We too enjoyed listening to David's musical progress. DH commented on his technique in music that is quite abstract.

We are soon off to do yet more errands. The raccoons have done a number on our roof near two vents and DH needs more roofing nails, caulk, etc. DH set out 2 rain barrels as well. I, on the other hand, spent the morning throwing away old underwear and socks. Somehow that was very satisfying! I also made some more progress on the red knit outfit. Having finished the buttonholes, I'm down to the picky details at this point.

Off I go.
'bug

I am just in from 3 glorious hours outdoors beginning the clean up that inevitably follows winter. It was fun!
1.) hedge trimmers made short work of the grasses and will make burning them off less alarming.
2.) the Holly is considerably more "open" now, lol. I thinned the livin' daylights out of it and trimmed it back considerably, marvelling at how well bleaching oil has stayed on the leaves for nearly one year!
3.) the sedums and Wendy's asters are now at ground level, as are Echinacea that were divided and transplanted last fall.
4.) I've noted signs of life in the Dicentra spectabilis department and the crocuses are looking mightly perky.
I'm bummed that it's going to rain again tomorrow. Oh well.

Rex was an exceptionally cooperative boy today, probably because I took him to town to practice his "good boy manners" and it was so exciting that it used up a good deal of his copious energy. We passed several dogs when we were in the car and he didn't once explode into a barking fit. We met a few people on our walk and he was good about sitting and greeting them politely. Then we went to see Daddy and buy some new gloves for garden work. 'bug, keep at it with Phoebe, little bit by little bit and plenty of beatings will win in the end.

I see it's now time for me to go back and listen to David stummin (or pluckin') on the ol' guitar. Hope he doesn't decide to pull a Hendrix and set that baby on fire! ;)

Just a quick post... GB - Phoebe has always walked fine on leash for us. If she's on the Gentle Leader thing, I don't think you need to worry about a friend walking her. I even walked her to the top of the street at Christmas - she was pulling a bit too hard for me to be comfortable but would be no problem for someone with normal balance.

Mary,kudos to David. You both must be so proud. He sounds great and I loved seeing the clips. Thank goodness for the good news concerning the nerve damage. I hope the improvement comes on a regular basis to keep his spirits up.

It has been pretty here this last week. The forsythia are still in bloom as well as the redbuds,quince and daffodils. Some of the dogwoods are starting to open up their flowers. We are going below freezing for a few nights and I have tried to cover a few things. A couple of peonys that are budded and some hosta that are leafing out. Also the deutzia Chardonay Pearl sp?, it is close to blooming too. I tried to cover the new Japanese Maple since it is it's first spring and not to large. I would hate to see it set back. The leaves are not fully unfurled. I'm hoping the wind continues to blow as things seem to do better than on still,cold nights.

Michelle,sorry to see that snow. But it may be a good thing. better insulation.

Deanne , Saucy and Wendy. I will be looking forward to seeing the tuffa projects.

Bug and Eden, I'm anxiously awaiting baby news.

Hi ,to Chelone, Marian, PM and Julie, Denise and Jerri.
Brenda,Martie and Woody and everyone else too.

Oh yes, Woody I wanted to ask How many strawberries you put in a pot that size? June bearers or everbearers? And then do you store them in the garage in winter?

Happy Birthday Kathy, In case I don't get back in time.

I've been feeling a bit crappy and missed a few good days in the garden. Don't you just hate that?

Norma

David plays beautifully! He looks so comfortable! Nick was impressed and is now in the other room strumming on his guitar :)

I had a fun trip to Deanne's and came home with so many goodies: cuttings of coleus and geraniums, and abutilons, too! I got to see Deanne's tropicals hanging out in the garage putting on their new growth, so the first think I did when I got home was to bring some of my babies up to the garage....I hope I have success!

Wendy and Deanne are excellent students and both get an A+. Doug will get extra credit for getting us lunch :) We discussed maybe a leaf casting demonstration for IU, and everyone could play, and we'd have to just do small ones to ship to the out of towners :)

Michelle, that is a pretty scene, but one I'd rather not see out my window. My sympathies to those who are weathering the storms :) I should call my friend in Wyoming tonight and see how her spring is going....

Chelone, good thing you cut the grasses back! They go up in a really fast hot fire! Glad you had some fun outdoors today.

I wonder if GB is all packed up? Cleaning out the sock drawer is always good - one should only wear nice socks and underwear, or wear none at all :)

I am beat. Time to whip up some dinner and find a place on the couch. The upcoming week has an appointment on each and every day....and then there's all these cuttings to pot :)

Deanne, do you have any pictures (my battery is dead again!)?

Saucy
(I just refreshed...hope you feel better soon, Norma....it's not fair to be sick during garden season!)

Good afternoon :-)

Finally some sunshine today. We were out working in the garden early and of course, the sun waited until we came in to show itself. After I had a nap, we managed to get out again and knock a few more items off the list and get some sunshine. It was 68 on the back porch. I feel a little guilty reporting that, after seeing what your garden looked like this morning, Michelle! How discouraging. Well, winter weather can't possibly last much longer! It is a pretty photo though. [g]

I feel good about the level of productivity for the weekend. We got a good amount done but didn't overdo it. Two shrubs relocated this morning and a third potted up waiting for it's place. That was the priority and it is a relief to get it done on time. Also managed to get the large pots and tripods ready for peas and pansies and two veggie beds are ready to go. Did I already mention how thrilled I am with our compost this year? I am sure it would be so odd to non gardeners that such things are thrilling...lol It has been brewing for about 18 months without turning and is mostly leaves and I have at least three wheelbarrels full of it. We didn't collect much for leaves last fall, so this will have to last quite awhile. Other excitement was getting the hose reels out and connected with very little leaking. [g] Last fall, I ran across a 50% off sale on the type of hose reel that is self retracting by water power. They are ingenious and I am tickled with that too. So all and all...a very satisfying weekend. The only sour note, was just as I started taking photos, my camera stopped working right. I think there is something wrong with the LCD screen. I baby that camera too.

Mary, your David seems to be playing at a much higher level then I would have expected for his age. How long has he been studying guitar? When he gets to the high school, I wonder, will he join the school band? I can't remember seeing a guitar in the school band, but I would think having someone so talented they would take advantage of the opportunity. Thanks for sharing the link, I enjoyed it!

Brenda...you practice yoga ....gee, I just saw on the Comcast home page, that Jennifer Aniston keeps herself in shape with yoga. Pretty soon you are going to look just like her! :-) I'm not flexible enough to do yoga, so I settle for range of motion.

Julie....your DS's new living arrangements sound like an almost perfect solution. Imagine finding somewhere 10 minutes away. He is very lucky to have you to get his apartment in livable condition. I had to replace my glasses not long ago. I wear a pair for close up and another for distance. I just can't stand the progressive lenses. My prescription keeps getting stronger every couple of years. It was $800. for the pair of glasses, but probably would have been as much for the progressive lenses in one pair. I was shocked at how much they had gone up in the past two years. .... your orchids really are blooming their heads off!

Chelone.....I am a big fan of Supernanny. I also used to watch Nanny 911, which I haven't seen on for awhile. It always is so interesting how much of a difference she seems to make. I like her no nonsense with added kindness style. She seems so down to earth. .... I am not surprised to hear that you are thinking of making your tables. It may be more work, but you will get them custom to exactly what you need and probably save you money too. You must be getting excited about moving the machinery into the Salon. :-) We also made a big deal of Easter baskets growing up. I still try to give our adult kids some token Easter candy but no baskets around here for quite awhile.

Saucy...Sounds like you had a nice day. I would love to do tufa sometime too. Hope we will get to see a photo or two. :-)

Sue....nice to hear you are getting to move your plants around. I will be very interested to see your newly rearranged beds.

Mary...we have very hard water in our town and it is notorious for eating out water heaters very quickly. We were tired of replacing them too frequently and having tried tankless and not feeling it supplied enough hot water for us, we replaced with an expensive stainless steel water heater the last time. Hoping that will be a much better solution for us.

Marian....you are a country music fan? I wonder what you think of Carrie Underwood? My mom and I used to enjoy Columbo and we were also fans of 'Murder She Wrote'. Yet another 'Maine location'.

Woody....I have mapped off our small property when we were first starting to renovate the yard. Also spent considerable time mapping out the areas of sun and shade to figure out where to place the veggie garden. Luckily our property is level and fairly rectangular. Time consuming but you only have to do it once and the information has been very valuable to me. Hope you have made progress.

Kathy....how fun you are having your baseball fantasy group over again. I have two cultivars of the Tithonia...one is small and one is large. My seed is a couple of years old, so I hope it will still germinate. I'm also hoping to start walking more. I can't do garden work and walk, so I am waiting to get most of the spring chores finished first.

Hey...there's Norma! Nice to see you! I am still trying to figure how you are zone 5 with redbuds and forsythias blooming? I just noticed that Deutzia on sale on the Bluestone site. I was debating whether to order it. It has the bright golden foliage? Hope you are feeling well enough to get out and enjoy every day of spring!

Okay...that's it for me.

The first crocus are almost by, but these in a shady area are just opening...

{{gwi:154598}}

Best batch of compost yet...

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Wish I had a video of this in action...

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The primula that came home from the nursery with me, not in the ground yet...

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Saucy, I like the idea of a leaf casting demo of small objects...for those of us who can't bring back live plant material! :)

I'm not at all packed, but making progress. Stuff is collected in my study. Had to buy a pair of smaller jeans. That's good for the ego!!!

On our way home we JUST missed hitting my good friend's dog in the road!!! It all happened so fast. We didn't know what it was at first, a cayote or whatever. But DH braked hard and all our groceries flew around the back of the car. The German Shepherd (Nora) dashed for our car, then circled to the front and started climbing! I tried to get out to catch her, but forgot to undo my seat belt. (duh...) Finally I got the door open and she lunged inside the car. DH had to move the car out of the road and deal with the dog while I found the owners.

Nora's owners had just a few minutes earlier returned from Nova Scotia. They had taken her for a long walk and tied her up outdoors in her regular spot. We can't figure out how she undid her leash clip, but she did. We're just so glad we were the ones to find her and know where to take her! Too much drama for me.

Glad the day at Deanne's worked out nicely. I'm eager for photos! Nice that Doug could play chef too!

Woody, your comments make me realize that it is Denis who needs some training on dog walking before I'll be comfortable with it. He is great at rough play, but serious obedience training is not his strong suit.

Need to throw something on the table for DH. It is still light out at 6:30PM. Amazing.

'bug

Eden, I'm sorry to hear that Brad's company is having difficulty, too. It's just gut-wrenching to hear of so many people losing their jobs, and the fallout from that...small, local businesses going under, etc. I'm so glad that NBC has been running that piece on the news about the good and uplifting things people are doing for each other. The only way we'll get through all this is together.
NINE days now!? Lol, geez, I hope I don't make a total pain in the neck of myself when I'm waiting on grandbabies! I can see me now, camped out in DD's garage, just waiting ;)

Woody-A couple of years ago, I decided to use a measuring wheel and measure and draw out my beds. There was a LOT of stuff that gave me trouble. Odd-shaped beds, etc. I ended up with a reasonable scale drawing, and it reiterated the life lesson that nothing is as simple as it seems/should be!

Kathy, I've grown Tithonia rotundifolia before, and I loved it! The first time, I did nothing to it, and it stood pretty well, and was full and had tons of blooms. Grew it again the next year, and pinched. It did make it more bushy and compact, but I thought it was a great plant either way. The flowers are just so "crazy 70's orange"!
Oh, that Impala blew through a tank of gas in NO time. Gas was cheaper then, but I think I was making $3.35 an hour, working part-time.
"A path to peace". I like that. I needed it, and am glad I stumbled onto yoga a couple of years ago.

Lol@ Bug. Okay, not laughing AT you...DH and I have had some pretty wicked head-butting episodes over dog discipline. I believe in it, he's horribly inconsistent, so when he does try to make Gus do something, Gus looks at ME to see if he really HAS to do it. For the record, when I was wallpapering the kitchen, I don't know that I contemplated divorce, but I did advise that I was using a razor knife, and coaching was not appreciated. Especially by someone who has never hung paper, and thought it was a waste of time to match up the pattern. I had to ask him to leave when I started the soffit over the countertops.
Get those bags packed, girl, and have a WONDERFUL time when you get that call!
Just last week, I went through clothes and got rid of some stuff. DH takes great pride in wearing clothes until they just disintegrate off his body. I've told him he makes me look bad. He walks around looking like he doesn't have to nickels to rub together, then UPS shows up in the driveway with big boxes of plants. It's obvious why he can't afford clothes ;) Most of what came out of his drawers and closet got burned (he digs them out of the trash unless I cut or burn them), but I put together quite a bit of my stuff for Goodwill. Big ol' yippee when clothes are way too big!
Good job on the Nora rescue!

Deanne, it's great that you, Saucy and Wendy can get together!! Gosh, I think the closest Idylls in this area are V and Eden, and I don't think it's exactly a hop, skip and a jump for any of us. Hm, I need to stick pins in a map to get a grip on how far and wide we're all scattered.

Mary-BRAVO! David is wonderful! Be sure and let us know when he cuts his first CD!

Oh, Michelle...Beautiful in a discouraging kind of way, lol! I fear we're going to wake up to a similar picture in the morning. It's can't last long, though. It just CAN'T!

Hi, Norma! Get feeling better soon!

PM, I've been eyeing those hose reels for a while. They actually work well? DH is pretty skeptical. Honey, if I get anywhere CLOSE to resembling being the same SPECIES as Jennifer Aniston, I'll be thrilled ;) When I started yoga, I had NO flexibility. Seriously. I patiently did very basic poses that looked nothing like what I considered yoga to be. Did them over and over and over, and the difference is amazing. I have eliminated almost all of the slump in my shoulders, and actually have some curve in my lower back again. Lol, another perk of skydiving-the videos. Watching the way I walk/move pointed out some issues I didn't even realize I had. Even in freefall, I had NO arch in my back. I still can't put my feet behind my head, but I don't worry about it-frankly, I can't thing of any reason I'd WANT to, lol! Stick with the range of motion stuff. Water on a rock, ya know?
Your pics make me want to play in the sun!

I've never seen Supernanny, but used to watch Nanny 911. Some people's kids, huh!? My Mom would have just beat our butts and called it a day, but she never let us get that far gone to begin with, and I was the same way with my kids.

Nothing was accomplished here today. Pop-in visitors. Around here, you never know who will show up, or how long they will stay, and I love that. The dirty windows and dust will no doubt be here another day. DD had me laughing until I was crying, with her tales of married life. You'd never know those two haven't been married for 30 years. A couple of other family members popped in, and we ended up passing most of the day. BTW, DD said she ordered the pics for her wedding album, and was going to call and see when she could go pick up the disk of pictures. I would not have thought it would take her THIS long to pick out her pictures!

Enough out of me today. Honey?? Babs?? Let's go, girls!
Brenda

Norma - I have no idea how many strawberries are in each pot! It's been a lot of years since I first potted them up and now I just start new runners each year to replace the older plants. I stuff as many runners in the pots in early August as I can to root before winter - there's probably 18 or so runners in each. The pots were originally a mix of June bearing and everbearing. Most of the crop is in June now but we still get a few the rest of the summer.

Here is a handy thing from my course - if you do a scale drawing and locate North on it, align the north arrow of this template with N on the drawing and it will tell you where shade is at various times of the year. It wouldn't be right for the California girls but would be a reasonable estimate for most of the rest of you.
{{gwi:154602}}

GB - you're probably right. Hopefully he's not too hard to train....:-)

Good Sunday evening all!

Mary! You are so kind to post the clips of David in concert. DH and I have both taken several years of lessons from a classical guitarist and we enjoyed listening/watching so much! - he is just wonderful! He seems to have found his calling already! And DH (who is one of those men who make one laugh) also remarked that "they have a pretty nice house there too" - of David's venue.

We will probably both get guitars out this week after seeing David.

What happened to my Amaryllis photo? "Moved by photobucket"? I don't think so.

At my other house I grew about thirty great big tithonias in my front garden one year. Although orange is not my favourite colour, I must admit they were fabulous. I haven't grown any here. I have a front garden that gets full sun and I bet they would do well here. But City of Portland cannas are going there this year.

I planted 13 of the cannas and eleven are up. I intend to make a Canna hedge to discourage park visitors from coming too close to Adrian's pool. We are not fenced from the park, and although the pool does not require a fence per bylaw, we would rather it not be quite as visible.

Get packing, 'bug! Hard to leave the garden at this time, but oh! What fun you will have!! I can hardly wait!

My garden clean up is all done, I have four garlic sprouts (I planted at least 60 cloves), the crocus are up and eaten by the deer, and I have lots of stuff showing tiny signs of life. I love Spring! Under lights, the Giant Cactus and Polar Bear Zinnias are thriving. I have 36 little tomato plants (3 varieties, 12 each, enough to share with a ten-year old avid gardener that I know), 12 Medusa ornamental peppers (to share with same boy-gardener), 8 "regular" peppers, the Cannas, Alyssum, Lobelia, four o'clocks, and I can't remember what else. I also have about 30 pelargoniums in the solarium window (I think mine is like yours, Kathy), cuttings I took last fall. I have not allowed them to bloom and have cut them down once so they are quite hearty and compact.

I just about dropped my teeth, DS asked for some plants for his new home!! I gave him four pelargoniums - I figure if he kills them it won't be much of a loss

I am so looking forward to IUIV! I would love to do some small leaf casts to bring home to my garden!

Just rambling here.

Going to find a spot on the couch to watch a rerun of "boston Legal".

Marian, if you like William Shatner, you might enjoy Boston Legal. A warning though: the show is about a firm of promiscuous sleazy lawyers, half drama and half comedy. The thing that attracts me is that the characters portrayed are not stupid - as many promiscuous sleazy types are - and there is always a difficult issue under scrutiny to leave you with some serious thinking to do.

Great to hear from so many people and see so many photos. If we can get by the freezing rain and snow/sleet that is predicted for the next few days, perhaps I will have some to add.

Cheers,

Julie

Fantasy baseball draft is wrapped up Im relaxing with a glass of wine, and have completed a WALAT ..its so dry out with this wind weve been having , the lip balm is getting heavy usage. Im going to have to do some serious watering if the Monday night -Tuesday rain fails to show up.

Reports of the doings in NH sound fun and productive, and suggestions for our very own leaf casting souvenirs from IU6 gets 2 thumbs up from me

Also thanks for all the feedback on Tithonia . My seedlings are very robust and ready to be transplanted . And , an exciting e-mail today from Rosy Dawn, my coleus plants were shipped to me on Saturday and should arrive Monday or Tuesday !

Marian, my MIL had tulips very much like that in her yard, bright red with yellow centersthey multiplied like crazy for her , which is not often the case in California .

Alright, a big hello and wave to all,

speaking of tulips ..from yesterday {{gwi:154603}}From Garden 2009
{{gwi:154604}}From Garden 2009

Kathy in Napa

Good evening. I've spent all my time reading so I'm out of time to post. But I do want to share just a little with you all.

This is what I had on Saturday:

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And this is what I came home to:

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The snow continues to accumulate and the wind is howling outside. Kind of like a winter storm. :(

But I did get to see the Fu dogs; they're my favorite. Here's one for you to enjoy:

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OK, just one more. If you hike 3 1/2 miles from the main house through the woods, you'll come to a large opening and discover the Sun Singer. He faces the rising sun, but he still looks pretty happy with the sun behind him.

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We had a wonderful time this weekend, and I'll tell you more about the weekend, the house and the grounds tomorrow. But now I'm off to bed because guess what one of my fitness recommendations was? MORE SLEEP!

g'nite!

V.

I have to report that much of the snow is already melted.

Today I spent a little time sowing seeds in the wintersowing method. I dont do any under lights anymore. I just dont have the time to give them the care they require. Plants under lights are all I can do.

A box with an Easter basket and a few books is ready to be sent to Florida. The "basket" is actually a small beach pail.

PM, sorry to hear about the camera. I had to replace my battery recently which set me back $40. Things are looking so springy and cheerful in your garden.

Deanne, I was wondering how your cutting of pelargonium Crocodile did under lights. Mine is a goner. It sounds like you gals and Doug had a good time and all came away with goodies.

Norma, not feeling well is the pits and more so when you miss the first nice days of spring because of it.

Eden, the Easter tea party sounds fun. LOL on trying to arrange the day for baby Kate to arrive. Im sure its unsettling for you both with Brads job. Hopefully, things will settle soon in this economy.

Brenda, Id love to see some of those wedding pictures.

Kathy, I love pink tulips. Of course right now anything blooming looks mighty good LOL

Heres a shot of my little mudroom potting bench today while I was planting seeds. I use the torch to heat up the screw driver so I can start the first cut in the milk jug and also to easily make the drainage holes.

Good night

Michelle

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Michelle, what a great potting bench picture. I was planning on doing some seed sowing over the weekend too but never did get to it. Hopefully this week. LOL on the torch! I'd probably burn the house down. I use an old soldering iron of Brad's. Pretty much just like a "hot" screwdriver. A beach pail is such a great idea for an Easter basket!

I finished up my Easter basket shopping today. I try to stick with mostly small toys and books to fill them. I do add just a bit of chocolate though. I did baskets for both Bella and Kate since she's due to be here so close to Easter. Bella's basket is one I got for Brad the first Easter after we were together, then was passed on to Megan and now Bella. Kate's Easter basket was my mom's, then mine, then Jen's. It's on it's 4th generation of being passed to the oldest daughter's oldest daughter.

Norma, sorry to hear you're not feeling well. Hope that goes away quickly for you! I'd love to hear how your grandkids are doing and what they're up to?

Kathy, what pretty pink tulips!

PM, it looks like spring at your house for sure! Great that you're doing so well on getting gardening chores done in a timely matter. Love your compost!

V, very cool Fu dog!

OK June Cleaver signing off here :) Have a good day all!

Eden

YUCK! I'm blaming Michelle for sending this!!!

Snowfall warning in effect.

Today:
Periods of snow. Amount 5 cm except 15 cm over northern sections. Wind northeast 30 km/h gusting to 50. Temperature steady near zero.(Centigrade)

Tonight:
Periods of snow. Local blowing snow overnight. Wind northwest 30 km/h. Low minus 4C.

Tuesday:
Flurries. Wind northwest 30 km/h. High minus 1C.

Wednesday:
Cloudy with 60 percent chance of flurries. Low minus 3C. High plus 2C.

Morn'n...

G'bug...Buying smaller jeans, how great is that! It hasn't been that long that you've been on this diet and on the treadmill. You must be doing a super job staying on track. It's not easy either. .... Oh brother, if you are getting snow, I am wondering if we will eventually get it. We have had snow storms in April, many years. Rarely, one in May. .... I wonder if you find your excitement about the baby, keeping you awake at night? How is Sarah feeling btw?

Kathy....there was a tip in Fine Gardening about keeping slugs and snails away from hostas, by circling the plant with copper pennies.

Julie....you have a LOT of energy! [g]

Eden....I also have a longing to be June and not have to participate in a certain segment of the household decisions. I watched Leave it to Beaver when I was a kid and have recently been recording it to the DVR. Very nostalgic seeing these episodes again. :-) Yes, I never expected to be able to get any gardening chores done on time this year. Do you have a compost bin in your garden?

Michelle....Thanks Michelle and glad the snow is melting. What kind of camera has such an expensive battery? I think I can still use the viewfinder on my camera to take photos while waiting to take it to be fixed. .... Milk jugs....We use a cordless electric drill and put 5 large holes in the bottom and start the cuts with it too. I also use the kind of kitchen shears that you can cut through bones with. Much easier. I will try to get a photo of my few milk jugs later today. .... What a cute little potting bench. I love the sunflower border!

V.....is that a Cornus mas in your first photo? What are the green foliage plants? Quite a long border of them, is that your driveway? Wow, what a change to the next photo! I hope your snow melts quickly too.

Kathy....your garden sounds like it is shaping up to be a great one this year. Are you planting the tithonia and zinnias near each other? Pretty pink tulips. So are you happy with your 'fantasy' baseball team this year?

Brenda...yes, the hose reels have started out, working very well. My DH was skeptical too. He operated it yesterday a few times and was very satisfied with the way it worked. We'll see how they behave through the growing season. I can look up the brand name. Fall is a great time to buy them. .... How long have you been doing the yoga?

We are getting estimates to have our gutters replaced and I have an appointment this morning. Have to do some research on leaf guards and heating cables. Anyone have experience with redoing theirs? I see sunshine, but it won't last. 100% chance of rain this afternoon. I am going to get two small JJobs done before the rain. See you all later.

:-)

Wow, Mary, what a difference a year makes, physically and musically! What fun to see the progression in David's ability, something that occurs only when there is a love of the activity and lots of encouragement. Makes me smile.

I'm hoping for pictures from the "Mud Pie Gang", some of the food would be nice, too. :) I like the idea of smaller leaf castings at IUVI, too!

I was expecting the Fu dog to be cast stone, V., but I love the glazed porcelain. What a lovely spot, could you tell me what the yellow shrub in the first picture is? Hammemalis? Hope you're all caught up on "shut eye".

I have to get to the candy store to stock up on Easter goodies either today or tomorrow (I get the "good stuff" for him). The helpmeet's basket is from THTTF, but the "grass" was new last year. I will likely receive one of the dreadful, cheap "faux chocolate" bunnies from Rite Aid, but there will be Peeps to look forward to (I hope). I marvelled at the crush of cars in the Catholic church's parking lot and then it hit me... Palm Sunday! next Sunday should be another attendance record breaker. ;) If it's nice perhaps Rex and I will cross the road and watch the sun rise over the ocean. And I'll eat some chocolate in celebration.

Michelle, quality time in front of the potting bench strikes me as very profitable use of snowy, crummy day. And the practical Easter basket, nee beach pail, seems just the ticket for a small BBIT (beach bum in training). She'll be tickled pink. Hope you put some sun screen in it, too! ;)

I done heard tell that we're going to try to get a burn permit and get some of the accumulated debris taken care of this morning before the deluge arrives. Can't say I'm really thrilled with the schedule but it has tobe done and we'll have some laughs in the process.

Dogs need 3 things to lead happy dog lives:
1.) discipline (beatings)
2.) exercise (forced marches and ball)
3.) love (beatings)
They need those things in copious quantity and in that order. I don't see that the requirements are that differnet for kids. Except more beating would propably be a good idea. 'bug, I'd never taken an obedience class before we took Rex to one, but I had trained horses and knew well the benefit of consistency and mastery of the basics. The helpmeet does not see how inconsistency an uneven application of "rules" makes everything more difficult. Obedience classes are NOT for the dog, they're to train the human, never forget that. I have much less trouble with Rex because I'm basically a "hard ass". I say it once, I enforce it, and praise for compliance. It works, but I'm nervous about the coming summer season as he's been bolting on the helpmeet and getting away with it. I tend to keep a sharper, closer eye on him when he's off leash and am freqently irritated by the helpmeet's laxer approach to supervision, which tends to negate my own efforts in that department. In that respect I completely understand your hesitation to allow Phoebe to "train" with your neighbor. ;) Nice work with Nora!

Best wishes to under-the-weather Norma. I'm keeping an eye on the forsythia, wondering when it will flower and I keep remembering your pastel colored forced quince. I think that's the most interesting thing I've read in quite awhile. Did you happen to see the 60 Minutels interview with Dolly Parton? I just love her down to earth, practical viewpoint on things like plastic surgery.

OK, "time to make the doughnuts"...

It's Monday, that's for sure! Too bad I won't get to enjoy a quiet house - Nick and I have a meeting together this morning and need to accomplish a few tasks where we both need to be present. Maybe I'll get a lunch out of the deal :)

My whole week has appointments dotted all over it!

Sarah was happy to return to school this morning: She's been very upset over losing a library book. The library has no record of it being checked out, so they told her until it shows up in the system, she can't pay for it....so she's been limiting herself to checking out one book (normally she's allowed 2). When I had to wash her sheets the other night, I found it while she was sleeping - it was stuck between the matress and headboard. She was so happy to see it! Now she can check out her regular 2 books :)

Today is library day!

Jake has been looking at my car with a closer eye lately. He said to Nick yesterday, "this is a pretty cool car....I'd better keep up with my responsibilities...." At least his intentions are right :)

I am glad that Massachusetts is on the "right side" of the jet stream....that'd be the side without snow in the forecast! I feel for all of those going through it! Hopefully by Friday Spring will be back on track for you all!

Michelle, Nick got a kick out of the blow torch. We're a handy bunch, aren't we?

TTYL

Saucy

Good morning all,

We started with a beautiful sunny sky but it has deteriorated rapidly and is now overcast. We are apparently supposed to get buckets of rain later but Ill take that over snow anytime. So sorry for all of you dealing with spring snow storms. Nasty business.

The gardens are all coming to life. I just love this time of the year. Ive got some pretty hellebores blooming now and they are such a treat. I think the rodents must have eaten most of my white hyacinths in the rose garden as there are so few left. Bummer. But, the good news is that most of the clematis are coming back and are looking really good this year. Im in love with the vigor of Betty Corning. What a wonderful vigorous vine.

Great photos all, I especially love PMs new primroses and daffs with the watering can.

V. I missed the part of where the Fu Dogs are? Love that first shot. What is the yellow blooming tree? Its gorgeous. ~~ Oh yes, I wanted to tell you that my Sedum Purple Emperor seedling survived the winter. None of the cuttings I took made it but the mother plant is alive and well. Well have to talk at IU if your place wants to test it out.

Michelle, love your potting bench. ~~ The Crocodile cutting lingered around for a long time but has finally taken off with some lovely new growth. Took most of the winter to do anything though. Cindy brought me a cutting of hers last summer and it didnt survive. I suspect they are difficult to start for some reason.

Eden, I love the thought of the Easter baskets being passed down. Lovely.

Bug, a big pat on the back and congratulations to you for needing smaller blue jeans. Woohoo!!!! Good for you!

Norma hope you are feeling better soon.

OK here is a pic of the cement festivities yesterday.

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No pics of the finished troughs yet as they have to stay in the forms for a while.

Time to go and exercise, have a great day all,
Deanne

Good morning - it was a busy weekend and I didnt really have time to check in -- what a lot has been transpiring.

First, I want to say to Denise how sorry I am about your Dad's condition -- I thought about it all last nite when I saw the news -- I do hope he's able to have the operation still -- it's amazing how quickly life turns on a dime. Thinking of you -- how wonderful of you to still post some photos for us to enjoy (and not an agave in sight?).... Feel free to rant or vent here whenever things are tough... we'll miss you while you're on hiatus but understand. Thinking of you and your family....

Looks like lots of tufa fun; cant wait to see some finished products.

On that snow front, egad, how depressing, Michelle and Eden (& 'bug too) --- altho the cold is heading in this direction, we're supposed to only get rain and frost/freeze - so I'll be covering up my spring pots I potted up yesterday full of pansies, ranunculus, English daisies, and primroses.... We had ferocious winds on Saturday and I didnt get much done -- also had an unexpected visitor DD who decided to seek refuge for some quiet time -- things are pretty intense re this whole relocation business; it's been going on for a month and I think she's just tired of the tension and stress involved in it all, esp, when there seems to be little willingness to compromise on the other spousal side -- she performed lots of magic at my house though -- terrific -- cleaned about a bunch of closets and got me organized -- she's always been super-organized and talented in that direction (wish I had the same talent, LOL) -- so the bedrooms are looking like real guest rooms now.... I asked her to please come back and work some more magic - maybe after her graduate classes have ended in May.

V - those fu dogs are neat -- Im surprised they're glazed ceramics too and impressed taht they stay out all winter in cold territory - wonder how that works? Depressing to see the 4-ltr word happening in your world; hopefully it will be gone quickly.

Well, off to the biz of work... I know I missed lots of folks and commenting - bad idyller bad; I'll try to be better later.

-Cindy

A few nursery pictures for those interested...it's not quite finished yet, we still have some things to hang on the walls but this will give you an idea

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Eden

Believe it or not ...I would welcome a foot of snow right now! Our low has reached 29 so far today, and expected to be several degrees lower tonight. I fear many of the blooms and new leaves will be toast by morning. The tulips in the large tub on the deck are bowed down already, and minus two unopened blooms! Apparently a squirrel found them tasty snacks? The deer and rabbits did not do it.

Well...I decided to cut them all, and brought them in to finish opening. I think they are all far enough along.

I pondered wrapping some of the things , but have decided to just let nature take it's course. I would probably only succeed in making myself ill. It will be cold and windy all day. As Chelone said, most everything eventually recovered from the 2007 freeze. I looked up my records and found that it got down to 19 the first night and 18 the second. The prediction has been updated to the mid 20s tonight and back to about 32 the following night.

Cindy, your spring pots sound lovely. And you had a nice visit with dd. I think sometimes it's smart to take a break from each other like that in stressful times. Bet it did her a world of good.

Denise, You've crossed my mind more than a few times over the weekend. I echo Cindy, please do come here to "talk" when you need to. I know the thoughts and comments of this great group of people helped me out during the time my mom was ill more than they'll ever know. My best thoughts are with you and your family.

Deanne, I concur that the hellebores are wonderful plants. I'm only a beginner with them. I planted my first one a couple of years ago and added a few more last season. They are truly beautiful and so welcome this early in the season aren't they? I'm so glad you all were able to have such a fun time at your house yesterday. When times are tough, days like that go a long way in keeping up our spirits I think. Just want you to know I'm thinking of you and Doug and hoping for good job news soon!

Marie, exciting times aren't they waiting for the new babies? Jen has a Dr. appt Wednesday so we'll know more then about how close Kate's arrival is. She's really in nesting mode this week, doing lots of organizing around the house. I love seeing her so happy and excited. I hope Sarah's feeling well too.

Chelone, your work tables sound like an interesting project. Brad and I work well together building things. I think something up and he has an uncanny ability to put together just what I have pictured. So far no dresses or pearls involved though :) Hope you and dh are able to put together just what you have in mind!

PM, no compost bin here. An occasional compost pile maybe. I did alot of my gardens in the lasagna method which is a form of composting I suppose. And I always work the old leaves and garden debris into the soil a bit in the spring. Always trying to feed the soil...

It's still snowing here. Wet, heavy stuff that's melting on contact with roads and sidewalks but sticking on the garden and grassy areas. The weather's not high on my list of what's important these days. Too much other stuff to think about, most good but some not so good. Que sera, sera!

It's a good day for spiffing up the house before the Easter holidays coming. So that's my plan for today. Hope some of the restayas are able to get out in your gardens!

Eden

Along with the winds and snow are lots of power outages here every few minutes. I may be cut off here any instant. It is really interesting when I'm on the treadmill...NOT!

I love the shade of yellow Eden, and always love crisp white with it. Everything looks so super organized and ready...down to the closet full of dresses.

Sarah's style will be jeans for the baby, even if it is a girl. Dark green walls in baby's room, but baby will be in with Mom & Dad for a year or so I bet.

DH is off visiting a gravel pit in steel toed boots today. Supposed to be 15 centimeters of snow up there. :(

Nervous about power here...so later!
'bug

Marie, hoping you KEEP power! We had lots of wind over the weekend before the snow but not much now that it's snowing.

I really like the yellow/ white combo of the nursery too. The room is small and that's why they chose to use built-ins for the closet and shelves. You can't really tell from the pictures but their are cupboards under the shelves and lots of shelves in the closet too. Only enough space in the room for the crib and a rocker with a small table next to it. Just between me and you guys, I would have went with a white crib. Not my nursery though, you know? And I only contributed my thoughts when asked to :) I did get to arrange the items on the shelves!

Over the weekend Megan brought over all of the clothes my mom had made for Bella when she was a baby so Kate can use them. That meant alot to Jen.

Marie, Yes,I think our babies will be raised in very different styles but will both be so loved which is really what it all comes down to in the end. I'm so looking forward to you and I being able to share their growing up!

I really need to get away from this computer. I'm not getting much else done today. Working on washing dishes.....

Eden

Sneaking a peek -- wow, Eden -- I love the nursery - both the color and the decorations... I must tell you the yellow is eerily the same color I chose for my family room walls that gone done over last summer after my "flood" -- my accents are the crisp white woodwork, then aqua and coral for fabrics... but I pondered the yellow (about 6 samples over everything) and the final choice looks very much like that! It is so cheery no matter what time of day or nite I've totally fallen in love with the room -- they're going to love that color too. Good vibes. I personally believe in having bright prime colors in infant rooms, so I think this is a stunning baby room (Ha, not that they care about my opinion, but I could move right in there, LOL). I love the bookcases too.

Im sure you and 'bug are just about dancing in your seats with impatience for the new arrivals -- we certainly understand your distraction from gardening, LOL...

Michelle -- you make the cosiest, little "nooks" of work spaces -- I love how you've decorated the potting bench area -- hmm, not sure I can handle the blow torch method but I bet it works wonders.

ok, back to legal beagle stuff, altho Im working mostly on client bills today....

--cindy

Eden... Like G'bug, I enjoy Kate's yellow bedroom, especially with the white trim. That is a wonderful bookcase, that looks built in? I like the 'K' on the shelf and the sweet little lamb. I would expect a pile of books. [g] I was thinking that the crib looks like it might convert to a headboard, on a big girl bed? Did someone make that quilt? It is very sweet. I love that someone was really thinking ahead to words, numbers and letters. Glad to hear that Jen is feeling good. That says a lot. .....Lasagna beds are the best and yes, sheet composting. I think that is the best way to do it if you can. I tend to leave leaves on the bed and just mow them off the grass. My neighbor gives me many bags of leaves in the fall and that is what I add to my bin along with grass clippings.

Denise...I would also like to know if your Dad is still able to have an operation. I didn't catch on that he was having heart problems while waiting for the surgery. Hoping for some good news for you all.

Deanne...those primrose are still in the pots so can come inside for the night if it gets too cold and that's my only blooming daff so far. The rest of the yard has nothing but crocus. [g] Glad your clematis came back, that should make for some garden excitement this year. I also love vigorous vines, that you don't have to fuss with to get them to grow.

I ordered three new clematis last fall and they are in small 4" pots, so I was happy to see new growth on two of them this morning. Still waiting on the third. Does anyone think I might see bloom this year, on a Clematis that small?

Ah, the tufa class! Saucy really comes equipped, right down to the tarp for the driveway. :-) I noticed how much greener your lawn is to your neighbor there, Deanne. [g] I would like to suggest though that maybe you can edit out the license number? I am very curious to see how your projects come out, I'm not quite getting a picture in my head.

Cindy...I'm sorry to hear the stress for DD has reached that level. I hope you had a good visit and she was able to decompress some. Is she your only daughter? I LOVE the sound of your spring pots too. All my favorite spring plants.

G'bug...you are already getting snow?

Marian...hang in there, it can't last much longer!

Having a rest day today and would rather be out in the garden, but it is just too raw out there. The day is going by so slowly. Had another roofing company here for an estimate on the gutters this morning. Nothing exciting happening here at all.

Another week and maybe....just MAYbe.....spring weather will arrive? :-)

pm2

I forgot this photo for Michelle....Broccoli is up.

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I just checked the weather and the forecast for Easter Sunday is 54F and mostly sunny. I hope that holds! I'm hoping to have an Easter egg hunt for Bella. If the weather cooperates it will be the first time we've had an Easter nice enough to hunt eggs outside since she's been born.

PM, the crib converts to a toddler bed. Randy chose it. The shelves are built-ins.

Cindy, my office room that Bella's taken over is a similar yellow too. My bathrooms also yellow and white but a bit of a brighter shade. I like your stlye with the bright colors! Cheery is always good I think!

The nursery is decorated pretty much gender neutral because they're planning on having baby #2 asap. Jen says she just wants to have time for a few glasses of wine over the summer and then she'll be ready. We'll see how that plan holds up once Kate gets here :)

Eden

I'm doing a lunchtime post today because we are having my MIL over for dinner tonight, and I am trying really hard to get to sleep earlier this week. MIL's DH went to visit his two siblings on the left coast so she is on her own for a few days.

Eden, I had to laugh at your comment about how Jen's plan will hold up. It will be interesting to see how she feels by the end of the summer. The nursery looks lovely and I'm sure you can't wait for Kate to be here.

And I know that 'bug is about to start pacing the floor any day now. You know, both of those babies could come on April 15th and share my DD's birthday! She'll be 21 this year.

The tufa class looks like it was a lot of fun. Sure would have liked to be there! But add me to the list of folks who think that a small leaf casting class at IU6 would be fun! Saucy (or do we call you Ms. Unicorn now?) you look like a great teacher.

I had a very pleasant surprise on Facebook this morning. I had a friend request from the English girl who had been an au pair for us back around 1990. We had not kept in touch after she went back to England, but I had often wondered how she was doing. How nice to reconnect with her!

I was deliberately vague about where we were going for the weekend; every once in a while I still get a little concerned about just how much detail is appropriate to float out in the ozone here. But now we're back so I can spill the beans.

Allerton Park was established as a private estate around 1900. The man who built it inherited money from his father who founded the Chicago Stockyards and the First National Bank of Chicago. He was a "gentleman farmer" who traveled the world in winter and brought back lots of statues and other artwork, and he also built some rather impressive formal gardens. In the 1940's he donated the estate to the University of Illinois. After some periods of neglect, the University is restoring much of the house and grounds and using it as a conference and retreat center.

The blooming tree in my first picture was not labeled, but I think it is a witch hazel. The Fu Dogs indeed are ceramic, there are I think 10 pair of them in the garden of the Fu Dogs. Not all of them are original as they have been damameged by falling trees or vandalism over the years. This winter the firs behind the Fus were removed because of their advanced age. The replacement trees were to be put in last week but the weather was too wet. So any day now, there will be 10' firs backdropping the dogs once again. Here's one long shot of the garden:

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I have more to say but lunch is up. So I close with my "motivational" photo for the day:

Don't be afraid to stand out in the crowd!

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V.

I see there will be much for me to read later on! :)

We spent the morning burning the brush that we accumulated over the past year. Helpmeet had the permit in hand and the fire going by about 8AM. I joined him a little after that. We managed to get it all done and have our lunch hour hot dog roast just before it began to rain in earnest. (Rex had hot dogs, too).

I smell like a bonfire and am going to take a quick shower and run our clothes through the washing machine. Maybe I'll bake something this afternoon... and read while it cools.

I always loved listening to Peter and the Wolf (Prokofiev) as a child...and still do! It shows off the instruments well. But then I saw this and decided to send it to Skyler. PM, what do you think?

My brother who enjoys the organ was fascinated by this Harry Potter performance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va7MxMFgKZk&feature=related

Still snowing here...

G'bug...how did you know I was totally bored today? [g]
I can't seem to put my mind to anything constructive. Now that John Williams YouTube performance was very interesting. I especially love the sound of that mini piano in the beginning. It reminds me of a toy piano I had once. [g] I hadn't had a chance to say so, but John Williams is one of my favorites. Of course, movies...lol. I've always thought it takes a special talent to compose pieces that follow a story and who does it better then he does. He conducted the Boston Pops for many years and DH and I have attended a couple. We also used to trek to the Hatchshell every Fourth of July when we were dating. What an experience that was. Arthur Fiedler was conducting in those days. I think Skyler would get a kick out of the Harry Potter YouTube link. I certainly did enjoy seeing and hearing all those uncommon instruments. Oh, and I also enjoy Peter and the Wolf and when we were all talking music here the other day, I had one of those passages rattling around in my head. The organ YouTube was fun. Reminds me of Phantom of the Opera.

Still raining here...better than snow I guess. :-) I hope no one ends up having to shovel!

I use a torch quite a lot, since the automatic starter on the grill died. They work much better than those clicker lighters.

Eden, the nursery is very sweet as was the offer of the special baby clothes. I like the drawers in the closet a good use of the space. It will eliminate lots of junk being tossed in the bottom of the closet as little Kate gets older.

Deanne, nice to know that even you had a hard time with Crocodile I may check the nursery and pick up another this spring.

PM, I noticed that you have a different technique with cutting open your jugs. I think Ill try it.
My camera battery is a rechargable one made for my camera so they have you.

I believe the ceramic Fu dogs would be fine outdoors as long as water cant get into them to crack them. I leave stained glass pieces and some glass finials out all year long.

Glad you all like my potting "nook" it is actually a closet that we dont need as much anymore since we dont have kids around.

bug, maybe if Sarah has a girl she will want to wear dresses. Kenzie is in that mode right now. She wants to wear dresses and be a "princess" My DD went through the dress phase around the same age.

Cindy, sorry to hear about the stress your DD and DH are experiencing. Hopefully, they can come to a good decision. Id love to have her come and organize my closets.

Later

Michelle

"Delicate Chocolate Cake" is in the oven and I've cleaned up the majority of the baking trail, leaving the dishwater to clean the cake pans after the layers have been turned out of them to cool. When queried as to his choice of buttercream frosting he looked pleasantly surprised and thought he'd like vanilla. I was hoping for either coffee or orange but since I did ask him, vanilla it'll be!

I see that messing around with masonry materials calls for safety equipment! I recall using one of those masks when I was mixing the structural skin for the skimcoat on the chimney. It's pretty nasty stuff, huh? I can't wait to see what came of your labor, how long do you have to leave the stuff in the moulds? No shots of the food?? you're slippin', Deanne. :) I meant to tell you that I laughed at poor Rahji's baptism in the fish pond. We've discovered a wet kitty a few times here, too. Don't you just love it when they do the "hokey pokey", shaking their hind feet?

I love the color of Kate's room, Eden. I have been seriously "burned" by yellow paint and have not ventured back to it since, lol. It looks beautiful; cheerful, bright, crisp, and clean. I would have opted for the white crib, too. ;) I can see your artful tough on the shelves. And there's another laugh about Jen's plan to get the second bun in the oven ASAP. Make sure to ask her about that when she's in labor or in the midst of sleep deprivation, willya?

I was a big fan of Prokoviev's "Peter and the Wolf", too. I love the theme for the cat, played on the clarinet. It's never too early to introduce the beauty of classical music to kids. I am reminded that Fred Rogers had an excellent jazz combo do the music for "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood",when asked about it he replied that children were every bit as appreciative of quality music as were adults. (He's one of our heroes).

The Fu dogs make a wonderful formal statement and the garden must've been (and will be again!) lovely with the backdrop of the evergreens. Were the firs trimmed formally or were they left to grow naturally? What a lovely place to spend the weekend, V.. Wonder how many head of livestock were required to pay for it all... are the famed stockyards even operable any more?

I'm thinking of Cindy's DD and the horns of the dilemma she now faces. We've all "been there" (I'm sure) in one way or another at some point in our marriages and have a special sympathy for the angst. Let's hope it's not resolved fully until she's had her way with the organizational aspect of your home, Cindy! ;) Your pots sound really pretty, it'll be fun to see pictures of them as the season progresses. Not even a thought of annuals has yet crossed my mind.

I was thinnking of Brenda and PM as I was hauling brush around outdoors. Mum had years of dance training (as did my aunt) and I really believe it was of great benefit to both of them later in life. The flexibility they trained to achieve in youth never fully left them as they aged and a refined sense of balance stayed with them always, too. I never could manage a complete split, but know that a simple routine of stretching keeps me limber enough to avoid a lot of strains. It's good to have something like yoga to keep your mind occupied on one level and help you work through things that are not all that pleasant but need "working through" just the same.

It's pelting outside right now but the stove is coming up to temperature, all the cats are inside, and the house smells particularly nice right now. :) OK, time to check and see if it's time to damper down the woodstove, which reminds me of Marian facing the deep freeze. I'll be crossing my fingers that the damage is minimal.

Feelin' better Norma? (hope so!)

Michelle...I think you will like the milk jug cut this way. Much easier to carry them around. I just cut off the tops when it is time to leave them out uncovered or plant out. Gee, I was going to get a rechargeable battery and I didn't. I wonder how many batteries you would buy to replace the one rechargeable? I discovered there was nothing wrong with my camera, I had hit a button that shut off the display. That is what comes of trying to use it without my reading glasses on. [g]

G'bug...I started thinking about finding a classical lullabye for the new babies on YouTube. Gee there are a lot of them. But they seem to offer the common one that everyone recognizes, the most often. I am still looking. But, that started me thinking about finding a french lullabye which had me remembering an album I had in the 1970s of a French singer that I just loved. I was studying French at the time and I had this one album that I played over and over again. All I could remember of the album cover was her first name, Mirielle. I just googled famous french singers, never thinking she was actually famous and sure enough, she was! I was so happy to rediscover her. I found one of my favorites from her album, linked below. I still don't know what the lyrics mean, but I love it that way. lol I wonder if you have ever listened to her? Thanks, for starting me off on an entertaining afternoon. :-)

I do believe that Chelone is trying to fatten up the helpmeet, but I haven't figured out why, yet.

Eden, I love the nursery. Yellow is one of my favorite colors, too. My main hall is a buttery yellow.

Deanne provided the tarp - I forgot mine!

V., your trip sounds fun. I'd like to be able to afford a gentlemen's farm and the lifestyle that goes with it. I think I would have a pot bellied pig and a couple of llamas on my farm, sprinkled with lots of guinea fowl and a big pond stocked full of fish. That should keep me busy :) I have a couple of little fu dogs that I bought while overseas and I have kept them in a box. They're made of marble and I think they'd fit perfect in the garden! They're just 4" tall, but they're cute. Funny...they don't "fit" with my house, but I liked them when I bought them.

Enough out of me. I'm tired and full of gibberish. More of the same this week....

Saucy (who read over that paragraph about the gentlemen's farm and thinks I should add a handyman....what would you have on your farm?)

I would have a goat. I like goats, they have great eyes. And you have to like a cloven hooved animal that doesn't think twice about getting on top of a car!

I would have a team of draft horses, probably Sullolk Punches, because they're not terribly large and they're a breed that is facing extinction.

I would have a Lippett Morgan horse that both rides and drives for some nice backroad riding/driving.

And to really slather it on I could amuse myself nicely with a yoke of oxen. I think cattle are amazing creatures and I've always had a soft spot for draft animals. They're gentle and extremely powerful. Draft horses get all the glamor, but it was oxen that turned this country from forest to farmland.

Barred Rock hens and some big, honkin' geese to scare the hell out of people I don't want to deal with...

(and I would fulfill a dream I had years ago to learn the farrier's trade.)

I have the farm...and would like a team of energetic skilled volunteers to weed, deal with raccoon damage, voles, groundhogs, take care of flood damage, repair out buildings, deal with the annual tree damage, (like at Marian's) shovel compost, etc. Maybe it is time for me to move to smaller digs though, because everything fun seems to come with something tough to deal with. I too like hens and ducks, but with the dog, coyotes and weasels, there's no point.

Ah yes, I remember Mireille Mathieu vaguely from long ago. My background was entirely classical...and anything else was an escape from that. I listened to Edith Piaf in university...and when I married DH, it was entirely possible that he'd become a rock star rather than a professor.

Do you suppose that because I ate asparagus tonight I turned into a grump? Hmmm.

Sleep tight!
'bug

Nasty cold day here too but the precip. stayed as rain - so far at least....

Pretty nursery Eden!

V - that looks like a fun place to visit - the Fu dogs are a neat/unexpected touch.

Chelone - your fantasy farm sounds good - but I'd substitute Shire horses....

I played around on the weekend drawing the front garden here to start planning the new bed. The new bed is the narrow bed that is the extension of the driveway border. It will wrap around the main bed to turn the remaining lawn into a path.
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The paths in the main bed look odd when seen in plan view but they are functional and look much better when you walk through the actual garden.

Another Monday bites the dust, very busy at the awfice today . My lunch hour was spent watering as the temps today approached 80 we are doing the rain dance for the weather that is coming in from the pacific this evening.

Eden what a great job on little Kates new digs ! I also have pale yellow walls in my family room, done several years ago and I have never regretted it. Drapes are red, sofa is red and have purple and black accents. Sounds kind of strange but I think it works. We should all post pics of our yellow rooms !..I think Easter is really late this year , right? Thats perhaps why you have better weather than usual.? Have my fingers crossed that Bella will have her first al fresco egg hunt- When my kids were little we always had both inside and outside eggs. My Unfit Mother side is extremely grateful that I am through with coloring and hiding eggs. LOL Jen pondering wine drinking logistics relative to baby production-shed fit right in around here !

Cindy, dont know how old your DD and spouse are, but I think that individuals in their 20s are seekers sometimes and want to explore both mentally and physically. When I was in my 20s I moved to Arizona for a few years-and Im glad I had the experience. I loved the high desert and still do, but I was not prepared to live there permanently. I guess what Im saying is that when you are young its pretty easy to pull up and move away ..sometimes you end up coming back .This is way easier to do when young and unencumbered by and lots of stuff . I dont know what locales the spouse is considering, but if they are in California, or anywhere on the left coast Id be happy to provide pros and cons .. and I expect Denise would concur with the beware of aspects. The fact that your DD is organizational tells me that that a move of this sort to her requires planning, research, multiple visits, and a job offer.

Michelle, I had to giggle at the prospect of you packing your torch around for various jobs. Your potting bench reminds me a bit of mine, which is outdoors and cluttered at the moment with succulents awaiting their permanent home .

Pm , I tried the penny thing more than once , but with no success. Diatomaceous earth worked a lot better. I will be putting Zinnias in all areas so the Tithonias will be nearby in some cases ! I actually started another 6 pack of "Envy" Zinnias tonight because I want to use them to unify different spaces- the repeated elementsthing . Baseball team is good- we lost a couple of owners in our league so there were lots of talented players available this year. I always have fun keeping track of my players.

Thanks for the Tufa pics Deanne, although the dust masks sort of put me in a dental mode , lol !

Saucy, my farm would have 2 dogs, a cutting and vegetable garden with a roadside stand on the honor system, and chickens to give me fresh eggs. But they would be pretty chickens, with very sumptuous digs.

Here is Madame Isaac Pereire , taken today, her first flower is a bit small having been beat up by frost and dry conditions {{gwi:154630}}From Garden 2009

Kathy in Napa

All for tonight !

What is the yellow confection behind the lovely Madame Isaac Pereire? I have a soft spot for yellow roses.

Kathy is right about "moving away". I did it in my 20s and sadly "came back" to this godforsaken hole... ;)

Work today is going to consist of an awful lot of very dirty mending. It's time to begin putting up commercial canvas, and this job in particular needs a priest, not more mending.

The helpmeet was worse than a lone mosquito in a bedroom after dinner. He buzzed around the kitchen while I made the frosting and then helped himself to two pieces of cake. I've found the layer cake is the best dessert option, along with pudding. Here's why: you have to make an effort to cut a piece, put it on a plate, and eat it with a fork, unlike cookies which can be packed into coat pockets and stuffed one after the other into that hole under your nose. I find I get better "mileage" from a simple, two layer cake. Though if the zeal with which he advanced on it last night is any indication I may have to revise that theory shortly.

If I'm not too grubby after work I'll go to Orange to price and get the finished thickness of the table top material; essentially a 4x8'sheet of plywood/underlayment with some sort of surface (melamine?) on the top side. Also on the list are the rolls of the finished edgeing that are applied to the unfinished edges with hot glue. I have to order the casters this afternoon, too. The helpmeet remarked that I seem to have put rather a lot of time into this project when we were discussing it yesterday. I have. I know that good tabling makes working on larger items a lot easier and experience has taught me that too often it's the thing that gets the least amount of careful thought, an "after-thought" or a victim of finances depleted on other things.

It's going to be a dreary day working on dreary things. I'd rather hang around the Compound with the helpmeet and the animals...

alas. ;)

Just a fly-by this morning. I'm SO happy! DS found a job. He'll be doing quality control in a place than manufactures vinyl fencing. It doesn't pay as much as the one he's laid off from, but it's a job, and he is MORE than ready to get back to work. Lol, the "vacation" aspect of unemployment wore off quite a while ago.
Chelone...Your layer cake theory doesn't work around here. Cut? Plate? DH just stands there in the middle of the night with a fork and plows in ;)
Gotta run, I'm going to try and be productive today!
Brenda

Congrats to your DS Brenda! There must have been something in the air yesterday, Doug also got a JOB yesterday! Woohoo!!!!!!
Deanne

PS there will be dancing on the tables and other appropriate celebratory activities occurring in NH this week.

Happy Birthday to Kathy! No pretty card from me. I'm on Brad's notebook without access to my pictures and if I took one of my garden for you today you'd think it was the middle of winter. Anyway.....have a great day! And after reading Chelone's post I must add, eat some cake!!!

Eden

Happy Birthday Kathy! Will try to do a birthday card later - my camera software seems to have a glitch at the moment.

Congratulations to doug/Deanne! And to Brenda's DS. Signs of hope for the economy in that news....?

Chelone - I feel compelled to bake a cake today - all your fault....!

Congratulatios to Doug and Brenda's DS on landing their jobs. Great news indeed and I imagine a huge relief.

What a flurry of posts and pictures these last couple of days. I'm now hopelessly behind but enjoyed all the news, updates and links. Mireille Mathieu was a treat PM! As is the new nursery.

We have double Dr's visits today for David, his regular pediatrician and then the surgeon. Rather than racing back and forth to my school I'm taking a personal day and using the time in between to catch up on chores at home. Unfortunately the 6 inches of snow we're having has meant gardening is out of the question.

Have a good day everyone

Mary

PS My For Cynthia is almost in bloom and I was wondering how our Cynthia is and her furry companions.

Woody - just took another look at your front garden plan and love the new curving bed. I've always dreamt of reducing our front lawn to grass paths. How fun to plan out your new plantings. Will you do the newspaper with mulch method over the grass to make the bed? Despite telling myself I would work with what I have rather than create anything new, I am extending my driveway bed to include the mailbox. Deanne's mailbox garden is a major inspiration.
I like to think the postman will approve:0)

Mary

First I want to add my congrats on the new jobs!

Second, I want to say it appears our yard escaped serious freeze damage. Our low finally reached 25 after beginning at 32 after midnight. I did go out and put protection around and over several things. I have a fence around the red japanese maple that was hit so hard two years ago, (to protect it from the deer). I drapped sheets and comforters over it, and tied them on. Tommy was 'helping' LOL .
I placed containers over most of the hosta.

I cut all the (remaining) tulip blooms and brought then in. They are making a lovely display in our livingroom.

We have at least one rat in our attic! It has been several years since we last heard one up there. I first heard it above the livingroom last night, then it woke me up gnawing above my bedroom this morning. Drat!

I guess it will warm enough today for me to leave Nolon with the stove. :-)
I am debating whether to go in today, since I will be going in tomorrow for my appointment with the OD.
It is to be much warmer tomorrow, too. I have time enough to decide.....

Marian

Such good news this morning!!! Yeah to Brenda's son and to Doug!!!!! Definitely dancing on table tops!

For Mary, I couldn't resist this musical clip to celebrate your forthcoming mailbox garden. See below.

Here the snow plow has made its appearance once again. Groan....

And for our personal music activity, DH is practicing Octopus's Garden to sing with Skyler on his birthday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqd6yF4SrmI

STILL working on that knitting. Maybe I'll complete it today? We'll see.

'bug