Love money lonely.

No, I am not money lonely, just love Larry's sentence . Danny I am still not completely over my throat issues. Still soreness and phlegm. Been running my humidifier. It seems to help.

Nancy do you ever make molasses cookies? Baking them makes the house smell sooo good.

Good night all

Right now (last few years at least), the Post Office has pretty much been the epitome of 'round and round it goes, where it stops, nobody knows". Last month I had a seed order that came from Maine and made it all the way to Fayetteville (local distribution center, only 10 miles from my house) and then went on a trip to Florida for a week. I know that given the amount of junk mail they handle (and there's not much else in the mail but that anymore, right?) it's inevitable that some things get mis-sorted and/or stuck together by accident. Still, with the transparency of tracking, these issues are quickly visible.

I'm reading in FB that Fedex is on the way to DisneyLand too (didn't you say something like that yesterday, Nancy?). And all these stories (of all carriers) where the delivery load just gets dumped in a hollow somewhere? The world has became a strange place, or is it just me ?

I have informed delivery so I can track all my mail. I have a package I've been watching bounce all over the country. It started in IL, then went to CA, NY, IL, NY, TX, CA, IN, and is finally in Oklahoma. Hopefully it doesn't bounce back to IL again.

I planted some garlic in a container a few weeks ago & it's doing well. That's the sum total of my garden currently.

Danny, my world has become a strange place, at least some of it. I expect it will get more strange as time marches on.

I got to brush hog one okra patch down. I need to do more work on the brush hog and tractor. The small tractors does a much better job for garden work, but it is hard for me to change implements from one tractor to another.

I have ask Madge to pick up more elephant garlic when she goes back to Walmart, it seems a little milder, and what little we have used ( from garden only ) seems to work very well in the greens.

It is trying to rain a little here, but I doubt we will get over .05 inch.

Taking a lunch break and reading back....

Danny, I'm so sorry, but I don't know what quote you're referring to (from the last thread).

Kim, I only need two bundles of onions, but I'm willing to go in with you and others. I only want a bundle of Texas Legend (it's done the best for me) and Southern Belle Red. Does anyone have experience with that one? Rick ordered several of the new long day variety and he'll share a bundle of those with me.

I'm only doing 3 16' rows this year.

Trying to do a better job of managing what I have.

Maybe I'll store them inside my house this year too.

I received a few seed catalogs yesterday but haven't looked at them yet. Soon. Very soon.

Nancy, if I'm wearing eye makeup I must wear the onion goggles. Otherwise I have a big mess on my face.

and, oh goodness, YES! Stand mixers make cookie baking SO much easier and faster. But, it is tempting to over mix for sure. I brought my mixer back into the kitchen in October once I had most of the garden produce cleared from my counters. I don't really bake much in the summer. No time and it's too hot for the oven. I sure miss it, though, and am always ready to bake again.

Beer bread is the easiest bread to make and it seems so wintery. And my family loves it.

I would love to get some rain. I watered the greenhouse bed before work today. Not that that bed would receive rain. Rick watered the other stuff a couple of days ago.

I shouldn't have sat down at my desk because now I want a nap.

Look at the fruit and blossoms on my Moms tomato plant.

Quote? I don't really remember referencing one today?

I've mostly laid in bed today...because i felt tired and it was gloomy and windy. I don't think I slept much..but it wasn't too unpleasant until I got up (and was filled with phlegm). That's the downside of laying down with this viral stuff.

Argh if I thought it would help my condition, I'd wish for an ice storm. Maybe not a tornado though.

Danny, I was reading back--like I said in my previous post (and even said " from the last thread")-- because I often miss things and saw that you mentioned a quote that no one commented on.

Sorry I said anything about it. Didn't mean to confuse you.

Oh...from last week...yeah...well the title of the thread. You may have to be of a certain age to get it.

I keep tellin' you all--I commented on it!!! LOL

I know Nancy, I know....just that most people didn't...and I know they're older than I am. *lol*

Oh, my seeds came yesterday, though there remains nothing on informed delivery..USPS is partially broken (no news there). I shall get to planting today I hope, because to my sad-is-faction, Saruma henryi reads 'requires multiple warm-cold cycles'. I guess I need to read more to decide if it goes outside or in and out of the fridge. Complications...several others do require a single cold period before germination though...and I do like to sow seeds and let natural rainfall settle them in their pots.

Hey, my winter flowering clematis (umm one flower only, though it's been in the ground for only about 10 months) is fully opened...it's sure cute.

And no Nancy, it's not native here....but I go bonkers for winter-flowering things.

Danny that is beautiful

Thanks Kim, for me it's just so wonderful to have flowering things in winter (even if it's still fall technically and temperature wise). I have hellebores, this clematis, an algerian iris (which blooms sometimes..not every year), crocus species, and witch hazels that bloom during the winter. The witch hazels are still small so...probably in another year or two, if Jasper doesn't victimize them. I should have (if not a severe winter) blooms from here on out till Spring and actually have had blooms since March or so last year...always something, maybe nothing showy in mass, but something.

That's not counting that eternal flowering honeysuckle 'Major Wheeler' which has blossoms now and only takes a month off if it gets severe and freezes it back.

My Laura Bush petunias and white alyssum are the only things blooming here. Oh and dandelions

I grow salad greens like this such a beautiful green color I don't need flowers I have something to eat.

gosh darn it... between my phone and houzz I could not get this picture up without downloading it to my laptop.

I am sorta like Moni, I favor growing something to eat. I enjoy growing flowers, but if I only have "X" amount of time and space, I had rather if be invested in food. I have plenty space, which I did not have 50 years ago, and I could grow a lot of flowers and food, but I am not man enough to care for all I could plant.

I helped my helper build a cold frame last year, but it has not worked out for me, it is too heavy to open up, I need to try something lighter.

Danny , Walter Cronkite. I remember him.

Rick

Moni 👍🏻

Me too, Danny, regarding having flowers in winter. Except I don't go outside when it gets cold! SO, renders that wanting flowers in winter idea kind of moot. I'd thought of buying hellebores for years. . . never did. They're expensive. (And now I realized I don't go out when it's cold, and the perfect place to plant them is where I'd never see them anyway, and because they're not native. lol)

I also am loving the greens in the chilly weather. And plan to grow lots more of them this next year. I've also invested heavily in understory shrubs and trees (native) to increase pollinator activity. In fact, I guess that's been my main focus the past year--the shrubs and small trees. It's so difficult to get it all committed to memory--but am trying. There are so many absolutely beautiful native shrubs!

I've been very nervous this evening, with horrible winds/possible tornadoes in MN and Iowa. My kids (son and family) are in Minneapolis and I have a dear cousin in Des Moines. DIL said it should be moving south and east but they'd be wary; I'll have to check with them all tomorrow. It has been so devastating, the most recent tragic tornado activity and deaths and destruction. It's so profoundly upsetting. I feel like we just keep dodging a bullet here where we live. Tornado activity came much closer to us in Minneapolis--2 blocks away tore a swath through the city. Heard the fury of the winds, many trees down. . . but escaped building damage. We had basements up there and that gave us a feeling of safety.

I got my old English dark fruitcakes baked this morning. So little flour, so heavy with fruits. The complexity of flavors boggled my mind--espresso coffee; oranges, molasses, cocoa, lots and lots of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, ginger--exquisite aromas. It almost did me in, zesting and juicing the oranges, and then trying to stir the mixture on the stovetop. I finally had to ask Garry for help! And then HE was laughing about how hard it was, stirring them. So far 5 dozen sugar cookies, but I'm cancelling the rest, and the gingerbread cookies. I'm shifting to easier stuff--fudge, penuche, bars. Just too hard standing that long cutting out cookies and decorating them. Hip's good, but between that and lack of activity for quite a time, I just don't have the stamina.

I saw a touching tribute to Dawn on FB this evening, from a fellow Wagoner citizen--I haven't seen him here, nor on FB OGN, but know of him through the Wagoner connection. I'll be thinking of her as always.

My Fed Ex package finally arrived late Tues pm. I have decided, by reading delivery accounts, that Amazon is the most trustworth this month. I was going to send a check to MN grandson, but decided maybe should send Amazon gift card instead. Sad commentary.

Best to all of you this week.

I can't stand being cooped up, so I'm out (even if for short bursts) pretty much every day.

Glad to see everyone's deliveries are being delivered.

Oh geez, it was hot and stuffy last night, I slept much of the night on top of my cover. It wasn't good sleep.

Yes, I remember how stiff fruitcake batter is. I figure you stirred it more than I did (lol).

I got my outdoor seeds planted, but didn't get the columbine seeds wetted and in the fridge yet..maybe today? for the next 60 days. I haven't quite decided if I will use wet paper towels or a small amount of sand with the columbine. Paper towels are kinda a mess, but might be best as the seed requires light for germination (so I can't cover it or not much).

I'd grow things to eat too, but my luck with any annual (and almost all the edible cultivated plants fit that) crop has been dismal here. The soil being the soaked clay that it is, nothing likes it. I tried scarlet runner beans two years ago, most of them rotted either before germination or died while in the cotyledon stage. The only things that will grow are wet-loving natives pretty much. I could grow cress but that's about it. I am adding edible natives, but they're not row crops. I'd like to acquire some ground nuts (which is a native perennial bean, but the harvestable part is the tubers in the ground). Hard to find these things...

Gardening is a little tough in this part of the country. Every place I have lived needed a lot of amendments added to the soil, and the growing area needed to be a little higher than the surrounding soil because drainage is often a problem. Because of shallow soil and abundance of clay I always try to make a drainage path for the water.

By making a drainage path, often using the removed soil, and amendment in the growing area, I usually wind up with a pretty good bed. I often have to use mulch in the drainage path til I can get something growing in it to hold the soil to protect from erosion.

When I get through with a growing area, you might call it a borderless raised bed, but it is not raised much, and often has mulch on it. The drainage path is never anything that cant be mowed easily.

I like flowers and food in the garden. For the winter, a nice bed of salad greens is the best. And the little pansies and violas tucked here and there add pops of color.

Cute flower, Danny.

My little mini rose bush has bright red roses right now. So funny. And I'm still amused by my Mom's tomato plants (pictured above).

Danny, can you make a little raised bed to grow greens in the winter?

I'm not too into outdoor plants in December. I'm more concerned with my indoor environment for mood and aesthetics.

Nancy, you've been busy with all that baking!

I thought about Dawn last night. I was at Hobby Lobby. We all know how much she loved her some Hobby Lobby. I'll be surprised if they have enough merchandise for an after Christmas sale. That place is picked over. I would have enjoyed talking about this (and laughing) with Dawn.

I spent the evening wrapping presents along with my other chores. I need to purchase about 3 more gifts and then I'm done. Two are just gift cards so that will be easy.

I am sleepy in December. Not all day, but I'm ready for bed by 10 or earlier. I love to just be still and look at my tree or lights and candles. It's so cozy. NOT that I get to do that all day.

I get nostalgic too, but I suppose that is very normal. It's sad and happy at the same time.

Facebook memories are fun and difficult.

The view from my bed. Cozy!

Relaxing!

One reason I need to relax. lol

And, some sweet memories.

HJ, LOVED the photos!!

Jennifer, nice photos.

I went out to the garden yesterday to pick some greens for the livestock. I have a large crop of aphids, I don't recall having aphids this time of the year, but I don't usually have much crop this time of the year either. I suppose I will try to knock them off with water, the garden is pretty dry anyway.

I'm going to try using the new tablet to post.

We're getting a little rain now, in bursts. It has been so dark this morning.

I set my browser for desktop for Houzz. On the old tablet, in front of like and save buttons there's a grayed in square. On this tablet are what appear to be Chinese symbols. Cuneiforms? Did the Chinese buy houzz? I am set for United States.

Larry, usually it's been cold enough for aphids to be gone. There may not be any ladybugs though. Supposed to get cold next week.

I usually have pansies and violas in winter. Never got any this year. Nice pics H/J.

Danny's making me think I should work on perennials. I think Ron would turn purple if I started seeds in the fridge. Real estate in fridge is at a premium.

We're going to dinner at the German restaurant Margaret's tonight. She is retiring and the restaurant will have new management in January. I can get goulash soup!

Have a nice weekend.

Hey, flood watches for fort Smith, Fayetteville and Bentonville. Maybe Larry and Danny will get rain!

Amy, if you use plastic ziploc bags (either with soil or moist paper towels), they fit in the shelves quite well. Hide them (lol).

Yes, we got what I would call significant rain. Looking at radar, I think it's about over, but forecasts are that it will continue till about 3 am tomorrow (I'm hopeful). It was very terrible to realize that Jasper hasn't seen any (well maybe one?) thunderstorm since I got him and he's 10 months old.

I just put a tray of seeds in frig

Kim, what seeds did you put in the frig?

Thanks, Larry, Nancy, and Amy. I must be in the mood to share pictures.

And...I was totally ANNOYED to have to buy winter squash, garlic, and eggs at the grocery store tonight. It's funny....I don't even know how to choose eggs at the store. My hens are still laying, but they lay anywhere from 0 to 3 a day right now. We have enough for eating, but with baking this week, I was afraid we could run out. This is the first time I've purchased winter squash in nearly 3 years. My 2019 squash finally ran out. I had jars in the freezer.

Amy, enjoy your dinner out. We had Mediterranean food tonight.

The above picture of the kids was during a rehearsal. They did surprisingly well at the actual performance. It was doubtful, because as you can tell in the picture, they were being naughty.

One more kids' thing to go this Sunday.

We sure could use some rain out here. Honestly, we've been too dry since June, with maybe 2 decent rains in total.

Do you ever feel like certain people just ignore you except maybe when they misunderstand something you say as negative, or when they have an opportunity to be snarky? It's frustrating when you try so hard to be inclusive and kind. At some point, you just gotta write them off, right? (I'm asking for advice here) Not everyone needs to be your good friend.

Other than that, I've been going through pictures on my phone because it's time to clear some off. Lots of pretty garden pics.

If you need a relaxing video to watch, this is a good one. She is much younger than me. But, the way she thinks is so similar. I even enjoy watching her paint. haha! And the way she talks about winter and the seasons is similar too. I ordered the book she mentioned, Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. Does anyone have that book?

A little bit of late spring for encouragement.

Storms here most of the day. All the pups are miserable, they don't get to play outside on rainy days. But we got to test our new puppy playroom out. They go outside, then get feet wiped when they come in, then stay in the playroom for a while until they're fully dry.

I need to unpack. I need to go through seeds. I need to organize the house, wrap gifts, put up the tree, work on the yard...but I'm just not motivated to do any of that. So I think I'll curl up on the couch with dogs swarming me & enjoy a lazy Friday night.

Jennifer they are magnolia. I hope I get a few sprouts out of 30.
I have been so sick I didn’t even finish my post. Oh well.

what's wrong, Kim?! Sorry you're so sick!

Sounds nice, Jen! I am relaxing right now too. I have a lot to do, but just want to sit.

I have had the flu. Upper respiratory is the kicker. I’ll be fine soon. Lots of home remedies. I did get one photo case organized and put into inventory spreadsheet. It took 2 weeks to decide on a system that would work for me.

It has been raining hard here since 10 a.m. Off and on--mostly on. And I haven't done anything today. Time to spring into action. But it's raining so hard! I guess I won't be springing into action outdoors. I didn't spring into action. Maybe tomorrow. :) As of now, 4:48 pm, we've had 1 3/4" and looks like quite a bit more coming later. Now it's 9:30 or so. Yes, more this evening. I'm going to guess 1/4-1/2" more.

We went to the marina for dinner. I don't really like going sometimes, since one of my two favorite persons isn't there. She's been sick the past 5 weeks or so--in hospital with cancer and complications. We're all very worried and miss her so much. Also, the Covid curtain hanging over everything. But we try to go once a week for dinner, to support the restaurant. I wish others in this community felt like they wanted to support them. And finally, it was a gloomy gray rainy day.

BUT!!! While we were in the restaurant, I noticed how striking the lake was, bathed in gray, and still as could be. (There was a break in the rain.) . And there was a trail of white birds flying in formation--perhaps you can help, Amy. They were flying in a single line. I couldn't tell whether they were pelicans or not. And so I asked our server friend and the cook if they knew. The cook had binoculars, handily enough--and he said he wondered if they weren't cranes--he said he couldn't see any bags hanging down from the bills. Of course, later I wondered if he noticed they had kinda long necks. Oh well. But THEN, I noticed how beautiful that gray lake was, and dashed out (as best I can, now 3 1/2 months post hip replacement) the back to take pics. How beautiful gray can be, and what a wonderful foil it was for the red-berry-bearing shrubs across the street from us. Both hollies, but different native varieties.

Amy-- hope you have a nice dinner at Margaret's--I hope the restaurant will stay the same for you under new management.

So hard to understand aphids at this time of the year! I DID see a couple big grasshoppers last week and that highly annoyed me!

Jen, I'd go stark raving insane with a houseful of dogs!! As it is, we're about half stark raving mad with 3 cats and 1 dog.

HJ, yes, I have had people like that in my life--at my ripening age, I've had lots and lots of experiences! LOL . And yes, I think cutting them loose is wise. And I STILL have a hard time doing it. . . but do.

I laughed SO SO SO hard at the little kids!! These are the same type of rascals I deal with at the school--or DID, until the blankety-blank Covid. I loved my little ones so much. And miss them so much. See them every once in a while, but not like pre-covid.

HJ, re clearing off pics. I've gotten caught in that trap, not on the phone but on the desktop. What fabulous memories and pics it has brought up.

I'm wishing you lived closer, Danny. I need your expertise in foraging and natives. And I'm reliving our recent get-together with Larry and Madge, Amy and Ron, and Eileen and Larry.

I did not know that asparagus ferns put out red berries!

Winding down................ best to you all. XOXO

Today. . . gray but beautiful.

I wouldn't be much company this month if you lived across the street. I'm trying so hard to not get as sick as Feb 2020. I did change the bed up and overdose on antihistamines enough to get a pretty fair amount of interrupted rest (woke myself coughing several times that I remember).

I see things I'd like to attend (but know I would infect people..so I stay home). Kinda feeling like I hate the world just now, for giving me a nose that runs 24x7 and any other possible offenses :)

I am thankful on the rainfall, it appears we got between 4 and 5 inches in the area. That really helps the deficit for the latter part of this year. Now, if it continues seasonably versus dumping for the first half of the year and stopping (like this year did), 2022 would be better.

We got rain last night, it rained hard at times, but in short burst. I would guess that we got between 1 and 2 inches, I haven't been out, and haven't seen anything on TV about the rain amount.

I have not been feeling like I want to, heart rate down, and blood pressure is up. I have been able to control blood pressure, but heart rate has a mind of its own. I go in to the cardiologist in Ft. Smith Monday, This is a battle I have been fighting a long time. The doctors I see cant seem to agree what the problem is, they do agree 02 and heart damage is playing a large part, but they are trying to avoid surgery. Most of it cant be fixed anyway.

Danny, I take a lot of antihistamine also. Dr, had rather I not, but the stuff he gives me does not do the job. I seem to just be too tired to do anything.

Nancy, you would go completely buggy during our holiday crowds. First year we did sitting, we had 12. Last year for Memorial we had 16. This year for Christmas we only have 7, possibly 8. Next year we should be fully open and who knows how many we'll have. And I go crazy with having them underfoot all the time, but that's the down side to this gig. Fortunately we can keep them out of the main part of house when we need a break.

yes, the rain sounds neat... but I wish we had gotten more than just sprinkles again... it is soooo dry here. And cold this morning.. down to freezing temps... and to think of, on Wednesday it was 68 in the early morning.

Kim, I am hoping you are feeling better daily, same goes for Danny.

You pet folks... I can't keep up, nor ever visit... with my pet allergies.

Nancy the lake here was pretty much the same when I rode around it.

I shall do some hand washing, I could use some more humidity in my house... but not necessarily want to run the humidifier.

I may should cut all my Swiss chard off today... as it is supposed to get rather chilly tomorrow.

Have a nice weekend all.

Moni

Lost my first post.

The Chinese characters are grayed out today.

Margaret's was good. I love the goulash. Ron did not care for the special, beef rouladen. He said it wasn't bad, just not memorable. But we brought home the jeager snitzle (I'm not sure of spelling). It is breaded pork cutlet with mushroom gravy. The new owner is Polish. Don't know how the menu will change.

It started to rain as soon as we got on the highway to Tulsa. I hate the highways anyway, let alone while raining.

Larry, I hope you feel better! You too Danny! And Kim. Dang y'all, there's not enough of us for all this illness.

Nancy, the birds sound like geese. Snow geese would be white. White pelicans have black under their wings. Sandhill cranes...there were a bunch at the Great Salt Plains, but most have moved south.

H/J, spring pictures appreciated.

I need to go, Ron is fidgeting.

Jägerschnitzel, though Moni will probably correct me ;)

I'm still definitely coughing, but today is an 'up' day. Undoubtedly tomorrow will be a 'down' day..well unless I'm recovering?

We have a lot of egrets around here, they look somewhat like a small crane.

Danny's spelling is correct. and I hope, he will make a spontaneous recovery like I finally did.

Moni

Moni what does it mean

Oh my, the difference a real rain made..everything is suddenly so much greener (even in one day). Amazing!

Kim it's a "hunters pork cutlet with mushrooms". No, not usually gravy if you order it in Germany.