in awhile here and there on some forums but not like she did here regularly. I dunno.

Don't feel bad about the house plants. Most of mine died too. I only have one left and an indoor cactus. Between Zoe who treated them all like her personal salad bar, the move and our new place here that is sorely lacking in sunny windows they all met with their demise.

The outdoor ones are thriving though and that delights me. I've had good luck with the Big Box store plants. Ironically it is the ones from local nurseries and expensive catalogs that croak for me. The other nice thing about the BB stores is if you save the receipt and/or pot they take them back NO questions asked---your fault the plant died or not, and refund you and/or let you replace it with something else.

Since you can't get around to water perhaps something 'table top' would be nice. You can do plenty of small pot, terrarium, basket types of things with great mixes of succulents. There are so many varieties, colors, textures and shapes they're impossible to get bored with. They also don't grow large and you can just scatter them about the house for a nice look. Just an idea.

Dave starts his vacation tomorrow and is off until the 28th. Of course I'll pop in and chat! No worries. Our big undertaking will be removing the carpet from the living room, and vinyl linoleum from the kitchen and baths. We will be tiling (HUUUGE eye roll !!!) We're doing it but there's a retired guy (80) who is quite spry and used to be a contractor who will be 'supervising' and just giving us a hand here and there with a few things. We need that. Dave and I are capable of doing the work and we feel confident we can do it but we would FEEL BETTER if we had someone 'guiding' us a bit.

I'll let you know how things progress on that because we're starting on the 19th. If you have any doubts about our progress listen for profanity. Most likely you'll be able to hear it from where you are (LOL).

Hope you're well and feeling happy.
Have a great day and I'll post some more cacti pictures.
Peace. Out.
TTC

Hi Carrie and Agave we are doing well here had a bad scare with Fenny we went to FL for 2 days. Taking a van full of plants to my SIL. She just moved in to there old house they had when they went to Vermont for her work. The back was overgrown and they are slowly reclaiming the land from wild trees that have propagated all over it mainly camphor trees. But when we got home Thursday Fenny started having seasures. One that night and 2 on Friday then one on Saturday and none since but then she started having no appetite and not wanting to move and she was crying out in pain. So we took her to the Vet yesterday he ran some tests and thinks she got hold of some poison she is recovering well and is still at the vet till he is satisfied. the northern neighbor puts out traps and poison for coyotes on his land but he promised to not place it close to us. But has lied about it Fenny got trapped in a jaw trap just off our property not but maybe 500 yards in an empty field under the high line power company aria so I cant say on the poison but I'm looking around the edge of our land to see.

Hi guys!
Oh how awful in regards to Fenny! That's horrible. Is everything o.k. now? Has the vet released Fenny and given her a clean bill of health?

I can understand about not wanting wild animals on one's land but jaw traps are so cruel and inhuman. They do make cage traps that will contain the animal and you can call wildlife control/animal control and they will collect them and relocate them!

I also think it is despicable that anyone would poison any animal. One it is cruel and inhumane and a painful way to die. Two, well it doesn't always work out positively in that other domestic animals get into it and---as you can see from what happened to Fenny, the results can be catastrophic. Sorry Jim. Your neighbor is an idiot!

In a way I feel so bad for coyotes in that they are so misunderstood. They are more afraid of you then you are of them. The only reason they come on your land is to pass through to go to their hunting ground. If your yard IS their hunting ground it is usually because there is something there like chickens that are un cooped/not fenced in, cats that are left out at night or other small domestic pets and farm animals left to roam around free or garbage improperly contained. If there's no incentive or reason for them to be there they walk on by.

Coyotes primarily like rabbits (wild), and scavenge. Good because they function as a clean up crew. They also eat vermin such as rats, squirrels and chipmunks. Really a useful animal.

They become a problem here because we get tourist and snow birds and hikers/bikers that don't dispose of food properly when they visit. I used to live by a golf course and the golfers would always toss out left over sandwiches and boxes of donuts. I'd find them every where. No wonder the coyotes were coming in close to our subdivision. When the snow birds went away so did the coyotes.

With dogs I've heard the electric fences work well. It is just a little box that you attach to the collar and it is set to the same frequency as a few small posts you spread out along your property's perimeters at random places/corners. There's no literal fence but the posts emit a small electrical signal that if the dog gets to close to the 'boundary' there's a very mild zap that keeps them from passing beyond it.
Maybe you should look into something like that for Fenny? She could still roam around free but be 'contained' so to speak and not wander into the neighbors area where he lays down poison and traps.

I hope she will be o.k.

As for us here well a neighbor was kind enough to just give me a huge monster plant she didn't want or care about anymore as she isn't a gardener. She didn't want it to die so she just gave it to me. It is currently 3.5 feet tall and the arms are 2.5- 3 feet long! Full size it will get to 6 feet tall and 8-10 foot arms and grow that crazy 30 foot stalk! She had it crammed in this ridiculously little pot it was busting through. I put it in the raised beds out back.

Also just been exhausted as husband has been on vacation and we have ripped up the linoleum in the kitchen. Spent two days scraping up glue and scrubbing down the floor to make sure it is off. Today we are going to tile it. Tomorrow we are going to rip up the carpet in the living room and continue. GROAN!!! My everything hurts, my hands are a cut up, calloused mess despite gloves and we're all complaining.

Luckily we have a friend who is helping us and my neighbor is feeding us today as we won't be able to use the kitchen. Zoe has been a good sport about all of this. As long as she gets her walk, we play in the early a.m. and she gets her regular food and treats she's flopped out on her pillows and out of our way.

Talk to you guys in a day or so.

Let me know what's new and how everyone is doing and feeling.
Peace. Out.
TTC.

Song for the day: "Working in a Coal Mine" by Devo (LOL) real song and real funny.

Monster plant in pot.
Monster plant in raised beds I built, now its permanents home!

That is a lovely plant, and it looks much happier in its new home.

Very scary about your seizures, Agave, and about Fenny too. The really scary part (to me) is that both of those could recur. The idiot neighbor could continue trapping and poisoning Fenny and you can keep having seizures.

Good work, you guys, on installing your own tile! I installed tile once, and found it to be fairly straightforward and a little like sewing curtains, Of course that was a lifetime ago. One of the few things we've done in this house that we're really happy with is the tile we had installed in the bathroom. We had to go to a hotel while it was installed--only one toilet!