Garden Gab and Pickles

I have a two-headed chicken planter that I absolutely love. I'm the ONLY one that loves it...everyone else thinks it's pretty awful. This year I planted impatiens in it, and stuck it in the Weeping Cherry garden out front. The impatiens were wonderful and grew into a mound of bright color. A few trailing plants would have been a good compliment to the impatiens, but I just didn't think about it at the time. Anyway, when I came home today I noticed that the chicken was naked. Either a deer or a rabbit ate all of my impatiens, almost to the soil line! I don't cuss very often, but I did have a few choice words for the wildlife today.

The okra plants have withered into pathetic little leafless stems but the tomatoes are still hanging in there. I pulled a few more green tomatoes from the plants today. They sure taste good when fried.

Chickweed has once again invaded my gardens. It appears in the early spring, dies off during the heat of summer, and is reinstated again in the cool fall weather. I absolutely hate it. One day soon, before it flowers and sends out seed, I'll have to get out there and start pulling the hated weed. I can't remember what the chemical cure is...either 2-4D or Dicamba (spelling?) perhaps. It's been too long since I've used a chemical on it. I've been trying to control it by good old fashioned hand pulling. The problem with that is that chickweed has a very tough, fibrous root system and I have to get it ALL out. The chemical way sounds kind of appealing right now.

Speaking of appealing, I have had horrible cravings for Vlasic Sweet Baby Kosher Dill pickles. I can't get enough of them. Today I bought three jars, and while in the Wal-Mart parking lot, I did the unthinkable...I opened a jar and pulled out pickles WITH MY BARE HANDS! You know how I hate germs, and the thought of contaminating pickle juice makes me shudder, but I just couldn't wait until I got home to get a fork. I HAD to have a pickle. I ended up eating about a third of a jar. Just to prove to myself that I have SOME self-control, I refused to give in to temptation and eat another one for almost three miles. Luckily, you get one and a quarter pickles for only FIVE calories. Sadly, the sodium content is enough to send my blood pressure soaring. I just can't stop eating them. It's like my summer cravings for cucumbers and onions in vinegar....mmmmm. If I hadn't have had a hysterectomy almost 20 years ago, I would wonder if I were pregnant! (There's probably all sorts of grammatical errors in that sentence!)

Sleep well, everyone. Just talking about the pickles has made my mouth water.
shel

Rain, Rain, Go Away AGAIN

Seems like we've had an awful lot of rain this year. I'm quite tired of it, and am ready for some sunshine and mild autumn weather.

The green tomatoes that I've brought into the house are slowly ripening, but they just don't have any flavor. Okra plants are dead, as are the zucchini, so there will be no more harvest from them.

I plan on piling lots of shredded leaves onto the garden this year (if it dries up) and adding bags of cow manure, if I can still get it. Down by the end of the driveway I have a pile of chipped wood that the power company gave me a few years back. Deep in the pile the wood has decomposed, creating a nice rich compost. On the next good day, if I don't have little Gabriel, I will wheel the compost to the garden and spread it evenly around. It should break down more over the winter and add lots of richness to my otherwise crappy garden soil. I sure wish I had a wagon to pull behind my lawnmower, as it would make the job much easier.

Max mowed the lawn last week but it sure needs it again. I look forward to a dry day because I really enjoy mowing. (I also think that I do a better job than he does because he races around like Speedy Gonzales...he's a crazy mower!)

Last year I just couldn't get in the mood to bake. I was pretty depressed for most of fall and all of winter. Now I'm ready to start baking, but I don't have the extra freezer downstairs to put the goodies into. I miss having the refrigerator/freezer set. We still have the deep freeze that came from Max's grandmother, but it is nearly full. Unfortunately it is also an energy hog. The thing must be nearly as old as I am.

I went into the koi pond the other day to try to catch the two remaining koi and I nearly froze to death. The water was so cold that my legs burned. I have to ask myself...is it worth getting pneumonia (or worse) just to save two koi that aren't even show quality? The practical side of me says to leave them out there and let nature take it's course, but the koi lover in me says 'GET IN THERE AND SAVE THEM!!!!!' I still need to get to Menard's or Lowe's and buy boards so that I can insulate and enclose the horse trough that the other two (yellow) koi are in. I am determined to keep them over the winter. I will transfer my big air stone from the pond (which has about 6" of water in it) to the tank to keep a hole open in the ice so that my koi will survive. I may even build a temporary greenhouse over the top of the tank.

I hope you all stay dry and happy. If anyone is in the mood, come on over and go fishing for koi! I'll even give you a cup of hot chocolate to warm you up after you climb out.

shel

Just To Catch You Up....

Well, it's been a busy few weeks. I have started my new job at Community Action (my official title is Community Worker....not very impressive, but a title nonetheless) and I am still in the training mode. Until I am fully trained, I will work mornings. After I work I either pick up Gabe, like I did today, or go to mom & dad's house or Erin's house. What I SHOULD do is stay home and work in my house. I can't believe it's gotten so messy.

Today I went to mom & dad's house and onto dad's dr. appointment with them. Gabe kept everyone in the waiting room entertained as dad had his eye check-up. Later in the evening I went to Bloomington with Alana. It's been so long since I've been at the mall I couldn't even remember where to park! I did purchase two blouses for work (from the clearance rack, of course.) Gabe was a good boy as usual.

I'm still waiting for the test results from my whooping cough adventure. Tomorrow after work I will go to Dr. Rauch's office for my whooping booster, tetanus, flu and pneumonia shots. After that I go to Erin's house to decorate the gingerbread haunted house with Ady and Jaden.

Garden-wise, well, everything sucks outside. It hasn't frosted here yet so many of my annuals are trying to make a comeback. The mums are in full bloom as are the pansies, which got a bit leggy over the summer. I hope that it dries up enough in the next few days so that I can mow again and cut off all of the seed heads from the coneflowers and black eyed Susans. I have WAY too many volunteers of both. I know that the birds enjoy the seeds during the winter but they'll just have to find some other garden for them.

The tomatoes are goners. I still have some green ones out there that I should bring in. I love fried green tomatoes! Zucchini plants have died off sadly enough. This fall will be a good time to add lots of compost to the garden, so that it will be well incorporated into the rather poor soil that is there now. Fingers are crossed for a better garden next year.

It's been raining so much that the sunroom is leaking again. It's so discouraging to think that we reroofed HALF of the sunroom two years ago (Max, as usual, wouldn't listen when I said we should do it all at the same time.) The carpet is now ruined because of the leaks. Hard telling what the wood under the shingles looks like. When we reroofed we found that when it was put on, the contractors didn't use tar paper; just shingles over plywood.

Time for bed.

Sweet dreams, my family.

shel

Whoops! Whooping Cough

The tests from the state have come back positive for Whooping cough for little Gabe. Yesterday I had to go to the hospital to have my nasal cavities raped, as well. I suppose I'll hear next week if I too have the whoop. I have felt crappy enough during the last three weeks, that's for sure!

When I have recovered, I have to go to the doctor's and get another booster for whooping cough. Alana will after she has the baby, and Will has to get one as well. Little Gabe is feeling better now, and only coughs occasionally.

I have started my new job at Community Action. It's a bit on the slow side right now, as I am working 8 a.m. to noon, and most of the activity takes place in the afternoon. Anita is trying to get my hours changed so that I can learn the paperwork as needed.

I hope that I will be able to get into the koi pond tomorrow afternoon to pull out the two big boys that will die this winter if I can't get them out. I had really hoped that the koi pond would get rebuilt this summer. Maybe now that I have a job I can get caught up on some bills, then get the pond fixed. *sigh*.

Autumn is definitely here. It was 54 degrees outside this evening. BRRRR. I'm ready for spring.

hugs to all,
shel

p.s. Before much longer I'll need to get the tomato plants pulled from the garden and spread bales of hay over it. I want the hay (and leaves, grass clipping, and whatever else I can find) to be able to decompose over the winter so that the soil will be richer next year. If anyone has bags of grass clippings I'll take them! People think I'm weird when I drive around town and pick up the bags from the curb. It's rather sad that I get so excited about landscape waste....

I'm Still Kicking

Well, it's been a while since I've felt up to blogging. I've THOUGHT of blogs to write (full of wit and wisdom in my codeine-induced mind) as I shiver and sweat on the couch. As I sit here tapping away, however, I find my mind a complete blank. Guess it's time for some more of the cough syrup that has kept me going.

I have had two full prescriptions of antibiotics (Levaquin and Azithromicin; please forgive the spelling) and am now on steroids. I absolutely hate to take them as I can't sleep for the first few days, but I hate even more that I cough like a sickly seal with nearly every breath.

Wouldn't it be ironic if they discovered I have lung cancer? Think about it. I've spent most of my adult life lecturing people I love, as well as total strangers, about the deadly side-effects of stinky, expensive, disgusting cigarettes. I've been married to two smokers and both of my children have smoked (I don't know if Alana is or not since she's pregnant...that would REALLY burn my butt). Get the whole irony thing?

I snuck outside to the garden while Gabe was taking a catnap today and got a small zucchini, eight tomatoes, two green peppers and a handful of banana peppers. I noticed that some ballsy insect is munching on three of the heads of cabbage but there were none of the culprits in sight, and I didn't want to spend any time looking. It will have to wait until it's either warm and dry outside, or my bronchitis is gone, whichever comes first.

Monday I start my new job. I'm a little nervous as it takes me a while to catch on to new stuff. Once I am comfortable in the job, however, I'll be a kick-ass worker.

Boy, do I miss little Bryan. I haven't seen him in forever. I hope to see him for a short time on Monday, depending on what time I get off of work. I'd stick around for dinner but I have to be back in Clinton by 7:00 p.m. There's a meeting for the social committee of Beta Sigma Phi and I can't miss it since I'm the chair. I bet Bryan has really changed since I've last seen him. Children seem to grow so quickly!

For the second time this week I've lost the t.v. remote. Luckily there were good chick-flicks on all day. Suckily this channel has started showing a reality show now, and I would much rather watch Family Guy or some other mindless show that will make me smile.

The leaves have started falling in a major way. It's time to get out the rake and clean up leaf carcasses. Out of all of the seasons, autumn is my least favorite.

I hope all of you are still kicking, too.
shel