It has stopped raining and we are approaching the kind of weather I love, sunny days, the bluest of skies maybe a big billowy cloud or two and not too hot. I can actually get out in the garden and start my fall cleanup.

In my garden I see cyclamen starting to bloom, Joe Pye is doing his thing and the Japanese Anemone September Charm is blooming her head off. The Cimifuga Brunette's fragrance is filling the air around the Koi pool as is the Heliotrope which has been scenting the air all summer long. I still have Phlox blooming and some of the Colchicum are starting to bloom as well. Right now I have some single flowered ones out but I'm waiting for the double Waterlily to bloom, so pretty. Just the other side of the fence my neighbors Brugsmansia are in full bloom and the evening air is filled with their fragrance. I tossed most of my old plants and started new ones from cuttings so only have one or two blooming.

My D.A.rose Abraham Darby has recuperated from the heavy hand with the loppers earlier on, he had the nerve to break loose in a drunken stupor and smash several lilies I was hoping to see bloom for the first time. He is behaving nicely now and is sending forth a nice number of blooms. Peace offering, you think? The Asters are just starting to bloom, a little late this year and it will depend on the weather as to whether I get a good showing.

The Begonia baskets have been not too bad considering the neglect this past month and all I can say is the Fuchsias are hanging in there, not as nice as last year by any means, August was not the best of months for me but I believe those that are lost to us are not gone they've simply merged with nature and therefore will always be with us.

DH has been kept very busy this summer, I've mentioned before he is a wood turner, he works mostly with Maple burl. The gallery where he takes most of his work has been selling it almost as fast as he takes it in. After all these years he finally made me a Maple burl salad bowl. I'll have to use it as soon as possible, insurance that it stays put LOL. The bonus is I get all the maple shavings I want for mulch :o).

All that being said it's time for clippers, loppers, shovels and rakes. Time marches on and so do the damn weeds. It's overhaul time in my garden, so I'd better get to it.

Annette

Mr. M I share this blasted Sept. heat! I feel like I haven't been in my yard for quite some time as it has either been rainy, too hot, or I am assaulted by the bumper crop of mosquitos from all the rain. I have also been away from the forum for a time, and it was good to spend some time here catching up. Just took my son off to college last weekend and so it is time for the 'empty nest' adjustment. I am determined to stay positive and if he is doing well, so am I. I was very independent and adventuresome at his age and have great memories from that time of my life, so I'm really excited for him. College kids have some incredible opportunities now that weren't there when I attended college...can I go back?! I'd love to do a semester abroad...maybe Italy? Ok, maybe I'll have to rework it into a middle age adventure of some sort. Finally, I'm a little freaked out as I have a breast biopsy tomorrow - 'suspicious' area that is being checked out. This has been such a waiting game of appointments and getting results. Blah! So keep your positive energy directed my way. Here's to a great September and a change in seasons. jean

Forgot to mention how envious I am Annette. I would love to see a photo of the maple burl salad bowl. I have a passion for beautiful woods.

Good morning everyone.

Mr Morton ~ your gardens still sound lovely and you've got mantis, a hummingbird, and dragonflies. Your hot temps still sound like summer to me. Congrats to your DS on learning to ride his bike. I remember when I was young, probably between 1st and 2nd grade I rode someone's bike, up and down the sidewalk over and over again and that night I had horrible leg pains and cried. Too much of a fun thing isn't always great that's for sure.

Annette ~ Your gardens sound so pretty with what you have blooming. Glad you are getting cooler weather. It will be a while for us yet. Sigh!

I'd love to see your burl maple salad bowl too. I bet it is beautiful. Wouldn't mind seeing other pictures of your DH's woodwork also.

Jean ~ You are in my thoughts and prayers. Do keep us posted. ~ Enjoy your empty nest. A middle age adventure sounds like a good idea, whatever you choose to do.

As for Plum Cottage ~ this morning didn't start out so great here at work, in fact it was horrible. I transposed the code # for the alarm system and the dang alarm went off, and it is so loud and blaring you can't think. My right ear still is aching from the assault. I tried several combinations of the # and none were right. Ran across the street to use their phone since the shop's phone wouldn't work, and called my boss. He said the alarm co. had just called him and he told them to not send the police. Then he gave me the #. I feel like such a jerkette, I've worked here 10 years and never had that happen. Sheeesh! Hope today goes more smoothly than it started.

On the 2nd, DH hooked up a reverse osmosis water filtration system. The water is great and coffee really tastes wonderful using it. It makes about 3 gallons a day. We were tired of buying jugs of water, and don't like the chlorine and other chemicals in the water supply, so decided to try this. DH was so glad it all went smoothly with hooking it up.

While he was doing that I was outside doing some much needed trimming, weeding etc. Did the same thing the next morning and was stiff and sore Monday afternoon and evening. Still more to do, but it will have to wait until I have another cool morning when I don't have to head off to work. We do get 'hints' of fall, but not much. Just enough to let us know it will be here eventually.

Last evening I was outside and looked across the street and our neighbor had put a swing on an A frame out in his trash. I ran inside and told DH and we went across the 5 lanes in between lots of traffic and brought the thing home. YIPPEE! Haven't decided yet where it will go, but I sure enjoyed gently swinging in it last night and this morning.

Saturday is our 38th anniversary. DH gave me that beautiful Queen Crape Myrtle a couple of weeks ago, and I've been working on a booklet of pictures and text of all the projects he has done around our compound since we got our first digital camera in 1999. It is really interesting to see the processes and the progress. I am thankful he can do so many different things. I am his helper and have enjoyed working on all the projects with him.

Roses are in bloom, noticed some little purple asters in my neglected back garden and was happy to see them. Oh, yea, yesterday while trimming the hedge around our secret garden, some sap of some kind got into my left eye, and it teared and burned for the rest of the day, waning in intensity though, and this morning it is fine. Some times stuff like that really takes the fun out of whatever it is that you were doing. It's like some sort of conspiracy, if you know what I mean. : -)

Anyway, that's it for now. Have a wonderful September each and every one of you.

FlowerLady

Mr M, Benjamin is probably filled with pride at his accomplishment. No training wheels, way to go. I learned to ride a bike that was used to deliver groceries, my grandpa had a grocery store back then, I was too small, so had to ride under the bar, the basket was the type that didn't turn when you turned, took some getting used to LOL. I just came in from doing a bit of cleanup on some of the Fuchsias, bought a new one this year with the name Ben Jammin, probably named after someone named Benjamin, a really pretty Fuchsia.

Jean, sending all the good energy I have your way, it's nerve racking waiting for results, I was in a similar situation years ago, as It turned out I was fine, hoping the same for you.

Flowerlady, congrats on your wedding anniversary, I'm hoping you have many, many, more. DH and I celebrated our 51st Aug. 31. We were 18 and 19 when we took the plunge, age has nothing to do with having a good marriage. Finding the right partner does. LOL about the swing, I'm glad I'm not the only one, the neighbors threw out a garden lounge a number of years ago, guess who dragged it home :o).

I've put a link below to DH's website where some of his work can be viewed, the website is dynamic and is updated periodically. Haven't got a pic of my bowl yet, I will post it later.

Annette

Here is a link that might be useful: DH's website

MRM - Good job starting a September thread. Now, if I can only think of something remotely interesting to contribute...

I do have a new and fresh grandson who is a little more than a month old at this point. So far, his mom (DD2) is still home taking care of him, but when she goes back to work in a week, DW and I will be doing baby day care. His older brother, age 2, will also be with us three days a week - the other two in a real day care with other kids to play with.

Our drought is apparently over, as we've had 3 in. of rain in the last two weeks, with another batch moving in even as I type. Boy, it's nice to see things greening up. Cattle are grazing in their pastures again.

Annette - Maybe your fuchsia was named by someone in a rock band who has been jammin'. :-)

Speaking of the end of summer, I can promise you that to teachers (or many parents) Labor Day really is the day of doom that spells the end of summer. I totally agree, though, that the weather and calendar say otherwise.

Again, speaking of the end of summer, I still have three projects left to do around this place: put in a back yard lawn; run underground electrical power to my tool shed; and paint the trim on our house. Will I get it done? Hope so.

That's my life at the moment. Back to you, Chet. (Anyone remember that phrase?)

ThinMan

So much going on for everyone right now. I like these threads because it gives us a chance to catch up.

Rainey, what a great score from your neighbor! What was wrong with the swing, anyway? It must be pure heaven sitting in your yard swinging on it.

And thinman, have fun babysitting! You and your wife will have your hands full, that's for sure. But everyone says being a grandparent is more fun than being a parent. I wouldn't know!

As for me, still busy taking care of the house. We're still painting the exterior and only about halfway done right now. When we finish that, I can finally do some landscaping to the front and side of the house. I don't have any plantings in mind yet, I'll spend time on that this fall/winter.

Hubby and I have a dress-up wedding to attend at the end of next month. We've never been to one and have no idea what to go as. We don't have any costumes and haven't dressed up in years. Any ideas out there?

Tracy

I love these threads too!

Mr Morton, Yeah! for Benjamin! I still remember helping my kids to learn to ride their bikes. My son went straight from training wheels to BMX racing. Gosh, he was a little dare devil :0
I have had a lot of dragonflies in my garden this summer too. They never sit for very long except in the evening and then I find them resting on some of the rocks in the flower beds. Of course as soon as I try to get a closer look they begin the same dance that you describe. Your garden sounds really lovely even in the fall Mr.M. All of your planning and rearranging has paid off eh?

Annette, it sounds like your garden, too, is hanging on well into the fall season. Your husbands work sounds really interesting. I too would love to see some pictures of your pretty bowl.

Jean, Aww, it's so hard letting go after all the years you've hung on and hung in trying to get them to this point in life. Have faith...he'll do fine. Sending you good thoughts for your tests tomorrow. I had cervical cancer two years ago so I know how much anxiety goes along with these things.

Rainey, Happy Anniversary! And also, congratulations on rescuing that swing from the trash heap! You have the best luck with finding great things.

And Congratulations TM!! A sweet new baby to cuddle and spoil. How lucky you are!

Tracy, What colors are you using on your new home? Have you taken before and after pictures for us??? LOL
I've never heard of a costume wedding. How fun! How about going as Fred Astair and Ginger Rogers?


{{gwi:612499}}

Gardening is pretty much over for me. Rabbits got all my seedlings that I started last month. Just petunias and BES blooming now. We are getting plenty from the garden now but we are just eating as it comes. I'm not doing any canning this year as I just don't feel up to it but I have put several quarts of tomatoes in the freezer. They'll come in handy this winter for soups and chili.

I've been helping my daughter plan her January wedding via email and phone. Not what I had envisioned when I thought of her future wedding while she was a small girl but it is none the less coming together. I have started on a Double Wedding Ring quilt for her. Her colors are Husker red (big big fans) and white with touches of silver so I am doing the arcs on the quilt all in shades of red. I have everything cut and just began the piecing yesterday so I have a ways to go on it. I hope she loves it when it's done. I am using my machine to piece it and will do all the quilting by hand.

My DD2 started high school two weeks ago and she loves it. The first couple days were difficult for her but she's settling in well. There are 8 girls in her freshman class and 24 boys...YIKES! LOL We've been teasing that each of them will have three dates a piece for Prom next spring.

This next week I will be going to the city for more tests (CT's) on my spine. Also I will have my second year follow-up, check-up since having cancer in 2005. Wish me luck!

MeMo

DH finally made me a salad bowl it's 16" in diameter. I haven't christened it yet, maybe a nice caesar salad will do the job. This is the third set of salad servers he's made for it, they keep mysteriously disappearing on me LOL. Maybe if I dip them in some Italian dressing they'll stay put.

Annette

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:612496}}

Memo: Yay, another wedding! I love her colours. Red with white and silver will look stunning. Hope you'll share the quilt with us when you're done. What a wonderful gift.

I think hubby and I have finally decided on what to wear to this costume wedding. We are complete nerds and big sci-fi fans. Hubby was insistent on being Obi Won Kenobi from Star Wars. So I will be Padme. Or try to be. Now I just need to get going on making the costume. Hubby wants to buy his and thinks I'm crazy for wanting to make mine. That's half the fun!

I finally got outside and started digging the bed in the front of the house. Now I'm waiting for the rain to stop so I can finish. And of course getting ready for fall, which is right around the corner.

Tracy

Tracy, I am a big sci-fi/fantasy geek as well. Thats probably the only way I could ever enjoy a wedding. My brother(I actually have three) is getting married next May. I should tell him to halt all plans and make it a costume wedding. That could be fun.

Not much going on in the garden. The weather has been beautiful this week, and its supposed to continue through the weekend. Upper 60's/low 70's, cool breezes, no humidity. Perfect. Except for the @#!$%^&* Mosquitoes! It is almost impossible to even be out there in the evenings. I have never seen so many of them. Even with coating myself in bug spray, I get swarmed. I imagine they won't really go away until we get ourselves a good hard frost in a month or so. Ugh.
I need to figure out my Fall changes yet. I've got some dividing and transplanting to do, and this is the time to do it. Plus, its way easier to get it done before we go crazy decorating the house and yard for Halloween. Fun stuff!

September is zipping right along. We have tiny little hints of autumn, in the mornings before the sun gets up over the trees, then it feels like dang summer again. Very hot and humid still. We can hardly wait for cooler weather to get here.

Thanks Annette for the anniversary wishes. We had a nice celebration and DH loved his album of projects he's done. Congrats to your and your DH on 51 years together, and I wish you many more. ~ DH and I are always curb-side shopping when we are out on errands. You never know what you might find. : -) ~ Wow, your DH does beautiful work. No wonder his pieces are in high demand. Your salad bowl is really lovely too.

TMan ~ Congrats on your new little grandson. Glad to hear your drought is over and that cattle are grazing on fields of green. Hope you get all the projects you want to do, done, before the cold weather hits.

Tracy ~ There wasn't really anything wrong with the swing, a little paint coming off at the bottom. I'll post a picture later. ~ Have fun at the dress-up wedding. ~ It sounds like you are busy with your house. Enjoy.

Memo ~ Thanks for your anniversary wishes. ~ It is always fun finding 'treasures' in the trash heaps. We've been doing it since we were first married and living in Spain, while DH was in the US Navy. ~ Do hope your tests come back positive. ~ Have fun with your daughter's wedding. Do post a picture of her quilt when you are finished. Are you still making quilts for sale for the shop in your area?

MrMorton ~ Your weather sounds perfect for sure. Do wish we would get some cooler temps, but I'm afraid that won't happen until Oct/Nov. We have mosquitoes also, I don't think as many as normal though as we've been in a drought so don't have much water sitting around for them to breed in.

In our southern gardens, roses have new growth, gingers are blooming, several jasmines are in bloom, my Queen crape still has blossoms. I'm getting read to plant some seeds for fall winter gardens. It's still too hot to get out and do much, so I try to do some stuff early in the mornings.

I've been checking out gardening books from the library and enjoy reading them when I can't get out because of the dang heat and humidity. Although, sometimes I feel like heading out to do something, walk out the door and get blasted with the heat, and turn right around and head back inside. Air-conditioning is GREAT!

Enjoy each day everyone. Each is a gift to be savored.

FlowerLady

HALF WAY through September already, I may add!!

It's been a busy one here. Tonights rains (finally!) will begin bringing cool temps. This evening I taught a fall veggie seeding class, and that was fun. Maybe I will seed some of my own tomorrow?

I have good news. It makes me so happy to say I have lost 15lbs! It has been super hard work, and I've been a very very good girl. I have crazy amounts of energy, and so on Sat. Hubby and I will be on our neighborhood 5K. He runs, I walk (crawl up the hill!!). Then all day we have our street "STRUT" - for the neighborhood. This is so much fun! Music all day, about 60 artists set up, a parade...I will be at the hardware store where I work now, selling our plants off cheap. We're expanding the store and building a very large greenhouse but that is taking up the old nursery area, so we can just order more when it's done :)
The water went in at the church garden...no more toting things everywhere! It's such a luxury. This weekend the volunteers come to help us clean out kudzu and debris. Then on Oct. 6th a whole huge crew of volunteers comes to help me set up a new garden area against the church with a patio and seating, and a serenity pond (or bog). Hurray!
And lastly we are going on VACATION! It's just a few days, but it is a VACATION and I can't wait! VERY long time since we've been away togther!

Happy Belated Anniversary Flower Lady!

girlgroupgirl

Monday already? lol.
I didn't get as much done in the garden as I wanted to this weekend, but that seems to be the way things always go. Beautiful weather for it, thats for sure.
I managed to get a chunk of my Irises divided and transplanted, along with numerous other misc. plants. I bought some Foxglove for my fence bed. That will be perfect if they actually work. My raised bed in front of the fence has been the hardest to nail down. Its half and half, and very dry. We'll see.
Took the fam to a place called Graue Mill for their annual Corn Fest on Sunday. Beautiful setting, good food, and nice walk through the woods.
Decided to stoke up the fire pit last night. There's just something about being outside on a clear cool night sitting around a glowing fire. Add Smores into the mix, and life is good. Yum.
The temps are supposed to be in the 80s all week. No rain, either. I'm not too thrilled about this, after the cool temps of last week. Not unexpected, though, as September is always unpredictable.
Have a great week, everyone.

Good Morning Everyone!

DD Played her flute at the High School Homecoming Coronation Thursday night and then stayed for the dance. Friday she marched in her first Homecoming parade and carried the parade banner. Then, on Friday night, she marched and played flute for the Homecoming game. Rick and I attended the Coronation, parade and game so we had a few busy days at the end of the week. This was the first football game I've been to in over 30 years. My other two kids never got into sports or school activities so I was spared all those hours on bleachers lol!

I got back test results for the EMG's I had on my hands last week. After surgeries in February and April on each hand...I still have carpal tunnel syndrome. Big SIGH! It's disappointing to say the least. I'm not sure what the follow up plan is, I have to go back to the neurologist to find out. Probably won't do that until November. No news yet on the CT's on my back. I'm hoping they will be able to see something. So far they haven't found exactly where the problems are due to all the metal in my spine.

I'm still sewing like crazy on the wedding quilt. Trying to get as much done as possible as fast as possible. Right now there are no quilt tops to sew for my job so I'm trying to use my down time wisely.

It was cloudy and thundering this morning and now the sun has suddenly popped out again. No rain for us this time around.

Have a great week everyone!
MeMo

Memo: Your daughter must be having fun marching in the band. I remember those days!

I'm sorry to hear about your CTS still being around. My mother had two surgeries on hers years ago and it didn't do a thing either. You'd think with all of this technology and advances in medicine they'd be able to do something. Here's hoping you find some relief.

Tracy