Wow, I don't think it ever got that hot when we lived in Dallas. It was pretty hot pretty often, though. The jet bridge (thing from the terminal to the plane) was provided by DFW airport which is a company, I guess, and it was neither air conditioned nor heated. We bought a thermometer and put it outside the cabin door, so passengers could see it right before they got on the plane and Ray could monitor it. He would hand out bottles of ice cold water to passengers (for free) after they had been waiting in the triple-digit hot jet bridge and people would be SO happy to be given cold water for free.....United (next gate over) would always get mad, since they weren't allowed to give ANYTHING away without being paid. Just a memory.
Anyway, Jacqueline, it sounds REALLY hot out there. Today was a gorgeous beautiful day. If you were working in the heat for a long time, you might have thought it was hot, and I actually got pretty overheated toward the end, but it was wonderful to be out in.
Happy Father's Day, everybody. Today was the first Father's Day since my father died. Every year it was awful, trying to find him the perfect Fathers Day card, because I don't have happy childhood memories, he didn't support me or was there for me or all the other stuff that Hallmark thinks fathers do. Anyway, happy fathers day.
#21 Practical Matters for Phsically Challenged Gardeners
Oh....
Forgot it was father's day. Ooops. My dad passed away such a long time ago; 24 years actually that I don't think about it. I forget what day it is as I no longer buy cards or gifts. Even when my dad was alive he wasn't the 'Hallmark' kind of dad either. Sigh.
Dave takes care of his side of the family in terms of calls/cards.
Well since I forgot I guess I'll take the opportunity to say to all the dads, "Happy Father's Day!" Hope you are all having a nice one.
I've never been to Texas but have traveled all the way across it on my way
to Arizona. It was July. It was very, very, very hot. Worse yet it was humid. Oklahoma had been worse as terms of humidity goes. It didn't start 'drying' up a bit until NM. But yes...Texas is real hot. Not a great place for summer time
either. :[
It was nice the airline let Ray pass out water. Not only nice but smart too. Common sense when it is that hot out there you must hydrate yourself and whomever is around you. Passing out from heat exhaustion is not good. Been there done it.
It is really hot out here. Alarmingly and dangerously so at this point. A few 117 and 118 days are eyebrow raising but they should be few in a month. We have never had anything above 121 in three years. That was one day only and set a record.
Today is a new record for us along with the lowest humidity at 5%. The average temps for the whole week are expected to stay between 111-120! YIKES.
Poor Zoe hasn't been on a walk for a few days now. Just too hot and too much. 7:00p.m. and it is still 114 degrees out. Tonight it is supposed to go down to 110. Brrrrrr...right? Poor dog. She wants a walk but the moment I let her out back to potty she discovers it isn't pleasant. Still can't put 2 and 2 together in the doggy brain as to THIS is the reason we don't go for walks.
I feel so bad for people that have to be out in it. I remember at the prison 2 times every 8 hour shift certain things had to be done outside regardless of it being 118 or -118. Pouring rain, sleet or sunshine didn't matter. Has to be done! Not optional.
You had to check the roof, walk the perimeter of the prison fence and make sure there were no holes in it or nothing was loosened, you had to get in between the 2 rows of barbed wire and set off the 'zones' which were the electronic motion sensors and alarm and then wave to the camera so they could confirm that both the visual and audio were working. The prison I worked at was almost 5 miles around!!! This took about 2.5 to 3 hours. Also had to do a parking lot check where you went through the lot and checked all the employee cars to make sure the windows were up, doors locked, etc. and same with the visitors lot. This took about another 1.5 to 2 hours.
Ate up a large part of the day but not all of your 8 hour shift. Usually by the time you were almost done doing this the first time in the 8 hour shift, someone else had started on the 2nd check!
I got sick one time from this. Dave and several others got very ill having spent 8 hour shifts on the rec yard last year in the heat. Fortunately the Warden got smart and changed the hours the inmates went out for rec and said no officer could be out there for more than 4 hours at a time.
On nice days though----rec yard and utility ('checker' of things alarm/security wise) were the fun jobs everyone wanted and begged for! Usually you got 'rewarded' with them in the nice weather only if you weren't a whiny PIA when you were told to do it in the summer time. Amazing what looooong memories those Captain's got!
I got utility a lot because I didn't whine and I could move very fast and wasn't a lollygagger out there. Captain's liked that. I kept doing it at a fast pace and they liked that more. They gave me less and less utility in the summer and more and more during the rest of the year. Reward for not making trouble and schedule problems for them.
Others on my shift got more summer utility or rec and certain persons quite frequently. Punishment for complaining about the whole 1 time they had to do it. I don't think they complain anymore. *tee-hee*
I looooved being outside on nice days and away from everyone (both inmate and officer), the noise, the eyes, the cameras and constant lack of privacy anywhere except in the toilet. Ahhhhhh, so nice to be by all yourself for half the day, outside and just enjoying the pleasure of your own company.
Glad you had a gorgeous day. :D :D
They are wonderful especially when you can get out to enjoy them and don't mind being a little hot from the work rather than heat stroke.
Enjoy them. I know I've enjoyed my winter and fall and a good part of spring.
Plant some pretty flowers for me that last more than a day. :D
I consider late June-mid October my 'winter' as it is basically time for the plants to be at rest and the people and pets to be indoors hibernating. Won't be much for me to do except the 3 w's (weed, water and watch). That and just plan on what to do with the yard for fall. Also hoping the temps even out or stay somewhere in the realm of sane 115 and below. Anything above IS really dangerous and worries me.
Have a good night.
Jacqueline
Hey, Gang! We're back. The weather has been freaky lately. Biblical downpours, fierce winds and 110 days. It was cool enough to be called brisk very early this morning. Just frekin weird. Like Mother Nature is suffering from a major case of PMS.
Our local radio announcer kept telling us the current temp in Phoenix, AZ. I'm not sure what the point was. "You think it's hot here, but check this out!" or, maybe, "You wimps! 110 heat index temp ain't nothing." I was hoping it wasn't quite as wickedly hot in your part of AZ as it was in Phoenix, but it sounds like it is as bad or worse. . The strange thing here was the actual temp was only about 94. It was the 70% humidity part that was pushing the heat index, feels like temperatures so high and it only lasted a day. The crazy winds and rains came and now it is back to our norm.
I doubt this place is up to the same standard as yours and Carrie's house, TTC. I would get the better end of your vacation rotation deal. We decided not to build until the land was paid off and that will not be for another year or two, depending on how many double payments I make. My workshop is the only permanent structure on the property. Nadi lives in a micro-house that could be scooped onto the bed of a big truck. Kay and I live in a mobile home. manufactured in the 80's. With all the craziness that has cropped up since our northern neighbor arrived, I doubt we ever will built any significant structures here. More micro-houses and a RV hookup for Kay's family reunions, probably. The place looks like a modern gypsy encampment during get together. We were planning to run with that. Install proper RV hook-ups, an outdoor kitchen and a bath house. We are already set up for showers outside. Kay and I get really dirty working in the garden and Nadi doesn't want to let us pass through "her" clean kitchen. She trained us long ago to take our work shoes off outside the kitchen door, , but on some days losing our shoes isn't sufficient in her opinion. Kay refuses to take a cold shower no matter how hot it is. Tepid is acceptable, but not cold. To maintain harmony, I set us up for hot water outside. If Nadine's cleanliness obsession extended further than the kitchen, our house would be spotless
What is the hottest you can ever remember it getting in Milton, Carrie? When it was so hot, I told Kay moving to Vermont was looking like a better idea. She said, "No way! Did you know there can be killing frost in New England in June!" lol. She's been reading a gardening book by an author who lived in Connecticut.
I tore out a section of wall in the bathroom. Took it down to the outer wall and installed new fiberglass insulation. Well, it wasn't as boring as painting or as irritating as plumbing. This place dates back to the 80's, as I said. It has the unusually sized and shaped windows and doors popular then. . The doorway from the master bedroom to the master bath is five-sided. I think it was meant to give an Egyptian look, but it is a PITA. It may be meant to echo the shape of the bathroom window seen through the doorway. That window is even more of a PITA. I will never again buy a house with unusual windows. They tend to leak and they are all but impossible to replace. I think sophisticated was the look the designer was going for. The look he got was pimped out. It had beige carpet and mirrors everywhere when we moved in. The potential buyers I keep in mind as I re-model is an elderly couple. The w/c friendly doors and accessible kitchen counters I've put in will be an asset to my imagined buyers. Things hard to come by in affordable housing for people with retirement incomes. .
The dry roast summer flowers like Indian blankets and verbena are trying to bloom, but not liking sauna summer conditions. Flowers are sparse, but fruiting is going well. We are picking blackberries, red raspberries and tomatoes. Ears are beginning to form on the corn and the lemon cucumber is flowering. The olive cuke is still growing like mad, but hasn't produced a single bloom yet. We are harvesting mints, catnip, pineapple sage, anise hyssop and lemon balm. It's tea time! No fruit on the pomegranates. I was afraid that wind and rain storm that hit while they were blooming would do some damage.
For a man who has no biological children, I had a good Father's Day. Kay's girls and one of the young adults who lived here for a while checked in. I got to cheat on my diet and have waffles for breakfast. Nadi made me Sesame chicken and made sure there was lots of baby corn in the stir fried veggies. :-) Love baby corn!
Hope Dave doesn't have to do any outside work. Pray it lets up soon.
Enjoy your good weather, Carrie. Iris coming your way after the first of July. They will love the cooler temps.
Today's daylily is 'Dixieland Band'.
Jim, you bring up a really good point. We have spent thousands (over the past decade) making our bathroom more usable for me. We have probably made it unappealing to anyone not in a wheelchair. I always assume the mythical buyer of our house (in the future) would start by ripping out my sink-height counter and adding base cabinets. While my daughter was living here, she had curtains over the bottom areas in the bathroom and kitchen. So I have been assuming that I was destroying my house, rather than adding to its marketability.
I am glad we are in NE for the spring-early summer. This is the best time of year back here. July and August are usually miserable because they're SO hot and humid, and most of New England is not air conditioned.
We have ceiling fans in nearly every room now, and it is quite tolerable indoors. But there is supposed to be a heat wave here in the next few days.
I just wish to complain for a brief moment. I have an electric throw from Lands End that was around 60" by 80". It is small, heats up quickly and is good for only heating one part of my body at a time. Most "stuff" I say "it's only stuff." You can buy another one or make another one or use something else. We have been throwing away tons of "stuff."
But my electric throw! It was irreplaceable (they don't sell it any more, it has no manufacturer's name on it, and we can't just replace the cord). Things that I really depend on, like most of my meds, or warm socks, or reading glasses, I like to have more than one of. It is crazy to spend 5 minutes running back to the living room to get my $15 reading glasses over and over. So I have many pairs of reading glasses, in the bedroom, by my computer, in my purse, in the car, etc. By my standards, this electric throw was something I needed more than one of. By the time I realized that, they didn't make them any more!
I have been worried about how much I depended on that throw for a long time! Ray had to unplug it in the living room and plug it back in in the bedroom every night and reverse in the morning. I took it with me every time I went on a trip. Even in the summer, I get chilly in the middle of the night with all the fans going! So I really need my electric throw.
As stands to reason, it stopped working! The sunbeam electric throws are too lumpy and too hot. I ordered a different brand from Amazon, the ONLY competition for the Sunbeam one. We are also going to try to jury-rig a new cord (electrical tape, wire stripper/cutter, etc.) to see if the blanket is broken or the cord. I am so upset!!!
End of rant.
This morning Ray rented a chain saw and today the yard is getting a crew cut! Pictures to follow.
Good Morning guys. :D
Cold front on the way. A steady week of 110-112 temps all week. YES that is a cold snap compared to 122, 118 and yesterday's 114. I can actually walk out the door now and not literally drop dead---just suffer some dehydration and mild heat stroke instead!
Our normal mid June-early July temps should be in the 103-108 range with mid July through August kicking off the 110-115 to maybe an occasional 117 or 118 day. 110-112 isn't our normal but I'll take in comparison to the last 3 days of record setting heat. I think your local radio announcer was stunned by the numbers and was as unable to fathom the temperature as we were. I'm sure he couldn't imagine living in it.
Plants are miserable. Took a 'look see' under the shade tenting and they're still all closed up in a self defensive posture and look like I slapped them and am going to do it again. Poor babies. :( At least I can get out today and give them some TLC.
Zoe can get a walk tonight also as she is becoming obnoxious. Little doggy brain not processing 'why' we don't go for walks despite the necessity of her having to go outside to potty and flipping out when she does. Can't put the 2 and 2 together. BTW, how is Queen Fenny?
What nightmare weather you have Jim. Almost worse than ours. A 94 degree day with 80% humidity would feel like 140 here. The day we had 122 we had 3% humidity!!! I guess that's why deserts are any dry, arid place regardless of vegetation or temperature. Has to do with no water, no humidity. We whine when we have a day of 17% humidity and are ready to just die when it reaches 20-30%. I could not imagine 80%. Well, yeah I can. Reason why I dislike FL and could never fathom why people want to retire to a bog. Couldn't wait to get home so I didn't have to take 3 showers a day. The wind and rain sounds even worse. Only downfall when living very close to a large body of water. Great in good weather a real problem of Epic proportions when the weather decides to go nuts-o
I don't think Mother Nature has PMS. I think she has Schizophrenia and multiple personality disorder. Never seen nothing like it in my life. Well...can't say that anymore as this has been going on a few years now.
Weather aside I still think vacation rotation would work. They make Holiday Inns. LOL. I'm not sure if any of our homes would be big enough to accommodate everyone. Ours has 3 brms but only one is a guest room and so small you can only get a full size bed in it and the other room we use as an office and Zoe's crate which is the size of a piece of furniture! Big, tall dog = big, tall, wide crate for the dog.
Also bummer as we aren't wheel chair accessible. :( I guess the majority of people don't consider this as it is not a public building and primarily focus on the details and improvements that will definitely sell the home or improve its value rather than what will accommodate and be useful.
Kind of sad there is not more of a mix when I look at neighborhoods. Must really limit a lot of the disabled and elderly. As an Epileptic my common sense dictates it is better for me to live in a one level home rather than a two story one. Due to this self imposed restriction it also restricts my choices and locations a bit.
Sounds like you're killing yourself in that house Jim. Impressed by the know how and ability to do it. Laying the floor was an experience for us. And yes anything custom and decorative is a PITA. Pretty and interesting to look at but replacing it or fixing it or ordering parts cost more than the original.
Don't knock beige carpet---if it's nice! Forces you to be clean, neat and vigilant about NOT eating in the bedrooms and living room! Also taking your shoes off in the house keeps 64% of the dirt out of it and makes your carpet last about 2 years longer on average. Buddhism aside this was another motivation for me to take shoes off and ask 'politely' that others do so as well.
Garden sounds like it is going well and thriving despite the wind, rain and crazy temps. Envious of all the herbs. Wish I could grow some out here. My windows stink also in that they provide little light and the sills are so narrow you couldn't put anything more than a glass on it.
Gotta get rolling with my day.
Take care all.
Peace. Out.
TTC
Hey, y'all! I still try & come over here to catch up with y'all: I may be gone (could no longer tolerate the bugs, changes etc), but hopefully not forgotten. I'm over at APL (it did some merging, so has a new name: garden.org); I use the same screen name; it's free to join and, even if browsing/lurking, all areas are free (no member-only restrictions). If one or mor3e wanna come over for a visit, please say hi! And if you decide to join (remember it's free) please use my special link (I get "brownie points"): http://garden.org/users/join/BetNC/
A word on making a house handicapped/wheelchair accessibility: it opens up a whole 'nother mbuyer's market: not only for those qwho need the accomodations right now, but there's a vast, ever-growing group of people who consider it a plus - as they contemplate aging in place. People ALWAYS get older!
I'm not doing very much recently. I fell last month (my bad knee buckled) and broke a vertebra in my back. Most of the pain is gone, but it'll be another 2 months before that bone heals. Meanwhile, I have an appt. this month with my orthopedic surgeon to schedule knee replacement surgery later this fall. There's a heat spell here (it's 91!) , so I don't really mind staying in the air-conditioned house, laying down and occassionally puttering around. Between friendws, family, neighbors and 2 new helpers (1 comes every month for ONLY gardening and one comes every week for whatever I need . . house and/or garden).
I planted out my tomato seedlings and created my 2016 Tomato Jungle (8 plants in containers on my back patio) the week before my accident, so I'm keeping it going - with the help of my new garden helpers.
my Tomato Jungleand view from my backdoor (June 1, on it's 1 month "birthday" )
my first ripe tomato (June 22)
Now you're just not happy unless you can rub it in about those 'maters are you? :D
Good to hear from you Bets!!! :D
Sorry your knee is being such a problem and did your back in. :[ Bummer. Hope you're recovering and doing much better. How's Granny? Ornery as ever?
Only got a moment but I believe we are all on ATP. Not sure if Carrie is or not but the rest of us are. Would be cool just to have an Armargia Only forum that way we could all be corralled so to speak and in one spot and not have to bounce around from ATP (I still call it that) to DG.
To be honest the only reason I'm still here is to keep Carrie company and the fact they extended my subscription for free until July. Had they not I would have been gone this month and solely on ATP. All of my friends from the Agave forum are there and we've picked up our discussion. I only have 2 people I talk to on that forum here and most of the time it isn't plant related. ;{
Gotta start my day. But please send me some 'maters! Speaking of heat stop whining. You see that 122 temp up there on my other post? Honestly, I don't have much sympathy for anyone else right now. Let's see 122, 118, 114 then a cold snap of 111-113 for the next week. Brrrrr...right? 94 would be a treat.
Hugs to you.
Wise Cactus gives a wave. :D
I'll chat with you and the other later.
AG/TTC
I want to show you guys the house before and after. I just need to figure out how to set up the pictures, but I will!
Agave, enjoy your cold snap.
tsk, tsk, tsk Agave: tis but the BEGINNING of my 'Mater Feast!!!! (green tomatoes don't count but for their promise of red, ripe, juicy 'maters! Did I also say TASTY?? hehehe..I'm Evil, I know!!!) Granny is onery as ever, but she's going downhill fast. . . . .she can't eat much, since she lost her last chomper back in Feb (drastic way to lose weight!!); the DMV renewed her driver's license until she turns 104. . . but restricted her from driving qafter dark or on highways. She turns 100 in 2 months. . . .just at the tail end of my 'mater season!!
Over in
APL, in the forum called "Sand Box". . . if somebody starts a thread titled Amargia. . . then it'll be like here. Why can't / doesn't Carrie come over to the "Light" (Star Wars reference)??
In looking thru one of the many catalogs from companies I've never even heard of (some company I do business with must've sold my contact info. . . putting me on a mailing list).
I remembered Carrie's lament over the demise of her heated throw when Isaw "The Cordless Heated Throw" and thought of her. 60" L x 50" W x 1" D, 2 lbs, rechargable batteries with included AC adapter/charger. Machine wasable. In a rather pricy, eclectic catalog with a lifetime guarantee (www.hammacher.com).
Legal disclaimer: this information provided only as. . . . information and in no way implies an endorsement or recomendation.
ROFL
Good morning guys. :D
I love catalogs. I get a ton of them. Window shopping is so much fun. Who knew there was so much useless crap out there you never knew you needed or wanted? Best of all they're recyclable. Placates my conscience into feeling like I'm not killing any trees. Even more fun is the time I spend pulling pages out or cutting pictures out of them. I have a folder that I stuff them in. Ideas for things I can find at 1/3rd the price elsewhere if I ever have the money to buy superfluous useless junk. LOL
Carrie...Have trolled around for an electric blanket for you also. Haven't seen one yet. Will keep us the search. As always my go to source is EBay and Amazon. worth a shot. Found an electric skillet that was the exact same as the one I had that went Kaput. Thing was 20 years old and never used!!! Theirs...not mine.
As for our weather well it has been unbearable again. Lies, I tell you. All lies. The weather man lied to us. It was 115 yesterday. Grrrrrrrr.
I've been outside doing rain dances which include incantations to the ancient aliens to come and deliver me. I'm certain it is far cooler on planet Zirkalorf right now than it is here. I like to imagine they are very friendly, resemble the Mogai on Easter Island, and we sit around exchanging recipes by the light of their 3 moons while eating yummy tomatoes because I am so sick of making the same 6 things for dinner every week since it is too hot to turn on the oven or go outside to grill.
I am also so over Pizza Hut. While Pizza Hut is kind enough to deliver I feel bad making them. Fortunately I tip well as tipping is not a city in China. I like eating some time today and I like my pizza hot despite the weather.
Good for granny! 2 more months until she gets that birthday card from the President. Every person 100 years old gets sent a b-day card from the Pres. My grandfather got one as he lived to be 101.
Maybe bad diets and bad attitudes are the secret to longevity?
My grandfather consumed 2 fried eggs, greasy bacon, black coffee and 1/2 a pack of Winstons every morning his whole life. Lived to be 101. Convinced you could feed the guy rat poison and he wouldn't die. Mean as all get out too. Only needed to read the newspaper with a magnifying glass and use a walker. Otherwise healthy as an ox.
I think granny will be around getting more cantankerous by the day, live to 104 and still driving just to spite you and find a way to put all them sweets of hers in a blender so she can get them through a straw. Teeth not necessary. Probably find a way to dissolve taffy in ice cream sodas using extra sugar. *grin*.
I hope so. She'll be gettin' even for me since I can't get to them 'maters!!!
Have a good day all.
Peace. Out.
TTC
Song for the day: "Sugar-sugar" by the Archies
This message was edited Jun 25, 2016 9:31 AM
I love the image of Granny driving around at 104, sipping smoothies through a straw! Seriously though, Bets, is your frame of mind tied to her health? I was certain that I was ready for my father to die, he should have died 9 years earlier when he had the stroke, etc. When he did die, it was upsetting, even though I had been talking about it for 10 years. In other words, if you want us to lay off Granny as a comic figure, we will.
We bought a door and Ray just brought it in. As I knew it would be, it is 2 inches too tall for the space. #listentome
This message was edited Jun 26, 2016 8:41 AM
Exhausted Today will write tomorrow
Agave: Texan in exile here in NC. I LIKED living in the high desert (Sonora desert). . .sure, the thermometer showed triple digits, but it was a DRY heat!! I always knew when it was almost lunchtime: the ground outside my office window would start shimmering as the lizards started moving. This humidity is a killer! Between allergies making my lungs itch and not being able to REALLY take a breath without feeling like you're drowning, I long to be back in the desert. Sure, we'd have high heat warnings, but only when it got SERIOUSLY hot: that's why the Mexicans wisely made a tradition of siestas!!
Please don't lay of Granny as a comic figure. . . it makes it easier for me to endure her not-so-funny antics. . . her nagging, complaining, lecturing. . . . .I think Agave is on to something: the meaner and ornery they are, the longer they live. Puts some truth to the saying that only the good die young. . . or (in other words) heaven won't have 'em and the Devil's afraid they'd take over!! I tell Granny she's just too stubborn to die cause then she can't bedevil and nag until she gets everything her way! (She's a control freak.) She drives me nuts, but she's the only one I have: not just family but also the only person I know here in NC. She tells everyone that she's taking care of me, when (in truth) I take care of her!
Agave, I know how to freeze my tiny cherry 'maters whole and while they're fresh. If the timings right, I freeze some to give to you when I start scouting different parts of the country to move to after Granny dies.
Hey Bets, :D
Good morning. Had no idea you were a former desert rat. Yeah...can always tell when it is time to clean the house here. From 2-6 as there is no point in going outdoors. Mornings and evenings although it is stubbornly refusing to go down much at night temp wise BUT the sun has gone to bed which makes a thousand percent improvement!!! The warmth feels good. The older we get the more stuff hurts. Always fun to get up and say, "What's going to hurt today?" In my case, "What's going to hurt if I fall on my head today?" LOL
Pity my Neurologist only wants to see me twice a year. He's hot! He's my age and we flirt shamelessly. (Husband sits in the waiting room). We're also both married. Wouldn't trade my husband but why couldn't I have met this guy when I was single?
Oh well...gotta entertain myself somehow as I too am bored and lonely. Know a few people by virtue of the fact they are my neighbors and we chat in a friendly way but don't know them as in terms of socializing or being friends. Closest thing to a friend is my 86 year old neighbor Shirley and that's because I do her yard for her and she drives me where I need to be once in awhile. Hang out once in a blue moon for some ice cream or we'll have each other for dinner. Aside from that not much else going on. Lack of driving is pretty crippling to one's social life.
Hey....lots of houses out here for sale and rent here in my subdivision. :D Quite a few right on my street. If/when the time comes let me know what your price range is and I'll house hunt. Here it is far better to rent a house than an apartment. Same price to slightly more but you get an entire house! Most landlords don't mind if you do some gardening as they appreciate the improvement.
Glad you enjoy the jokes about granny. They are all in good fun and meant to make you laugh. You could always be really mean and tell her if she doesn't shut up you're going to pull out the last of her teeth and all her sweets away!.
As for me the person that drives me nuts is my mother. Good 'ol CB...crazy Beverly. I swear Gandhi would choke this woman. Honestly if he was still around I wish he would.
CB can't grasp the fundamental facts that 1.) I am married. My husband is first and she is second. My life does not revolve around her and what she wants or thinks I should do. In case she forgot I'm 48 years old. She really likes my husband but doesn't seem to process the fact that he isn't a room mate he's my husband. That means our relationship, our home and each other is first in life now and what's best for us is first now. Period.
Also we just don't want to live in OH. We don't like it there. We had enough of it. That is why we moved. We are for the most part happy here. If not happy at least AZ has been good to us in a way OH could never be. Why can't she be happy for us?
2.) I also won't cater to crazy.
Haven't seen her in 16 years out of my life. Woman refuses to fly. Terrified of it. Says she 'can't'. No 'can't' is because you're in an oxygen tent, literally out of your mind or on the no fly list because you are a suspected terrorist on the FBI watch list. (although you can own a handgun and walk past any elementary school freely...eye roll).
Didn't see her for 10 years in CA and haven't seen her since I lived here regardless of my condition and injuries. Not sure what it will ever take for her to get out here. Refuses to seek help for it. Refuses to take a train, bus, rental car to even meet my husband and I someplace close and fun like say...Chicago, or New York City. Even if she did won't/can't go by herself. Basically won't and isn't willing to go anywhere other than where she lives.
Not acceptable. My husband and I have not gone one single place for us since our honeymoon. September we will be married 11 years. Can't afford it. Taken a trip to FL twice due to his parents out of necessity but never had one day to enjoy it or even go to the beach. Grrrrrr!
Basically tell CB that if, and when we have the money to go someplace it is going to be where we want to go and for us because we want to go there. If and when we ever get this opportunity WE deserve it in life. She's welcome to join us. If not that's her problem and I can't help her.
Still the relentless pounding. Don't know why. Not sure if she thinks by nagging and pushing and berating she will change things or make things change. Not going to happen.
Relentless poundings about moving 'home'. Explain OH is not my 'home.' AZ is. Unlike her I don't own my home. We do not have a mutual fund, 401 K or investments that keep us in addition to SS. My husband is obligated to a job if we are to eat. Moving across the country costs thousands of dollars. Then there's the where do we live, work (husband), how to eat and turn on utilities, etc.
Can tell this woman repeatedly. Can show this woman facts and figures on paper. Can scream and yell at this woman. Husband has 'told' her. She gets it for about 4 calls and then is at it again. This has been 8 years now.
I watch the caller i.d. closely and am very selective about when I answer the phone. Sad it has to be that way but I have enough problems of my own without her multiplying them like loaves and fishes.
And then people ask me why I own a liquor cabinet and feel the 'need' (not want) to get bombed on occasion. Seriously???
Sigh...so that is my rant. Thanks for letting me. Feel free to about Granny any time. I'll listen.
Hey, you think granny and CB would make good roommates? (*grin*)
Thanks for the offer of 'maters. If and when possible would be appreciated. Have some great plants I could send you pieces of. They loooove the heat and just suck up that humidity and grow like crazy. Don't like getting soaked though. Would make good patio potted plants. Be happy to send you some. May inspire you to start planning for AZ. :D
Have a good day.
AG.
Agave: re CB and Granny....NO! NO! NO! They'd team up and "pound" on both of us...we'd get "pounded" twice as much 'cause there'd be TWO of them! Sure, they'd commiserate about how terrible, ungrateful etc each of us were, . . . and that'd encourage both of them! They'd each step up their personal campaign...plus the OTHER one would also be on our case: as "mediator"! And I thought you LIKED me!@!!
Thanks for letting me know I'm not weird or abnormal or the ONLY one who gets "pounded"..my Granny raised me (well, that's a nice, acceptable way of describing our relationship. Saying I grew up in her house - like a wild weed- doesn't really sound . . . nice) Your respite is the distance between the two of you: mine lives 3 miles away and sees & calls me daily. Sigh
wanna see more pics of my tomatoes?? (evil grin)
Sure I like ya Bets. Just trying to get even with ya for all them 'mater pics. (*cheese grin*) As for granny and CB my thought was move granny to OH since mom won't fly or have CB brought to NC via cargo (sedate her and fly her like the dog did once) and then you can move to AZ.
This way misery loves company and the two of them can fight it out or drive each other nuts or sit around and think about how to try and drive us nuts BUT you and I are 2 time zones away! (bigggggg grin).
I think it was the philosopher-psychologist Albert Nietzsche that said "Family is like wall paper. It is usually in poor taste, runs endlessly throughout the house while repeating its pattern endlessly." Truer words never spoken!
Also there was a comedian, forget who but remember the quote, who said, "I love my family. We are close and tight knit and talk all the time. That's why I live 3 time zones away." LOL, ROF.
My sentiments exactly. Love my mother. Truly do. Outstanding qualities I do admire about her and good traits she passed to me BUT.... you know...that 'BUT'. I can not and could not even as a kid---ever live with the woman peacefully as we are such fundamentally different people.
Even if I had to live in a cardboard box I would be willing to do so if it meant I didn't have to go home. I'd be welcome. I just wouldn't do it for my own mental health.
Also worked in a prison. The food is really, really, really bad. Orange IS NOT a good color on me, and I kind of like privacy and people really feel uncomfortable visiting you there and don't appreciate collect phone calls. And no there are NO conjugal visits in prison! Medical care is most excellent though. Better than anything you and I could ever dream and hope for and it is free! In retrospect almost makes it worth it.
If you'll pardon the pun and the joke in really poor taste, bumping off CB would kill two problematic birds with one stone for me!
Send pictures of 'maters. Discovering I'm a masochist and they're better than romance novels or porn (whatever tickles you and your fancy!).
Have a great day.
Get with you in a day or so. Got a lot to do as dearest hubbie is off today and tomorrow.
Hugs,
AG.
Well, it's the day after the day after "tomorrow", but I am writing.
Your rain dance worked, Agave. It rained Sunday despite the fact the forecast said no rain for 10 days. Rain dances are very precise matters, you know. Stick your tongue out at the wrong time or waggle the wrong body part at the right time and Downpours in the Atacama Desert where the young think rain is a myth . You might want to hire a professional rainmaker in the future to provide you with a legal disclaimer. Personally, I appreciated the precipitation. Kay's latest concrete project was hardened, but needed to be wet down from time to time to keep it from cracking because it cured out too fast. (Concrete is still curing long after it hardens.) Going out into the afternoon heat to wet it down with the hose was a pain. The purpose of this concrete project was to keep dirt and water from coming in the door of my workshop during heavy rains. Success!
Kay repaired the retaining wall the arborist busted and did this project the same night. It was not much of a surprise that she spent all of Sunday practicing for a starring role in Sleeping Beauty. She finally regained consciousness about 6 this morning. It wasn't the sleeping too much that is caused by her disease, she was simply tired. I can tell the difference. She gets an amazing amount done working through the relative cool of the night, but we've agreed she should not do it more than once a week.
Working too hard has exactly the opposite effect on me. There is too much pain to sleep. I did a decent job of playing the role of Prince Charming. Do you all have any idea how irritating a sleeping person is in the same room where you can't get a wink of sleep? I resisted the temptation of grabbing the paint pen and drawing pictures of cute little animals on her face. She would have slept through it, I'm sure. I wasn't even tempted to do it ....much. I got tired of waiting for the riding mower to be repaired and used the push mower. Push mowers are meant for smaller properties and they aren't good exercise equipment for people with steel rods in their backs, but I'm sure I don't have to tell you smarter, saner types that.
For what it's worth, Bets, Amargia has a closed group on Facebook. Carrie is part of the group. Agave doesn't do FB though. To each his/her own. We created it during the crisis with our neighbor to let interested parties in on what was going on here and as a subtle way to get people to behave who were local. I guess it worked okay. Before the police took the camera down, the neighbors got some good pics of rude hand gestures, but the Barbie attack never actually happened. It involved Barbie stickers all over the gate and pink glitter down the forbidden road to mess with their machismo. The only thing I've posted lately is my daylily photos so people I gave extras to can identify which ones they received. It needed to be a closed group to avoid being sued, but I will send you an invitation if you have a FB account.
Carrie, that reminds me, Steph has a FB Page if you want to let her know this DG thread is open to all. No cost. I sent her a friend request, but either she isn't on much or doesn't remember who I am when I'm not Seacanepain.
Today's pic is a white crepe myrtle blossom with a bee friend.
Hi guys....
Speaking of sleep I am utterly exhausted and in need of massive quantities. No seizures. Just fussy dog (sleeps in our room) who is quite the active dreamer, husband that worked over time and snored over time due to it.
And uh...well I'm 48 so I had one of my infrequent but becoming more so hot flashes/night sweats. Ugggggggh!
Subsequently between the 3 got about 3.5 hours of sleep if lucky. Going to be catatonic for rest of day/night and just chill out tomorrow. Get with you guys day after.
Pretty flowers btw.
Hugs.
AG
Hi to all my old friends! I havn't been around much, because, quite honestly I cannot figure out how to access or navigate the threads like I used to . something has definately changed and I guess I just don't get it.
Just wanted to say Hi and let you guys who remember me know that I am still alive and, uh, well as can be expected. No gardening anymore. yard is very grown over these days. I still walk, but use a rolling walker for more than 30 ft. very active at my church is about my main thing now. Lots of naps.
Love to each of you!!
~Sheri
Hi Sheri!! The changes are mostly horrible, but we have learned to get around. The best part is that this forum is now free, or at least that could be the best part.
Jim, do you mean scraps? Ill send her s friend request! We are starting to get daylilies too. I sure appreciated your pictures, though. Then in the fall I'll send you pictures ....of leaves? Of snow? Of thermometers?
I don't remember if I said but we had the service for my father. It was fine. Very stressful, but it is OVER thank goodness. Monday was the first day of the rest of my life. My older daughter was one of the speakers, and her piece was lovely.
Hi Sheri! Good to see your post. Yes, I meant Scraps. The address was Lena, Mississippi. It has to be our Scraps. I thought I would send her a card to remind her who Jim Smith is. I should still have her address. Sadly, no sign of Vickie (Cando1).
There were some beautiful plants in the Coleman Tropical House today at the botanical gardens. I couldn't stay inside very long. I was drenched in sweat just from my brief walk thru. Our 92 felt refreshingly cool when I walked out. I try to drop by the DABG whenever I have business in Dothan. Still keeping my eyes out for chocolate basil, VORTREKER and Squatch with Cando1 in pursuit. LOL.
I was in Dothan taking Kay in for her check-up with the cardiologist. She had a BP of 104/70. That's almost a bull's eye on the 110/70 target the nephrologist gave. Yay, bring on those veggie burgers! You watch. Now that she has her BP under control, she will be on my case. lol. Different types of veggie burgers and different flavors of hummus have become our summer staple. A few minutes in the Foreman Grill and we have a healthy meal. No problem with burn out yet. I never knew there were so many different takes on hummus. Good cuts of beef go into the indoor grill too. No one wants to cook in this heat.
Kay saw some hydrangeas she would like to use in your garden design, AG, since you were the one who told us their symbolism. I'll post photos of those tomorrow.
(Jim)
#1: Alamanda. Compounds in this big beauty are being used to treat cancers and HIV.
#2: Caladium (I assume.)
And scraps has a real name of Stephanie Craps? Am I remembering correctly? I will search for her on Facebook. I've always had the same name; carrielamont or Carrie Lamont, so she should be able to figure out it's me.
Hi gang!
I'm back. Rested up and caught up finally. Now I'm sticky and yucky! Humidity today of 24%. That's high for us when our standard is 2-13% max. Weather is supposed to be normal and 'nice' for us. That being between 99-110. Anything under 122 or 118 is nice and I'll take it! We got rain day before yesterday and it seems most likely to be here tomorrow and the next day. After that it will be hot again and dry. ;{
Yes James, I agree. Rain dances are very precise matters. I'm inclined to believe the aliens from planet Zerklorg made up for my inadequate foot work. Either way rain was delivered to both you and I and will be on the horizon once again. :D
Disclaimers are a good idea. The only one I can make is Ag's rain dance is not proven 100% effective to do anything other than fulfill wishful thinking and make her look silly. Oh...also a good excuse to offer up sacrificial cocktails which they great rain Gods insist you consume. LOL
Glad got both her retain wall done and caught up on her sleep. Feel her there on that need. Glad also to know she wasn't plagued by two fussy noise machines and hormones gone rogue. Sigh. Whatever. Sorry about all the pain Jim. :( You should take some of my meds. Knocks you out! Oh interesting fact I found out about one I do take. Zonisamide if taken at .75 mg low dose is shown to be effective by week 24 to be an effective treatment for MDD (major depressive disorder) and bonus...you lose weight. I can testify that you sleep well if not plagued by your hormones. Uh...only negative it decreases your libido. I'll let you weigh the pros and cons.
Jim...push movers are for the few nuts in AZ that decide they want 14 square feet of lawn and are determined to pay $400.00 water bills to keep it alive. Where you live may I suggest riding mowers. Yes sane and reasonable thought when it comes to farms.
Yeah sorry about the FB thing. Tried it one time and hated the fact I got nine million friends in places I've never heard of and didn't know or never talked to. We won't mention the cookies, pop ups and ads and e.mail crap and other stuff. Had to call a friend who works with computers who graciously got rid of this stuff for free and got me off FB. I found it impossible to 'cancel' this account or 'end' it short of dropping a bomb on their office. (Joke for any government agency that is interested enough to read my somewhat inane computer communications). But no, seriously it took this much time and effort to get off it and get rid of the crap. So NEVER again with social media. Thanks though. Appreciate the offer.
Enjoy the veggie burgers. I am going to have some beef and black bean chili I made. :D And a glass of well deserved wine.
Nice Caladium! Had one just like it. Huuuuuuge. Sprawling and massive. Zoe thought it was quite tasty and systematically destroyed it. Grrrrrrrr! I always thought this plant was an Anturiam or something spelled similar. Could be wrong as I lost the plant tag to mine so many years ago.
I am grateful to Kay for the use of the Hydrangeas in the garden. Very touched.
Here's one of the plants I can send you and it is succulent, almost no thorns, grows well and sucks up the humidity and heat. Doesn't mind the water but won't tolerate being soaked.
Oops... hang on a sec and I'll post that for you.
Carrie...where are those pics of the house???? Anxious to see them.
AG
Here's two shots of the p.pear I want to send you guys a piece of. Fast, easy grower. Love this one. Will have to get an I.D. on it from the cactus heads but that won't be hard.
Next two are an Eve's Needles. A real champ in the blazing hot heat and sun. Loves it out here in AZ. Another fast grower after the first year. Likes water but not too much. Sucks up that sun and humidity!
I'll be happy to send some pieces of these to you.
AG
Agave, these are for you (hehehe)
two differnt plants with ripe, low=hanging tomatoes:
Small cherries
large "salad-sized" (cluster of 5 AFTER 1 was already picked the day before)
Oh, that's mean! I have a hard time growing any tomatoes, and I am happier buying them from the Farmer's Market.
I almost re-posted the picture of my car with all the plants oozing out of it. You remember that picture, right? Home Depot is now officially our second home. Today we went for a new plastic window box for under the bedroom window on the street side, but couldn't find one that I liked. I wanted a plain white one but I guess the people who need plain white window boxes bought then a few weeks ago.
So on Sunday, Nancy used my old car to get coffee at Dunkin Donuts. DD is really big in New England and they don't have it in Texas, and furthermore, we don't make coffee in the mornings, so I said "fine." Then she called me from the parking lot; someone had backed into her. And then today Ray rear-ended someone in my new car.
It's not really about the crashes themselves. I mean, it's better not to crash your cars, but thankfully nobody was hurt at all in any if the (four!) cars involved. I have two main thoughts.
First, Ray was complaining about Nancy ever since her crash, like "I guarantee she was texting" and "I don't have accidents like that because I drive defensively." Yadda yadda yadda. So he felt very foolish when he was the one who crashed my car. There was no need to say "I told you so" because I had told him so.
Secondly, now it becomes MY job to take care of it! I have to call insurance, blah blah blah. I have to translate the PDF from the old car estimate place into what we have to do and when. For TWO accidents! I have to calculate how to do without the car (or cars) while it's getting fixed. I am just tired of it.
Sorry, I just realized that sounded REALLY grouchy. I am not as angry as the post made me sound. I am just whining.
lol no, Carry, you only sound like an exasperated woman. . . dealing with a frustrating MAN!
re the .mater pics. . ; I WAS being considerate, posting only 2 of my 8 plants (and only THREE of the 14 pics of them heavily-laden with ripening tomatoes)!!!
It looks like I'm gonna have another year of a bumper crop!
Those look great, Bets! We only planted a couple of "Sweet 100" for salads. I'm envious of your maters this year too. I saw some celosia in the nursery and you leapt to mind. Weren't you planning to grow those this year? Did the fall cause a change of plans?
I'm not big on Facebook myself, but that is where everyone in my family and Kay's family keep up with each other so it's FB or be out of the loop. The kids are on FB virtually every day, but call only on holidays. It's a social media world for better or worse. Trump and Clinton are both using it hard. FB seems the least crazy of the social media websites. The so-called social justice warriors have turned Tumblr into a circus complete with cyber bullying clowns. I know many of the artist and writers who gathered there are moving to Live Journal. I don't know much about that one. FB is considered kind of has-been by the young. It is a compromise between the generations for us. The big guys like FB and Twitter aren't the only shows in town. Check out all of these.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_networking_websites
We moved the tender cacti to larger pots. They are handling the humidity amazingly well. I feared they .might get homesick for the drier conditions in AZ. Is Eve's Needles as bloodthirsty as it looks?
Here are the hydrangea we want to add. 'Big Daddy' has been called "Big Duddy" in the upper south, but it thrives in the deep south.
#1: H. macrophylla 'Big Daddy'
#2: H. macrophylla 'Ayesha'
#3: H. macrophylla 'Heinrich Seidel'
I love those blues! Ray doesn't like hydrangea for some reason. This one I really like is the first one I've ever had. I traded some maple seedlings to someone on DG a loong time ago, like 5-10 years ago, when most people hadn't heard of Quick Fire hydrangea. It is special because it blooms earlier than most hydrangea. The (very fragrant) creamy white blossoms change color to deep rosy/dark orange color during the summer. They're really pretty, impressionist looking.
I planted it in my back garden (as a twig) years ago, and it quickly got a LOT bigger than I had imagined. So I made the help (Ray and my kids) move it to the front yard, where there was more space. It got MUCH bigger now that it had sun and space and it is still too big.
The foundation plantings that were planted when my house was built (c. 1951) were ALL way too close to the foundation. They may have been cute and small when the house was new, but they were all too big, too close, etc. I mean even according to the 50s they were too close. But add 40 years of growth and they were a horrible tangle of underbrush.
I think Ray cleared all the stuff out of the front.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnqtGjHJjs8
Great song I just heard by Steve Goodman called "Vegematic" about everything he ordered from infomercials.
Good morning all :D
Rain, rain and more glorious rain. Shut off the air and opened the front and back doors to enjoy the sight, sound and smell of it. Lots of thunder, lightening and the pit-pat of it hitting the ground. Ahhhhhh. Even Zoe is lying on the edge of the area rug as close as she can get to the front door just dozing and sniffing. We broke her of the manic-panic attack of running around the house when it thundered. She is now calm and serene.
Outside is a different story though. Her head snaps up and her eyes go up at full attention and she paces. I think it has more to do with the fact she can't see it and doesn't know where it is coming from and may be coming to get her.
She's exceeding well house trained (crate training since day 1 of puppy hood in the racing kennels) so I don't worry when she doesn't want to go out. Can't blame her as I wouldn't want to have to go outside to pee in the rain either. LOL
Don't get why she can't distinguish why thunder won't hurt her inside but she isn't keen on it inside. Again that doggy brain inability to put 2 + 2 together. Same reason she goes out in the heat to potty and is miserable but then can't understand why she can't go for a walk. Inability to connect the dots so to speak.
Yesterday was 96 degrees which was 12 degrees BELOW the norm. This week it promises to be between 92-113. YIPPEEEEE. This is way below our norm to our norm. Rain dances, sacrificial cocktails and cries for mercy do work.
Now that you all got our weather forecast....
Bets....keep the pics of the 'maters coming. Husband teases me and calls it computer plant porn. ROFL. I tell him we all need a hobby and a little slap and tickle some times and I didn't get those bifocals for no reason! Best of all there's no pop ups or spam with plant porn!
Carrie....OMYG. Seriously? Two accidents in the same day and one in a new car yet? Yikes. Hate to see your insurance premiums next month. In one way that kind of makes me glad I don't drive. Although with me could you imagine? I don't think AZ would have a telephone pole left standing! ROFL.
Rant away also. Why not. We do. What are friends for?
Wise Cactus says, "It is a poor friend that can only bask in your sun shine but will provide no shelter when it rains." Wise Cactus is very wise.
Speaking of rants and diatribes here's my two for the day:
And yes, I deal with a frustrating man also. I am left with the 'executive decisions' a lot. What doctor to go to (had to find new ones since we moved) and when. What hairdresser, what to make for dinner, when to fix things and why we need to fix things BEFORE it cost lots of money to fix things, the 'honey do' list exists because there are some things we simply can't do and, why we need to reciprocate dinner invitations to friends who had us over 3 times REGARDLESS of it being his day off and football is on t.v. if we want any friends at all!
I call this being passive-obnoxious. We hand them the power. They hand it right back. Then men have the audacity to feel emasculated, infantilized, and nagged by women when we take the power and run with it. Gee, I couldn't imagine why can you?
I don't like social media because it can be a time vampire and nobody I know is on it funny enough. (shrug). I guess I've trained---so to speak, everyone I know that I prefer to deal with 'people' and 'talk' to them and I am not an exhibitionist when it comes to my whole life (unlike unfiltered my personal opinions!) Here and ATP are the only 'social media' I am on.
My family calls or we don't talk at all. If you want to talk to me, you either speak to me directly or leave a message on my answering machine. If not your call does not get returned.
I flat out refuse to text. Have a flip phone for that reason. In my opinion a phone is to 'talk' on not type on. My phone has the capacity to text and accept them. I just don't. I ignore them and then delete them. When people ask if I got them I say yes but I ignore them and delete them. I'm too busy to type but I DO have time to talk.
I don't chitty chat on the computer if it is not business related. If someone wants to chat with me on line I type an e-mail that says, "Call me. We can talk. If I'm not home leave message."
I couldn't tell you what a Twitter, Tweet, Hashtag or anything else is. Could care less.
I ignore my cell phone when I'm at home unless I see it is an emergency. I live at home. I am not perpetually mobile. I have a home phone. Call it first.
This frustrates people but they have become 'trained' to communicate with me as 'people' do and should in my mind as I don't like being dehumanized and refuse to be by them.
My brother and I still HAND write letters even though we do talk on the phone. Old habit from when I was in the military and didn't get calls.
I have books. I use a dictionary and thesaurus. I despise spell check (except for Latin plant names) and prefer to look things up. Keeps me from 'dummying down'.
I know how to write in cursive. Never forget the time I handed a kid a check (yes I use them) at the grocery store and asked him if I wrote the same amount out as I had put numerically in the dollar box. He couldn't 'read' it. Dave's younger coworker bought a house and could not 'sign' his name. Scribbled a signature to fake it.
Cyber bullying is ridiculous. Don't waste my time or energy. I got something to say I blog or send op-eds to newspapers and organizations. Having one printed now! (YIPPEEEE).
Brings me to the point that the day before yesterday I walked out on a new doctor in a first time visit. Wasn't sick but had to see me because I was a new patient. Dude made me wait over an hour in the waiting room. Made me wait 35 minutes in the room before he came in.
Then had the audacity to answer his cell phone---from obvious listening it WAS NOT important or an emergency. It was social!!!
I went absolutely ballistic. Hit the freakin' roof. Told him off, punctuated it with (pardon) "You got more balls than a tennis court to disrespect me like that since I am paying for your undivided attention and time and don't even think about charging me for this visit or I'll report you to the AMA so fast your head will spin and you can explain the necessity of your personal phone call to them.."
Guy was thunderstruck. Dave watched me single time march out of the office, through the waiting room and out the door. When I told him why he completely agreed.
Sooo....back to my rant about having to find a new doctor and being left with the responsibility and power of having to do so. Grrrrrr! Also this was Stone Wall Jacqueline's tirade against inane social media and technology and why I still won't cave to it or cater to it. I'm a person not a 'thing'.
Funny thing happened since I developed this attitude though. I get treated like a person and not a thing when I deal with people.
Gotta go prep lunch. Get with you guys on plants later.
Have a fabulous day.
I am enjoying the rain.
Peace. Out.
TTC
Songs for the day, "It's My Life" by Talk-Talk and Jackson Brown's, "Dr. My Eyes".
This message was edited Jul 1, 2016 11:07 AM
I didn't understand people with their cell phones for the longest time! I had a land line - home phone - which most calls came in on. I had a cell phone for emergencies. Then we moved to Texas. I found out I could keep my phone number if I switched it to a mobiles number. Otherwise I would have lost my number. So I did it, I switched my home phone number to Verizon wireless. Now I don't even remember what my cell phone number used to be.
I am less and less able to remember new things. (It is important to be able to learn new things!) I didn't want to lose the number that I knew and have to learn to two or three new numbers in a few years. So I saved my number by switching it to wireless. Now I have the number forever!
Then one of the phones I had had a pull-out keyboard. I learned that texting is useful. You can have a conversation with your child by text and refer back to it later. You can ask the carpenter to grout the toilet again and refer back to it. Or he can text me that he'll be here on Wednesday. It's mostly because I have such a bad short term memory. But it does very well as a substitute.
I have never been able to text from those phones where you have to tap the letters three times. I mean when the keys are arranged ABC, DEF, GHI. JKL, MNO, PQRS, TUV, WXYZ and you have to hit the key over and over to get it to the right letter. Way too annoying. But my phone now has a QWERTY keyboard set up just like a type writer and it has punctuation and question marks and everything. It also has a very "intelligent" spellcheck. My fine motor coordination is not good at all so although I used to be a very good speller, I have a lot of typos. Then add the memory, the fine motor loss, I end up relying on the spell checker quite a bit.
I used to despise cell phones and all that stuff. I used to only use them to communicate with my kids, but now I use it with everybody. I think I have kind of slurred speech, especially if it's hot. With written communication, I can be sure you understood what I meant. Usually. ^_^
I was demoted from management to labor when I became functionally deaf/blind. It is humbling, but peaceful down here in the trenches. Jim handles all that stress. I provide relaxation massages and make sure we have Pepto Bismol in the medicine cabinet.
Humble Pie is a little bitter, but not poisonous. Life has served it to me on occasion. Ray will survive eating it.
ROFL. You made our day with that link, Carrie. His song "I'm My Own Grandpa" was good too.
I have a mild case of zone envy. The panicle hydrangeas like 'QuickFire' dislike our heat and the more unusual flower colors seem to come from H. Paniculum. I noticed there is now a 'Little QuickFire' available implying you are not the only one who had some problems fitting the original into a suburban landscape.
The hydrangeas at the Dothan Area Botanical Garden must receive a healthy dose of aluminum sulfate to get such blues.
We would appreciate the share, TTC, if you do not mind our experimenting with Eve's Pin. We are a zone cooler than you and if that is the cacti I think it is, it can get Too large to safely move in and out of the greenhouse. We could try using the method we use on tropical hibiscus. That is rooting cuttings in the Fall and wintering those in the greenhouse leaving the large mother plant in a sheltered location to survive if it can. We are only half a zone north of the plant's assumed cold hardiness limit. The plant in question may not read gardening books and know it is too cold here to winter outside. I know Eve's Needle is said to be fast growing by cacti standards, but do you believe it would grow fast enough for that growing method?
I'll trade you some lemon cucumbers for some of those tomatoes, Bets. I like cucumber sandwiches, but miss tomato sandwiches. I could theoretically make a lumpy BLT with 'Sweet 100' tomatoes, but....
Don't be a stranger, Sheri. A love for gardens and nature does not disappear when the body is not able to do the actual work. In a few years I imagine myself doing things like "planting" silk flowers in pretty ceramic pots and spraying their faux petals with the appropriate essential oils and haunting gardening websites where I can be an old smarty plants. The crazy old cat lady is overdone. I am going for grumpy garden granny.
k*
--lemon cucumbers
--FENNY!!! I did not notice what she had done until the concrete hardened.
Meant to comment on everyone's flowers.
I adore the hydrangeas. Like you Carrie it isn't the plant. I don't find anything awesome so much about the leaves or 'clumps' of flowers on the bush.
What I really like about them is the blue flowers. :D
So unusual to see a blue flower. Not the typical or r un of the mill flower color or the most expected one when a person thinks of flowers. The fact that this plant ranges from white, pink, blue, lavender and purple all on one cluster I find amazing and intriguing.
Orchids are another thing that fascinate me in this regards with their multitude of colors and fascinating shapes and markings. For me it is the shape of them more than anything. I call them disposable plants though as I have never had one live in my house for more than a week despite how easy they claim some are to grow. I limit myself to looking at them instead. I hate plant homicides. Always feel so guilty.
Cacti are not limited in their bizarre sculptural shapes and self defensive postures and sharp spiny weaponry. They are limited on color blooms. Red, white, yellow and pink being the predominate. On rare occasion you may see orange. The rarest and hardly ever seen yet is purple. If you find or have a purple blooming plant that is a 'prize' so to speak.
We do have bicolored ones for lack of a better description but they are not the true bi-colors like Orchids or Daffodils display. These are white blooms with another layer of petals underneath the primary flower that are 'pinkish' or white with pink stripes in them. Agaves are variegated (green and yellow or cream and green) and that is not unusual.
So obviously anything that does unusual things with flower color draws my eye and creates fondness.
I'm not thrilled with the selection of cacti colors available. They are what they are and not cross bred or hybridized for flower color or to produce more blooms. It is more for plant shape, size and hardiness.
The only things truly amazing about these flowers is that they are like a neon sign in the seas of brown and green-ish (?)desert and they are sooooo HUGE in comparison to the size of the plant they grow on. Otherwise cacti flowers are scentless and pretty boring in my opinion.
Good for Fenny for getting her cucumber dreams fulfilled. :D I remember you guys saying how much she adores them. Pretty funny actually. Maybe I should try some for Zoe so she won't be tempted to decimate house plants. Then again I don't have the climate for vegetables or fruit outside of citrus.
Also promised husband I would not monopolize the back yard (yeah...right), erect large structures for plants or turn the house into an indoor garden. Only exception is in winter I am allowed to bring a few of my little pets inside and keep them in the office.
Carrie...here you on the terrible memory thing. Ugh. What a torment. My phone does also have the numbers stored in them but it won't store addresses. I have a tiny black phone book that I keep with me at all times in my purse. It seems in my life I need to give and get addresses more than I need phone numbers
(* shrug*). Also 'forces' me to look up phone numbers and dial them rather than just hit #1 home, #2 Dave, #3 mom, etc. I don't necessarily recognize phone numbers on my caller I.D. at home as I do area codes. 95% of the people I know live in other states so just by the area code I can tell who is calling me.
Still got that notebook/log I keep daily notes or messages in and 'to call' or why they called. Divided by month. End of year I throw it out as 99% of what is in there has no relevance. We don't have kids. Well o.k. I have 2 but the one can't talk and the other has his own phone.
I keep a telephone book only for computer passwords and user I.D. names. Drives me absolutely bat crap crazy and spastic I can not remember a one of them. I never log out of anything except for the bank.
I am just so horrible with technology. Can't work the simple cell phone I have without the manual, turn on the stereo or t.v. without looking at the cheat card I have taped to the back of them and I've created a 'user' manual on the computer and can still only use that marginally. I am not one of those people that can figure it out by playing with it unlike my husband. I am one of those people who play with it and then can't fix it or get it back to where it was. I mess it up so bad my husband can't fix it. I'm on of those people who need to call people who can fix it because I can't tell tech support on the phone what I did using the applicable vocabulary.
Even if they understand what I'm talking about using words like, "blinking thingy" and " little circle on a black screen that keeps spinning round and round and won't pop up information I want to look at or let me go elsewhere when I hit the 'x' picture at the top." I have no clue what they are saying when they tell me how to fix it.
I just turn the computer off and on several times or use Ctrl-Alt-Delete or F8. If that still doesn't work then I just walk away and wait for David to come home.
I am a whiz though with Word as that is nothing but a glorified typewriter and type setting with the font styles of print and color, pica or elite for letter size and line setting, margins, setting tabs, etc. Just like on an old fashioned typewriter. Glory be, praise and hallelujah. Now this I can use!!!
Kay,
The Eve's Needle is in the exact same family as the crab cactus I sent you guys. Also same texture, shape and kind of succulent tiny ends off the main branch. Just a bigger version and far more sun tolerant.
You can let the piece get tap roots and just stick it in the ground or a pot. Unlike the crab cactus it will get tall. About 3.5 feet maximum but it does branch out a bit and will grow fast. In about 6 months you will notice real growth on it. In a year it will almost double in size. So a pot may not be a good choice for its forever home.
It is just fine in our 118 degree heat and sun and I did not have a problem with it in the winter although I covered the plant when it hit 36 degrees and 'flirted' with frost. It is a cacti- succulent. (All cacti are succulents but not all succulents are cacti. Has to do with how the spines grow out of the plant).
Likes water but not an excessive amount. Gets root rot easy. It will tell you about the water as it will get pale green-yellowish and will bend literally rather than stand tall.
O.K. gotta go.
Have a great morning.
TTC
Have a good 4th of July everyone. Busy cooking and cleaning tomorrow and the 4th. Having the neighbors over and a single bachelor friend. Catch you guys later. Enjoy your weekend. Catch you on the upswing.
TTC
Thanks, folks, We have two main colors in our yard, salmon/coral/orangey-red, and blue/periwinkle/lavender. So we have geranium Rozanne (lavender/blue flowers, in the spectrum from blue to purple). catmint (which is that same blue-purple), and we bought something yesterday at Home Depot which is a different plant. Oh, I remember, verbena which has the same color. Also blue balloon flowers,, lobelia erinus and bell flower 'Bue Clips'. Then we have dianthus Helen, agastache I forget the cultivar, the hydrangea, and other stuff which are all somewhere between cream and dark and somewhere between orange and red. We have a geum that color too, Anyway, those are my two favorite colors (blue and orange) and I think they look good together,
I love colors. When we go to Home Depot, I almost always spend time in the paint department looking at the color chips. It's so much more efficient to just gaze on the colored chips than to paint different walls in my house!
I usually say "I don't like yellow" but I don't mind yellow, I just wouldn't choose it. It s a good color to accentuate other colors. We also don't have much pink. And I don't like the smell of lavender. At Home Depot yesterday they had a lot of lavender and I just don't like the smell. I was looking at Ajuga 'chocolate chip' and A. 'Brocade Tapestry' and I really liked the texture of 'Brocade Tapestry'. Then for a moment (I was thinking about how I don't like the smell of lavender and about how I can tell plants apart by their smell sometimes) I was imagining if I were gardening by touch and smell alone, could I do it? I don't know, I like the things I can look at. But if they were ONLY visual, if there were no smell or feel, would I still like to garden? Very difficult question, Let's hope I never have to answer that one! I definitely do a lot of smelling on these HD trips.
Happy 4th of July all.
Hope you have a good and safe one.
I have to host 10 people, Wise Cactus and the rain making ancient aliens from the planet Zerklorg.
Butt...get to start the party obviously since I'm home. :D (*tee-hee*)
Talk to you tomorrow.
Peace. Out.
AG
I still think about color when I am gardening. I suspect being a highly visual person is why I developed Charles Bonnet Syndrome. If someone interviewed the 10% of people who go blind that develop the condition, I believe we would all turn out to be visual learners.
Ajuga makes an excellent shady groundcover. We have 'Bronze Beauty'. I've never seen 'Chocolate Chip' at the nursery. That might be because other gardeners scoop it up before we see it.
Thank you, TTC. I am a total ignoramus when it comes to cacti/succulents and Jim was not into gardening when he lived in NM. He spent his leisure time under the desert, spelunking. I guess that is one way to stay cool in that environment.
I really should know more about succulents. They are the most popular plants with the visually impaired at the botanical gardens according to a woman I met who works at rehab. She takes her young clients on tours of the garden. She would know. We have been trying to add more shape and texture and I think we have exhausted what sedum has to offer once we add some of the larger types. We will leave Amargia one of the most bio-diverse pieces of land for miles around. :-)
Tomorrow morning I will transplant some cassia (senna) to the xera-scape line. Itt's a native, blooms in late summer when flowers are fewer and, being a legume, improves the soil. The horizonal roots should also stabilize the soil. It sounds like a lovely workhorse of a plant.
The germination rate on the perennial sunflowers wasn't as good as I was hoping for, but there are enough to establish a stand.
The Hopi Red Dye amaranth is flowering, but it seems like every leaf eating insect in the county likes amaranth. The leaves were meant to provide "greens" for a summer salad for us, not a summer salad for the bugs. sigh.
I hope everyone is having their version of a good Independence Day.
k*
pix1 Holey Amaranth / bug salad
Pix2 Beautiful unknown annual
