Another New & Exciting Garden Catalog

I just received my Wayside Gardens catalog and WOW, I'm in love! There are so many fabulous plants featured that I'm drooling all over the keyboard.

Whenever I get a new catalog I grab my pen and settle down for some quality dream time. I first go through the catalog and circle everything that I like (there are 33 circles in this 55 page catalog.) Then I go through again and weed out what is really silly of me to want, like the $89.95 Phyllostachys nigra, which is a black bamboo and the Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam', which is readily available at garden centers in his area.

This morning I narrowed my list down to two items. Origanum rotundifolium 'Kent Beauty' is an ornamental Oregano that is a spectacular plant that drips bracts which start out lime green, fade to lavender, and then change to bright pink. The foliage is heart-shaped silver that trails.

I also love the Larix decidua 'Pendula', a weeping Larix. This is an evergreen that grows up to 6' tall, perfect for the garden that is in the front east side of the yard. I fell in love with weeping Larix years ago and have always wanted one.

I have never seen an orange tree that is listed hardy in zone 5, but Wayside Gardens offers Washington 'Naval Orange' in a one-gallon container that is good for our area. The tree sells for $29.95, and I'd love to have it, but I just can't justify spending that much money for something that I'm not sure would actually thrive here.

I'll hang my order form, filled completely, on the refrigerator with hopes that hubby will surprise me for Mother's Day. Of course, I'd appreciate any hints that you guys give him about this! Otherwise I'll end up with a vacuum.

Happy spring,
shel

Weed Prep Time

Well here it is, almost March 2010. Where does the time go? Days are starting to get longer and warmer, so now is the time to think about weed control.

Cool weather weeds like Chickweed are getting ready to rear their ugly little heads (if they haven't done so already.) I am going to go out next week and sprinkle Preen, a product which keeps seeds from sprouting, everywhere that weeds are a problem. Keep in mind that Preen, or it's generic counterpart, will not hard perennial weeds like dandelions. They come back from the roots every year, so perennial weeds must be either hand cultivated or sprayed with a Round-up product. Chickweed is a perennial with a hairy root rather than a tap root which puts out millions of seeds, so I will have to use both methods of control for this pest.

I can't wait to get started on my outdoor work. Come on, spring!

shel

Starting Seeds

It's official....spring is almost here. I can tell because there are so many seed packet displays set up in all of the stores that I've visited. So far I have resisted buying handfuls off of each rack, but it's been tough. There are many new varieties I'd like to try.

Each year I buy vegetable seeds like radish, lettuce and zucchini to plant in the garden. They are easy to grow and have a relatively short time to grow before producing, so I don't mind seeds. Tomatoes, however, are another subject. Since I have room for only five or six tomato plants, I buy them from the greenhouse. (Now I want garden tomatoes - YUM!)

A common mistake made is to start the seeds too early. I'll wait a week or two, then buy some perennial seeds to start in a soilless mixture (found at Lowe's). I'd like to plant more hollyhocks this year, as well as painted daisies and coreopsis.

I will simply plant the seeds of annuals like Dreamland zinnias, cypress vine a.k.a. hummingbird vine, and Castor beans directly in the ground. They do well as long as I keep the area watered and keep the dogs out!

Starting next week...after payday...I'll be able to pick up the seed packets I've been lusting over. I can't wait!

shel

A Beautiful Winter Day

Normally I'd be bit**ing and complaining about winter, but today I have to change my tune.

The snow is the perfect consistency for snowballs and snowmen....not too dry so that it crumbles, and not so moist that it gets your gloves wet. Overhead, the sun is shining brilliantly. I can hear kids playing outside of my office. There's lots of giggles and shouts.

In the few spare minutes that I had free today, I walked down to the end of the lane (garbage day, don'tcha know) and admired the beauty. A deer or two meandered across the yard, cutting from the woods on the west to the few trees and pasture on the east. One set of prints must have belonged to a buck, because they were pretty good size and spread far apart.

I swear that I saw mountain lion tracks.....or maybe the St. Bernard or Mastiff that live in the neighborhood came nosing around. The tracks were HUGE! (I know, I know; there are no mountain lions in central Illinois!)

What a lovely winter day.

shel

Another Garden Catalog, Another Day of Wanting

Yesterday I received the Breck's catalog in the mail. Last night, after a long day of working both jobs and caring for my helpless husband, I took my ink pen and catalog into the bathroom. I filled the tub with hot water and Amber Dreams bubble bath, and settled in for a long soak.

There's SO many things that I'd like to buy! I'm interested in 'Double Trouble' Helenium which is a bright yellow flower (the petals remind me of a ruffled poppy) with a deep gold cone-shape center. I've never seen this plant before so of course I want to have it.

I loved the 'Myrtle's Folly' Dahlia. It has a HUGE 8" bloom that resembles flames shooting out of a red-hot center. The petals are yellow, orange and red, and come to a sharp point. I usually stay away from oranges, but I really like this bloom. It looks like it's hyper-active. (I would probably dig up these bulbs in the fall. Dahlias aren't normally perennial in Illinois, but I have a micro climate that allows me to use glads, calla lilies, and dahlias as perennials, but I'd hate to take a chance on this one.)

'Sherbet Drink' Phlox is STUNNING. It is pink with white and green picotte. I inherited the love of phlox from my mom, and I would be thrilled to add this to my collection.

There is a coupon attached to my catalog that allows me to pay $25 for a $50 order...too bad I can't take advantage of the offer! For some reason, bill collectors don't seem to care about the flowers in my garden.

Oh, to be rich...

shel

Man, I HATE being broke, especially since it's garden catalog season.

I got the spring catalog from Gilbert H. Wild and Son and immediately started circling things that are on my wish list. I've ordered from them before so I know that they're reputable. In the past, I had ordered 100 hosta for $100. Most of the roots had two or three eyes to them, so I actually got at lest 200 hosta after cutting the starts. The hosta plants have matured beautifully.

It was about five years ago that I placed the order, and the prices haven't gone up. (Unlike everything else in the world.) As much as I'd like to get another 100 hosta, I have to be strong and use the money to pay bills (and repay debts) instead. Darn, I hate being practical!

By my calculations, winter is not even halfway over. That's SO depressing!

hoping for spring,
shel

Is It SPRING Yet?

Oh, how I long for those warm spring days. In early March I will spread Preen in all of my flower gardens. The doggone birds drop Japanese honeysuckle, poison ivy, and mulberry seeds each time they defecate, and the volunteers pop up at the drop of a hat, so I have to stay on top of things.

Chickweed is trying to take over the place so I'll have to stay on top of the young plants as they green up early this spring. It's a cool-season weed and the bane of my existence.

The geraniums in the sunroom are looking leggy. I intend to cut the fresh shoots off, dip them in rooting hormone, and then stick them in a tray filled with soilless medium. They should root relatively quickly and will be ready to transplant into six pack containers within six to eight weeks. By mid April, I should have a lot of nice FREE geraniums to plant outside.

I'm dreaming of an early spring.

shel

My Love of Garden Catalog from Plant Delights

Caution: this blog is aimed at the TRUE gardeners...

Here it is, the middle of January, and I'm ready to get outside and work the soil. It's too bad the ground is covered with 6" of snow.

My gardening need is somewhat satisfied by the arrival of one of my favorite garden catalogs from Plant Delights Nursery. I have a puddle of drool on the floor just thinking about (and lusting for) the pictures and descriptions of the thousands of plants that are featured .

This catalog is far from the ordinary. I'll try to explain a little about why I love it so much...

First of all, you don't have to send money to get a catalog. Instead, the original-thinking owners ask that you send either a box of chocolates or a book of stamps to be put on their mailing list. I sent a box of Fannie May Trinidads (more drooling and lusting) last year and have been blessed with a couple of their catalogs. Each one comes with a politically incorrect cartoon cover which laughingly applies to the ardent gardener, as well as the issues of the day. The covers are a hoot. They are so funny, in fact, that you are able to purchase them as a t-shirt!

Open the catalog and find a plethora of information. There's a "welcome" section that tells you a little about the Juniper Level Botanic Gardens, their policies, and gift certificates, to name a few of the paragraphs.

Page 6 & 7 hold a handy guide of "Hostas Grouped by Color, Width and Fragrance". There are charts that boasts the merits of each hosta in the group (Blue, Bluish Green W/Gold-Cream Edge, Green w/Gold-Cream Edge, and much more.)

Pages 8 & 9 contain a "Guide to Plants by Group or Common Name" which is worth its weight in gold. If you need to find groundcovers, for example, you can look under that title and find a list with the variety name, common name, and Latin name.

There's a delicious picture for every plant listed in this catalog. Smart move for the nursery; who can say no to such beautiful pictures?

I have to admit that I have a fondness for echinacea. Plant Delights offer 15 echinacea in the most recent catalog. Out of that 15, I absolutely, positively MUST have 'Coral Reef', 'Hot Papaya', 'Avalanche', 'Fatal Attraction', 'Green Envy', 'Milkshake', 'Pink Poodle', 'Tiki Torch' and 'Tomato Soup'. Prices are from $16 to $18 each. Will I get them? Nope, no matter how blue I turn from holding my breath, or how hard I kick, I will not be able to purchase them all. I will have to remind hubby that Mother's Day is coming up, and that he didn't get me anything for our anniversary, so I deserve at least three or four of the coneflowers!

I enjoy reading the descriptions of the plants. Tony has that wild and crazy sense of humor that really carries over to his writing. An example: Helicondiceros muscivorus (Pig Butt Arum) "You can bet this common name wasn't coined by a Wall Street marketing firm....The open flower resembles the backside of a flatulent pig...in image and in fragrance. If you grow this, it's best not to mention it on your eHarmony profile." (page 59) The entire catalog is full of surprising wit, making the literature worth reading cover to cover. Kudos for the original thinking behind the marketing!

If you decide that you simply cannot live without getting a copy of this catalog, go to www.plantdelights.com or write to them at 9241 Sauls Road, Raleigh, NC 27603. Tell them Shelly sent you!

Happy drooling,
shel

Elephant Ear and Banana Tree

Tropical plants are excellent additions to our Illinois gardens. Each year that I go to Alabama I plan extra cargo space to be able to bring home exotic and inexpensive plants from the southern garden centers.

Last year I purchased a small $7.00 pot that held one banana tree. I placed it on the corner of my deck along with pots of elephant ears, nasturtium, and hot pink Wave petunias. (This provided the Tall, Fill and Spill portions of the recipe for a successful planting....the banana tree is tall, elephant ear fills that middle otherwise empty area and nasturtiums and Waves spill over the side to cover most of the pot surfaces.) The plants grew like crazy and looked great, unlike the rest of the gardens.

Before the first frost, I brought the pots into the sun room. They still look healthy and lust. I water infrequently and will hold off fertilizing until spring, just before the last frost.

The geraniums and impatiens that I brought in are just limping along, becoming leggy and weak. Luckily the tropicals are lush and beautiful still. With their help, I will be able to control my mad gardening urges.

If you haven't tried growing a banana tree or giant elephant ear, you should do so. Winter days aren't quite so dreary when you have the tropicals around!

Hope you're all safe and warm.

shel

Puffball on Steroids

I've been looking through some of the pictures on the computer (I have a few thousand) and came across the giant puffball that I found in my husband's shooting range earlier this year. It was amazing.

I remember my Grandma Ketcham eating puffballs. I don't remember how she fixed them (fried? sauteed? raw?) but I do remember finding young fingernail-sized puffballs in the garden and around the farm, and giving them to her. I also remember stepping on the dried up puffballs, causing greenish spore to float into the air.

I don't know a lot about puffballs, but I can appreciate their unique beauty.

shel

Pajama Party

My sorority is holding a pajama party at the end of the month, and I am in charge of it. I've been planning what a bunch of 30+ women can do without breaking a hip....I guess Twister is ruled out, even though it would be a blast.

Erin taught me how to play the paper game "MASH" (mansion, apartment, shack, home) so we will do that. I'm also going to pick up some wild fingernail polish (and remover, just in case someone decides that Passion Purple is not for them after all) and cheap but gaudy make-up. We may do some charades with the theme of "I'm dreaming that I am.....". Shucking corn is one idea, but I could sure use more.

There will be gift boxes for the funniest, ugliest, prettiest, and most unique pajamas. I have little take-out boxes (like you get from a Chinese restaurant) that will be filled with chocolates, microwave popcorn, lip gloss, and other goodies that I happen to think of. (Movie rental coupons may be pretty good.)

Does anyone out there have any other ideas for the party? Please let me know.

I hope you are all staying WARM during this awful frigid weather.

shel

A Little of This, A Little of That

I'm on break at work, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to play catch-up with my blog. Since I grow such a wide variety of plants, I thought it would be fun to write about some of my favorites.

'Limelight' hydrangea is a true marvel. I planted a rather puny start last year in the late spring, hoping that it would thrive despite my poor clay soil. The bush has far exceeded my expectations, blooming in a rather show-offish manner and putting my 'Endless Summer' to shame.

I used the blooms of 'Limelight' in three different centerpieces in the height of growing season. In late fall I cut quite a few of the blooms to use as dried flowers. I have four glorious clumps of blooms as the focal point (along with a huge maroon bow) in my antique wicker planter box that resides on the front porch. Frasier fir boughs and cedar form the backdrop and twigs cut from my red stemmed dogwood add height and interest.

I have many hydrangea....'Lady in Red', 'Endless Summer', and a few others that shall remain nameless (in other words, I have forgotten the names....but I'll remember them tonight as I'm trying to sleep!) None have performed as well as my 'Limelight'. It's a definite must-have for long-lasting beautiful blooms and vibrant green leaves.

When I have some free time at home, I will try to download a picture of my beautiful 'Limelight' shrub.

In the meantime, it's back to work. I hope you all have a chance to grow this proficient plant.

shel

Give the RIGHT Way

I work at Community Action, a not-for-profit organization that helps those less fortunate. Services offered include gas cards, car repair, rent assistance, commodities from the state (monthly), LIHEAP energy assistance, Angel Tree, and food pantry, among others. Certain criteria must be met before receiving any of these services (income guidelines, unemployment, etc.)

During this season of love and sharing, many businesses and organizations are hosting food drives, which is a wonderful thing. Our food pantry items go out almost as quickly as I can stock them, so we truly do appreciate the drives that are held. People are extremely generous.

Last week we had a donation of approximately $500 worth of groceries from a local business. It is my job to organize the donations and restock the shelves. While doing so I check the packages carefully to make sure that none are rusted, opened, or damaged beyond use. I also check the expiration date of the product.

I had to throw away dozens of cans and boxes of food that were more than a year past their expiration date. If something has expired less than a year ago, I give the product to DOVE. (Per regulations through the State of Illinois, they are able to give away food that is dated up to a year past expiration.) Food dated prior to that must be resigned to the garbage.

Our last donation held cans that were dated 1988 and Jell-o packages that didn't even have a UPC and had the blue cost stamped on it! I could almost hear the bacteria through the cans.

My point is that giving is a wonderful thing. Helping those in need is the greatest gift of all. Please remember, however, that no one wants to get sick from eating grossly expired foods, so please check expiration dates.

Your generosity is very much appreciated. Give not only at Christmas, but throughout the year. You're not only helping your neighbors, you'll get a warm feeling that money can't buy.

Hope all is well in your world,
shel

Medical Madness

Do you ever feel that when one thing goes wrong, EVERYTHING goes wrong? It seems to be happening in our family right now. Quite frankly, it sucks.

Dad will be having surgery on his heart. Actually they are replacing the aortic valve. Without the surgery he would have two years at most to live, and would be in extreme pain. There are risks with him having the surgery as well. He chose to have the surgery, and Shannon, mom and I talked with him about it and we all came to the same conclusion. It's worth the risk of surgery to have him with us, and to not be in pain.

Mom has surgery next Wednesday. They are going to make small incisions near her fractured vertebra, insert a balloon, pump it up so that it lifts, and inject cement into the space that is created. I can't remember the name of the surgery, but it is used for lumbar purposes. She thinks she will be able to go home the same day, but I'm going to ask the doc to keep her in at least overnight, if not longer. That means spending Thanksgiving in the hospital, but if it takes care of the constant pain that she is in, then it is worth it.

Little Bryan has been diagnosed with osteopenia. He is in the very early stages of osteoporosis (the precursor) at the tender age of four years old. Already he is suffering bone loss. The doctors are talking growth hormone shots for him which would mean one shot a day every day for I believe two months. The sad part is that insurance will probably NOT cover the cost ($2,000 per month) for the shots. You can't keep Bryan down, though. He is curious about everything, and "I got it" is one of his favorite sayings. Nothing holds him back. I love, love, love that boy and hate to think that anything could be wrong with him.

My father-in-law Bill had prostate cancer two years ago, (or was it three?) colon cancer last December, and now has stomach cancer. He is malnourished because he hasn't felt up to eating since Phyllis, my mother-in-law, passed away in July. He was down to 129 lbs.a few weeks ago when he was hospitalized for pneumonia. He is gaining weight slowly. We don't know yet what course of action will be taken for the cancer.

On the up side, Alana's sonogram revealed that the developing bundle of joy is touting a penis, so little Gabriel will be welcoming a little brother at the end of April. I'm thrilled with the thought of another boy!

It's quiet in the house right now. Bryan likes to wake up bright and early, so I should hit the bed and get some sleep. It's going to be a busy week this week with the upcoming surgery and holiday, so I need my sleep!

Hoping you all have good health,
shel

oops....I Hit a Parked Car!

Well, the last few days have been kind of crappy (pardon my vulgarity.) I had a big meeting to go to on Wednesday, and as I pulled into the parking spot with my big old 8 passenger van, I scraped the Hyundai Santa Fe in the spot next to me. I'm almost 49 years old, so I suppose I was due. I've never been responsible for damage before. Luckily the cop and the owner of the other car were nice folks.

On the same day my daughter told me that the Honda broke down in the IGA parking lot. I was very fortunate that it was just out of gas.

Tonight I found out that a Master Gardener friend (and the one that figures my taxes) passed away suddenly. Also heard that my pen pal of nearly 35 years is requesting prayers for her pregnant niece that was bitten by a copperhead snake. How tragic. Sometimes I whine around about my life, but when I compare it to others I realize that my life is full of lumpy potatoes...in other words, it's full of stuff that is really nothing compared to the tragic lives of others.

Today I took dad to the doctor's office to get his heart monitor removed. I hated hurting him as I pulled the tape off, but I had to do it. Poor pop.

Wal-Mart is down to two jars of Vlasic Baby Kosher Dill pickles. If I had any money, I'd buy them both. DARN the luck!

Ady & Jaden were here for a few hours tonight. We had hamburgers, cottage cheese, and chips. Not the most nutritious of meals, but the kids loved it. They were both very good and had lots of fun playing.

Last night little Bryan and Jessie came over. Jessie typed up her resume' while Bryan and I had a good time. He's definitely Gramma's Boy. I hope he can come over this weekend.

I got to see little Gabe for a while on Wednesday. He, too, is Gramma's Boy (although he does love his Papa and will jump out of my arms to go to him.)

Leaves are all over the place here. I hate autumn...it's so depressing. Most of my trees are naked, with the exception of some stubborn oaks that drop their leaves in spring. Tomorrow is a FREE DAY!!!! I plan on coming home right after work so I can mow. I'm SO excited! In the next few days I'll have to get wood for the frame of the koi holding tank. It's going to warm up enough that I'll be able to work outside.

OH, I'm excited about Saturday. I'm going to meet Shirl in Decatur at Cracker Barrel for breakfast. We'll go Xmas shopping after that. I can't wait!

Enjoy your evenings,
shel

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