Chit Chat - Everyone is Welcome - Part 104

Hi, chubbyd. If you need more horticultural charcoal, I have quite a lot of it here. The Mandarin Garden Club did a swap with me a few years ago. They traded me a garbage back of orchid potting bark and charcoal they had received as a donation, but didn't need, for several loads of the cull pack plants from Lowe's for their plant sale. Lemon Button ferns are available locally in the "Angel Brand" miniature plants. I've picked up a few along the way from the bargain table for my Jurassic Garden.

The cashier in the garden center at Lowe's yesterday that now knows me as a distressed plant buyer said as I was leaving, "Come back again," and I answered, "You know I will." LOL I got out with just a "bag orchid" (one that is bare root in a mesh bag) for $2.99 and a couple of 8 inch pots of nice blue/white pansies for $1 each. I had always been wary of the bag orchids, but several people in the Orchid Forum have had success with them, and it is a great way to pick up some interesting cultivars at a low price (especially when they are marked down to half-price).

Jeremy

yes I have opnly bought one bagged orchid a yellow vanda, years from blooming but it has really taken off. I saw their discount racks yesterday and I did not succomb to temptation. I really want some more cane dendrobiums but I refuse to by orcids that look sick anymore..i will buy some out of bloom though. But all of the discounted one at Lowe's looked sick. No thank you. Wow and garbage can full of orchid mix...awesome!! That was a good trade!! I needed just te charcoal for a layer in the vivarium. The pieces I ended up getting are tiny.

Isla should keep her blue eyes. Mom has blue and Dad has green. Her oldest brother has blue and her other brother has brown (his Dad has brown). Very strange. She is so much fun right now with all the noises and trying to get around. We finally get to babysit next Saturday. So looking forward to it and to have her all to ourselves. Her brothers will be with their Dad, so I won't be seeing them.

Here she is with her Mommy

This message was edited Jan 10, 2009 4:38 PM

No wonder Isla is beautiful, her mom is, too. I'll have to show Brady her picture when I go back over there. ; ) You're gonna have a blast keeping her. : )

I haven't seen a picture of Brady lately, got any Grandma?

My DD hasn't sent me any lately. She sent me a small Powerpoint clip the other day but it won't play on websight. I'll try to get her to send me some, if not it will be around the 20th before I go back over there to babysit again. I can get my own pictures, then. : )

This one isn't really recent but it's the one the made their Christmas cards with. : )

Oh, I would so love to snuggle him. What a wonderful family pic! Your daughter is absolutely beaming and so pretty too

i know you are glad to be home for a while Lucy. We have missed you! We went to the tomato field today. some crazy woman picked a bushel of tomatoes. Oh well they are not all really ripe so can put them up as they ripen. They sure are pretty! He has some he said had never been picked. seems that time he pays for picking & hauling it is not profitable. Wonder what is going to happen to our farmers. Tomatoes are 1.99 in the stores. there surely is a breakdown somewhere! Oh well off my soapbox.
Lorine

Hi everyone, had lunch, then well got the dreaded weekly shopping over, back home and removed the rest of the Christmas stuff back in the loft. Apart from twinkles over one brom and the lights around the pool deck. Looks like they will be needed this coming week. :(
poor plants don't know if they are coming or going right now.

Well WM was pathetic,in the gardening section, still all Christmas left overs or empty racks. Not one pack of seeds to be had. All they had was a few boxed bulb packs.
I had steeled myself to avoid going in the outdoors section , I was good and didn't go there but this lady came along with her cart from outside, she left it and went down an aisle....and she had the cutest plant in a hanging basket plus a couple of pothos. . When she returned I guess I was stroking the plant ( eek caught!) I think originally she thought I might pluck it from her unattended cart, she obviously didn't notice the drool!!. But we chatted and I said how lovely it was etc, and I had to have the name of course. No one had a pen for me to write it down....So all the way home I am trying to remember this name and for someone with crs I don't think I did to badly with H's help.
H said remember the Greek Parthenon to remind me .
So as far as I can remember the plant was Parthenocissus.
Haven't looked in plant files yet..

Lovely grandchildren pictures , I am hoping I get sent some soon, last ones I have of mine were the ones I took when I was in the u.k. last july.

My orchids haven't done too well this year but then they were pretty much neglected. One had a great flower spike, loads of buds. All the buds fell off bar one and that bloomed upside down.

Just looked up that plant name in PF and it was funny I said to H reminds me of a miniature virginia creeper and it is that family, don't know which one though.

I know what you mean Lorine, oranges are the same way. Orange juice is high but they don't wanna pay the growers hardly anything. I heard Linda talking about wanting some green tomatoes last night, she told me that was where you were headed. : )

Magi, my last orchid bloom was upside down, too. I think it was to close to another plant and just grew weird.





This message was edited Jan 10, 2009 8:26 PM

Evening everyone. Today was our 43rd anniversary. Any guy that has stuck with me that long deserves a medal. We golfed or at least i tried.

Lucy I thought that was you in that picture until i pulled it up close. She sure does look alot like you. I want to see a picture of you when you were that age.

BTW there ain't gonna be no old people at our class reunion. lol Did you guys like the rest. last nite??? Ate the rest of my barbeque ribs tonite.

Has everyone taken a look at the moon tonite it is beautiful.

Rene did you get me some tomatoes???

Isla mom and baby are beautiful.

We got you some. They are at Iris. Got some green ones too. See you tomorrow! Lorine

Linda, Ashley is prettier than I was at that age, but if I show you my Senior picture, we do look just alike.

And yes, I did like the restaraunt last night. The food was perfect. Tonight I went down to Paul's and got some fried mushrooms. They were excellent.

Oh, and while I was there out of the corner of my eye I saw my SIL, then my DD, and lil Brady. They had snuck into town to dine with friends and I caught them. So, now in a few minutes, I get to see Brady. They said they would drop by for a few mins. Maybe if he is not asleep I can get another picture.

They should know better than to sneak around. lol Take a picture even if he is asleep.

Happy Anniversary!

Gosh, Isla and her mom are beautiful! Handsome grandsons too, irish.

Lucy, your daughter looks so much like you, I'd love to see a pic of you at her age too. Does your son favor you or you DH?

Lorine, there's a lady at the Sarasota Farmer's Market that makes pickled green tomatoes with ginger that are out of this world! Any time green tomatoes are mentioned, my mouth starts watering for them...

Linda, congratulations on 42 years! Wow, you guys must have gotten married in grade school!

Magi and Lucy, the upside down orchid blooms sound fun! Any pictures?

Just got back from the drum circle at the beach, the moon looks so big, it's almost like you could reach out and grab it. Beautiful.

Got this pretty diffenbachia and pastel pink Knockout rose with Santa's Lowe's card yesterday. Waiting for more new plant deliveries to spend the rest of the card...

Cathy, I don't think my son looks like either one of us. Maybe half me and half my DH. Some say he looks alittle like his dad but I don't see it, at all. He has my lips and complexion. Both my kids are fair, their dad has a darker complexion. I think Brady may have my husbands complexion. He appears to be alittle darker.

Happy Anniversary

An article in todays paper said about the oj dilemma so apparently the gov have bought from the growers and the juice will go to schools.

On the home front I am making limoncello, trying some orangecello and thinking about grapefruitcello!. A wonderfull harvest this year.

Wow thank goodness you also have an upside down bloom Lucy.. I did take a picture so will post tommorow.

Yes a stunning moon tonight , totally full tommorow, Drink down the moon.

Happy Anniversary Linda

Thanks everyone. I have a wonderful husband so it has been a great 43 years. We got married in Anchorage, AK

Rene i am looking fwd to fried green tomatoes.

That is wonderfull Linda, Congratulations.



I love the film Fried Green Tomatoes but have never tried them yet.

Goodnight everyone






This message was edited Jan 10, 2009 10:52 PM

Night Fleur. : )

Ok, here is a picture of Brady, tonight. It was late when he got here and they just left, so he fell asleep before I took pictures.

And here he is a couple of days ago.

He's losing his brown hair and it's coming back in a soft blonde. Hard to see in the picture, tho.

This message was edited Jan 10, 2009 11:48 PM

He's a real cutie pie! love that smile

Thank you, Darla. We are kinda fond of him. He still has that 'new' smell. Well, sometimes he don't. lol : )

Look at those cheeks! Lucy, he's just getting cuter by the day.

Magi, that last picture you posted is psychedelically cool!
Here's the Melampodium from the RU that you gave me, doesn't it look happy?

Good morning y'all

Sandy

Oh my gosh, Brady is sooooo cute! Their age is so full of discovery. I would indeed love to snuggle with him. Thank you so much for getting the pictures. I especially loved the second one. I'm sure he will be tough to keep up with when he gets older. Isla and Brady will have to meet one day. Kismet and all that.

Thank you all for the wonderful comments. Our daughters and grandkids are my heart and soul. I'm so very proud of them and what they are accomplishing with their lives. Our son-in-laws are like our sons. They work so very hard. Now if the rest of the family can just behave themselves, life would be perfect.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Happy Anniversary Linda!

Happy Anniversary!!!!!

Both those babies are beautiful and they bring such joy to everyone.

Lucy, good to see you back more often. We've missed you.

I think if it doesn't rain too soon today, I may have the rest of my rain gutters put up. That's the plan for today. A guy from work is coming to help Jeremy do it. I've been way under the weather and too tired after work to do much of anything around here except water the GH plants every couple days.

Last weekend and yesterday the guys worked on setting the fence posts along the back of the property. They used what was left of the ones I got from Freecycle. But alas, we have another 8 posts needed along that border, plus 630 feet to do on the long side.

I posted a "wanted" on freecycle for more posts, but no one has offered me any. Guess I'll get on over to Sparr Building Supply and buy some. They are very good, giving me a 20% contractors discount, much better pricing than HD or Lowe's on building supplies.

Jeremy is moving to Deltona by the end of the month and I'm trying to squeeze every bit of brawn labor out of him that I can. So many things to do around here that I haven't the strength, agility or stamina for anymore. We have GOT to get that fence finished before he leaves so I can rebuild my large pond. The fencing will keep those danged dogs from tearing up another pond liner.

Think I better get something to eat. Coffee is souring my stomach.

BBL,
Molly

Morning everyone,

I love the pictures of the children. My youngest grandchild is two, and is not a snuggler. I miss those days. Looks like another cold snap is headed our way. So far, my plants have survived, just a little leaf burn on my Peace Lilies. Hopefully, they will do okay with this next cold spell headed our way.

Fleur, my DH loves Lemoncello, I would love to know how to make it. Would you be willing to share your recipe?

Hope everyone has a great day.

This message was edited Jan 11, 2009 10:43 AM

FLeur - have you tried making the creamy lemoncello? When I was cleaning out the freezer last month I found 2 small bottles I brought back from Amalfi 12 years ago. Decided it was time to empty those bottles (shot size). They were still wonderful. I need to scan the pics of the Amalfi lemons and post the pic so you can see the size.

And I just learned I have some sort of citrus tree in my backyard. I guess between me & my neighbor removing some large trees there is now enough light to make the tree happy. 4 orange fruits have been spotted. Guess I'll find out what they are next week!!!

Molly my dad lives in Anthony and shops at Sparr all the time!! How funny!!

CDoll, yes, I know their main store is over there. We have one over in Williston. I love that place.

Molly
:^)))

Happy Anniversary, Linda! It is really terrific that you've maintained such a lasting relationship.

CDoll - do come by for some horticultural charcoal. Most of what I have is in such big chunks (1 to 2 inch pieces) that I have to smash into pebbles to use in orchid mix, so it should work well for your project. You can come by anytime. I will probably be here as I don't have much coming up other than a few doctor appointments, but I could leave the charcoal on the front porch so you could drop by and get as much as you need whenever convenient. I would have to have an extremely large greenhouse with a few hundred more orchids in order to use up the supply of charcoal that I got in trade with the Mandarin Garden Center.

Cute babies, all. In the car seat photo above, Brady looks like he is practicing to be a future astronaut. First man to step foot on Mars there, maybe? LOL

Molly, glad you are getting the fence up. Where are the dogs coming from that ripped up your pond liner? Will Jeremy still be working with you on the painting jobs? I have a roll of hog wire and metal posts that have been out in a far corner of my yard for about 3 years, waiting for me to proceed with fencing the last side of my yard. I will now have to go back and seriously prune a lot of trees and overgrown bushes and vines to be able to get to the fence line. I hope the 100 ft roll of wire hasn't rusted after laying on the ground for all this time, but it is galvanized and probably o.k.

My slap-dab repair of the old van's leaking gas tank using fiberglass cloth and Bondo seems to be holding. I cranked the van up a couple of days ago and it still runs good after sitting for almost 2 months when I have been mostly house-confined due to the foot injury. I may head out today to buy some pvc to make the covered enclosure for the back patio that will allow me to roll a few years of clutter and unfinished projects out of the house and workshop/art studio into a reasonably dry spot until I can dispense with some of it and organize the rest. I am finding wonderful things that I've totally forgotten about or thought were lost forever under the piles of debris. My version of surprise gifts for Christmas, I guess. LOL

Jeremy