Pokeberry Hill

Moving Day is Here!

2010-06-02T05:13:00.000-07:00

I will no longer be posting here at this blog.

To read my future musings and meanderings please go to my new blog: Pokeberry Patch.

I've just written my first post there!

Moz Waits for His new...?.. Guitar!

2010-05-30T06:21:00.001-07:00

Moz the Mole is perched here on my keyboard with his fiddle that doesn't fit his stubby little arms waiting for me to create something more to his liking. I decided he wants a patriotic guitar since summer is coming. Maybe he wants to play a nice fourth of July blue grass festival someplace up in the mountains?

I picked up some felt with a flag pattern at Hobby Lobby and it just seemed to want to be incorporated into this project. I have it sitting in some tea right now for the third time trying to give it a nice worn look. I'm going to make Moz a little acoustic guitar using the tea dyed flag pattern somehow. Jasper's standing guard to see if this will all turn out well or not as he is always interested in finding someone new to jam with here in Pokeberry. Too bad he didn't come along earlier when the jug band members were here they'd have had a great time I think.

In working on this I keep thinking, well, you learn as you go. I'm planning to upgrade my armature making next time around and do things a bit differently when it comes to paws and claws. Right now I've been using tightly twisted wool to create fingers. I think next time I'll try wrapping yarn or floss around fine wire instead--for a little more articulation in the 'fingers'.

Another thing I think about is--how much work do you want to put into one little folk art creature? Can you justify the time spent with what the potential pay might be? Well.. that too is an issue that will need to be looked at in time. I think most likely you simply cannot earn your 'time' when you are starting out, although it would be equally dumb to just let one of a kind items go for 'nuttin hunny' as well.

I know I will be happiest if I get to indulge my perfectionist artsyness and give things special touches--so I'll have to take enjoyment as part of my paycheck.

Of course one doesn't know if ANYTHING will sell at all.. that's another possibility. Well--if I thought I couldn't sell a thing--I guess I'd feel bad, but I do want to try. I also think that judging by the reactions from everyone who has ever received one of my dolls or critters as a gift-- there should be a market someplace for this stuff.

I have sold on ebay in the past. I was doing that quite regularly before I went to work in fine art supply store up in Milwaukee. At the time I needed full time and to be really sure the money would come in on time to pay rent for our family. Hubby had hit a bad patch in his career and my income was not optional for us at the time. I found then that the more I sold the easier it became. I found a niche and developed a little following. It worked out but I started to feel it would be easier to have a day job.

The cool thing about my day job was that I learned so much selling art supplies! I got to take seminars and go to product demos. I was involved with artists on a daily basis. I grew leap years in that job and at my subsequent jobs in a wonderful Needlework shop and later at the library where I had access to thousands of books.

Now, times are different. It is actually more useful for me as a granny to be home. Hubby is doing well, we don't have a mortgage and once our house is 'all done' (when?) we hope to have some stable financial years approaching retirement. I can afford to 'risk' this now. If nothing at all sells I will find 'takers' in my family at Christmas I'm sure. Moz and Jasper already have fans here.

One thing I am enjoying right now is a burst of creativity! The more I do creatively it seems the more ideas flow!

Nothing to lose as far as I can see right now, and possibilities are everywhere.

Here in Pokeberry, Hubby is studying his shopping list for the deck on the driveway side of our house. He's heading out to Lowes soon. I'm looking out at a lovely scene. The garden is lit up by that golden morning sun even though storm clouds are above us in patches. Our forecast is a warm upper 80's, with scattered thunderstorms. We can work around it. The pool is heating up nicely. All is well and good and Moz is waiting for his new instrument as patiently as an old mole can wait.

Have a wonderful, restful and joyous Pokeberry Sunday!

The Intelligence of Web Crawlers... Always a Chuckle.

2010-05-29T05:58:00.002-07:00

I posted last night about "Moz" the wool felted Pokeberry Mole, that may or may not play guitar, This morning I came in and found about half a dozen google adsense ads for trapping and removing moles--both the sort that grow on faces and the sort that tunnel about under my garden.

Hubby was just griping this morning about a key word search he had done for information about deck building and how the first links to come up were phony. It seems there are companies that just throw out ads full of key words to try to get web traffic. You go to the website and its got nothing to do with your search.

Anyhow all this is the result of lots of intelligent little web crawler critters. I think I may have to make some of those one of these days. They seem to crawl about and glom onto your words and try to figure out--with no brains whatsoever--what they mean and how they would be relevant to others.

Now I personally have no interest in trapping or exterminating or surgically removing Moz. I have once tried to remove a little mole from a tunnel near the Hillbilly Hilton, mainly because Mojo and George were trying to root him out and I thought he might be better off in my hands than being shared by the boys. I will tell you that moles are very stubborn and much stronger than you would think. I could not get him to let loose of his tunnel and neither could our heroic pups.

Moles are feisty critters! Web Crawlers as well... perhaps they are like Moles? Sort of blindly tunneling through cyber gardens trying to make matches with ads and searches in a somewhat hit or miss manner. I suppose if there are enough of them and they make enough stabs at it, in a persistent manner--they will tend to get it right now and again--maybe even more than not.

Gosh.. what an interesting tunnel I've stumbled into now.

Raining at the Hilton

2010-05-29T05:19:00.000-07:00

Remember the old shed/cabin? When my husband's family was here for the wedding they upgraded it a bit. It now has 2 rooms and an enclosed toilet with sink and shelf. They actually did sleep it in a couple of nights before the week was over. It boasts a dorm size fridge, coffee pot, air conditioner, heater and ceiling fan as well.

The photo above shows the sign I made for Mother's Day for my Mom in Law--she loved it. It says it all--"Hillbilly Hilton". Mom has already begun to decorate. She brought along a giant wood flying Elvis bust for the wall and hung up a couple of John Deere Tractor and farm scene puzzles opposite it. It promises to be one really strange little space. Perfect for someone who refers to herself as "Spacey Gramma" and "GG" (great gramma)

I took the photo a few minutes ago when it was raining heavily. The hillsides and woods looked like a tropical rain forest here. The stream down hill is running wild over the little dam Hubby built in it. This is all well and good however-- this is the three day weekend we scheduled to begin work on another section of decking for the house. We intend to have a deck wrap around the house with a roof over it. The backyard section is done and I was standing on it when I snapped that shot. The purpose of all the decking is to make the house look like something other than a large box-like barn and also to enable us to easily access the top floor so we can work on things like the upper floor siding in the front of the house, soffits and anything we ever need to do on the roof. Without a deck in front the top floor is well over 30 feet off the ground in the front of the house. The other three sides are either built into the hillside or at least partly into it. We need to do soffits all around the house still and we need to do the top floor siding in front and part of one side. Everything that we could safely reach is done. We decided that rather than have to rent a lift bucket truck every time we needed to work on the house we should build something make it more easy to access.

Anyhow this weekend is supposed to be a chance to make progress on that and our #3 Son--who does much of the carpentry here-- has injured his foot, Hubby's knee is acting up and then there's this on and off deluge going on. Will we be deterred??

Dunno... we shall see...

Have a wonderful Pokeberry Memorial Weekend!

Moz The Mole a Work in Progress

2010-05-28T08:57:00.000-07:00

Here's Moz the Mole.

I took suggestions the other day and they 'morphed' into new ideas. Moz started out to get a backwards baseball cap, but it morphed into a 'dew rag'. He also got the high top tennies I was thinking he needed. Now--I'm still a bit stumped about a musical instrument--I made him a fiddle/violin--but his arms are so short I don't think he can play it.

I wonder if he's a rappin' mole and maybe just wants to play with an old record player, or maybe he needs a horn of some sort to do some ska? Or... maybe he's a guitar strummin' Willie Nelson fan?

Dunno.. but I kinda like him.

Buying Graphic Designs for My Etsy Shop and Blog!

2010-05-28T06:22:00.001-07:00

Ha! I don't have to do it all!! YEAH!

OK, I admit it, I'm not enjoying the process of making my own graphics. Dunno.. if I were more PC saavy that'd be great, but I'm not.

I found out that for just $44 I can get someone who IS good at it to work with me to make my blog and Etsy shop look purty AND supply me with a design I can use for business cards and product label/tags. In the time I would save not having to learn how to do that better myself I can figure out how to make my photos work on listings and create more stuff to sell. This has to be a better idea. I purchased a graphic package from the nice gal at Firedancer Designs on Etsy this morning and she will work with me to make it all good. ~smiles~

I am seeing more potential for buying things on Etsy lately! Recently I purchased wool from two sellers and I have to tell folks-- the product I received from these Etsy shops was amazing. It made the 'wool' I've been buying at Hobby Lobby look like dead stuff. I mean these women who tend their lambies and clean, dye and sell wool--they're amazing. The wool is prettier, softer, and it even smells nice. Once I get the new blog up and running I will definitely put in a good word for them, and links.

So.. that's how it goes today in Pokeberry as far as my new Etsy Adventure. I'm also detailing Mr. Moz, the little felted wool mole I've created. He has a fiddle now, as per a suggestion I got here, but I'm not sure about it. His little arms aren't very conducive to fiddlin'. We shall see...

I'll let folks know when I'm ready to move from my Hill to Patch. Have a Pokeberry Day!

Moving to the Pokeberry Patch...

2010-05-27T04:33:00.000-07:00

I've been busy thinking and letting some ideas form and gel in my mind lately. I had put off opening my Etsy shop until after Daughter's wedding and after most of the garden was planted and our guests had gone. This week the time came to think and pray and talk to Hubby and others and figure out what my next steps would be.

Hubby brought to my attention that he thinks that although I have artistic abilities my stronger suit is writing. He likes the way I can string words into sentences. He's a math man so its foreign to him, like calculus and computer chips are to me.

Anyhoo.... I have decided to plunge into Etsy. My dining room is full of piles of needlework books and such like, that need to be listed. I also have Jasper the Jazz Bear sitting here eyeballing me from under his cool shades and Little Moz the hairy tailed mole is waiting for me to make him a fiddle to play. They want get going to Etsy as well. Besides them I have hand crafted wedding favors that are leftover, and supplies to maybe make more nature crafts, and an itching to craft away this summer and build up a stash of cool stuff before Christmas shopping time.

As part of my plunge, I want to also learn more about my camera and about my pc and its capabilities and about "photo journalism" and "marketing via social networking". Sounds so impressive! You'd hardly know I'm just a stay at home granny with a laptop.

I toyed this week with school again and looked into possibilities and found that most options aren't exactly my cup of tea and the classes that I did find interesting seem to be closing up at the rate dominoes fall-- something's up there--but I digress..

I've begun a new blog--nothing at all on it yet--but wait... I am planning to use it as a marketing tool but also as a creative outlet for me as a writer and as an artist and semi-hillbilly. Its going to be named for my Etsy shop-- Pokeberry Patch. The new blog will be Pokeberry Patch.

What is going to happen is that I am going to 'move' myself to that blog. In the near future this blog will be shuttered up and left mainly empty with a little message directing folks to the other one.

I'm going to look at some of what I wrote in the past and use what is useful for my new purposes on the other blog, probably 're-purpose' old posts into new ones, borrow images, etc. Much of my old stuff will eventually just go away. If you want some info from a past post--now would be the time to go do some hunting and searching and cut & pasting.

In the new blog I plan to chatter as I do here--but probably with a little wiser approach (I hope) --a little less revealing of personal family stuff and probably less too about my health or my political thoughts--which I don't mention much--but sometimes have.

I think it will still be personal, just more professional hopefully. ;-)

I want to feature things I craft for Etsy or for friends and family but I also want to feature other folk's artwork and hopefully have a chance to interview some artists and provide links to some of my favorite artist's blogs and websites.

The kitchen and garden and house will likely still make appearances in the Pokeberry Patch blog as they do here--but marketing will be an objective more than it ever has been here. As I get busier with crafting and posting I may write shorter and more to the point blog posts--I think that's how it will trend.

Its a new project. I don't expect to get rich or anything. I'm thinking what I'd like to do is eventually build up a little business that can possibly replace the income I've lost by no longer working part time in retail or at the library. I want to do creative work and call my own shots and use my own talents--but not for someone else's profit--for mine.

I like the idea that if I work from home I can be here also to babysit Miss Evelyn Louise when she arrives and her Mommy eventually has to go back to work or to work and school as the case may be. My family still needs me even though I'm a Granny now.

Living out here in the woods it is a royal pain to run to a workplace and I think it just makes sense to really give it a try-- see if I can't make something with the gifts God has given me that will at least pay for the groceries and the gas it takes to haul them. If nothing else, well there's always homemade family Christmas gifts.

This is not my first blog. I started blogging when we moved to Charlotte and explored several different paths as I learned and learned and honed my writing a bit and I guess I'm ready to take a new step in a direction that I think many of my life experiences have prepared me uniquely for. I'm excited. I know I'll also be sort of pokey about it--just cuz that's me--I tend to take a little longer to hop to new pages in life than I might have years ago. I think however that I'm ready and the new Pokeberry Adventure will begin soon.

I will keep y'all posted and leave the new door open when this one closes up.

Have a Pokeberry Day!

Back to Normal.. Relatively Speaking.

2010-05-19T07:34:00.000-07:00

Pokeberry is back to normal more or less after our Daughter's wedding Saturday. It took me a couple days to get my bearings back. Last night I visited a local Native Plant Society Meeting and learned about a gorgeous rare flower that grows in a park very near my home. Can't wait to go there and see it. I was sorry to hear the Native Plant group won't be meeting again until September, thought I'd found a new favorite thing, I guess I'll just have to wait a bit.

I started to create a new felted wool person/animal. Its a hairy tailed mole. A mole?? Yah... I dunno why.. I guess I just was in the mood to make a little mole guy. He's turning out cute, I'm working on his details and filling him out a bit. He has some checkered gray wool pants and red suspenders--no shirt. I guess he'll be a Pokeberry Hillbilly Mole. Now I am trying to decide what instrument I want him to play as I've decided he will be another musician. I'm not sure. Harmonica or Flute/pipe seem to come to mind. He's going to need a name too--any suggestions? How about his head? Hat? Elvis Wig? Tennis shoes? Hiking Boots? I'm just thinking and looking for input if anyone has a spark of genius--let me know.

Now that my latest big project is finished I am hoping to concentrate on finally getting my Pokeberry Patch Etsy shop open and stocked. Gosh that was a slow thing coming!

Life is pretty good. We had some needed rain and I think it will clear up now. I still have some spring things to plant but nothing will die if I don't do it today. I'm a little bugged that I didn't pick all my strawberries--unfortunately they were ready and I was too busy. I watched in horror when one of my guests dumped a whole gallon bag of frozen berries on a plate of angel food cake-- oy! "Gladja liked 'em"

George is here while his honeymooning folks are off visiting his family near Greenwood SC. Poor George, he is not going to make it with the baby I'm afraid. I've put an ad on Craigslist for him. He's so eager to please but Daughter just is not finding time to manage his training well enough and Not-so-plump-Ernie is not going to be patient with our friend jumping up on a baby--which he would do.

Anyhow that's just all there is right now. I'm still feeling kinda pooped from all the commotion here. We're generally a quiet little neck of the woods so an event like a wedding was a bit much for me. I'm just glad to be back to normal, watching the birds and bugs and froggies.

We have spotted some tiny frogs by and in our stream. They are so well camoflauged, you have to really look hard to see them. I added a new bird to my list on the sidebar. A little warbler has been here gathering straw from my backyard. I am not 100% sure if he is a Sutton's Warbler or a Yellow Throated Warbler--I do know he is welcome however!

I cannot tell you how nice it is to be able to just SIT! Have a great Pokeberry Day!

Frugal Wedding, The Big Day and Life in Pokeberry...

2010-05-17T05:24:00.000-07:00

Saturday we added a new member to our family-- our dear new Son-in-Law, Not-so-plump-Ernie. It was a beautiful day when Daughter and Ernie said their vows and became Man and wife before an intimate group of family and friends in a gorgeous setting at Chester State Park in South Carolina.

In order to bring this wedding in on budget everyone chipped in their best talents. The groom's family provided most all the side dishes, some beverages and sweets. The bride's family brought BBQ Pork, Fried Chicken (ala Food Lion) and a nice fruit salad as well as the remaining beverages. I did all the decorations with a little help from my Mom-in-law.

I got a great little special order sheet cake from Walmart-- no kidding! We got a 1/4 sheet cake with a 1/8 sheet plopped on top decorated like one of the Walmart wedding cakes in their wedding book. We had it done in ivory with white piping and vines on the side-- the ivory came out looking more like a yellow--but that was perfect--it matched our wedding party. The cake was $38.

I added a little twig nest that I lined with moss from my woods. I needle felted a tiny egg and set two birds from Michael's in it. I gave them a bow tie and a bridal veil to match my daughter's with the same little flower on it. I added tiny flowers and pearl beads to the veil that I got at Hobby Lobby for about $13. I bought a green orchid a few days before the wedding and most of the flowers on it went in Daughter's bouquet with some grocery store flowers and greens from Harris Teeter, the remaining orchids went on the cake and leftover fern greens were scattered on the table. The total on the cake was less than $50.

We used 15 yards of white burlap that my Mom-in-law bought and cut up for table runners and a white carpet for Daughter to walk on up to our arch. A tip for this-- burlap is dipped in some kind of petro chemical/oil and it is some strong smelling stuff-- cut it outside! Especially if you have asthma. Also-- if you leave it outside at all as we did to try to air it out--it will discolor where the sun hits it--so take care-- luckily it only does that on one side.

We got 6 large and two small table runners out of, the white carpet and a bunch of squares that I threaded on jute twine to make banners. I painted each square with one letter or a heart to make a set of banners that said 'Ernie loves Sarah' We hung those up outside the picnic shelter at the park. Burlap is a frugal choice --but try to get it on sale--and that goes for everything. It makes a very substantial difference in your final costs.

Our location was incredible. The view was marvelous, lovely shade trees and a lake, with a nice picnic shelter, bathroom and parking all nearby. The cost of renting that shelter was $38 for the day. Can't beat that! Throw in a beautiful South Carolina Spring day and you have a venue that is lovelier than the most pricey hall in the world. Nature and good weather provided by God. Awesome!

Our tables were decorated with little nests I crafted from vines on our property I felted little wool cups for the nests and we filled them with M&Ms that had the kids names on them and wedding date. I cut the vines, stripped off leaves and then soaked them in water with a touch of bleach to keep them from going sour. When wet they were easy to twist and I used them to decorate the big wedding arch I bought from Hobby Lobby for $30.

Centerpieces on the tables were either recycled painted tins-- left over from old citronella candles--filled with flowering annuals and succulents and some baby's breath or long chicken wire baskets I fashioned myself and filled with the same. I used everything but the chicken sink in the baskets-- I had some baby red cabbage plants in there as well as hens and chicks and moss roses and white small petunias... etc.. They turned out very nice. I had the baskets lined with sphagnum moss and filled with potting mix then tucked in annuals and whatever I could steal from my garden to make a pretty container. I spent about $40 on the centerpieces--not including plants I already had.

The bridal party was dressed fairly frugally. We didn't have any bridesmaids due to various circumstances, we were left only with our groom's best man--his younger brother, and our bride's best friend--her older brother. The two 'men of honor' wore pants and shirts from Walmart and ties from Penneys. The groom wore a shirt from Penneys, tie from Belk's and pants from Walmart. They can all re-use their clothes so that will be fine. Daughter did all alterations herself--which mainly were on her brother's shirt and pants. The rest of the ready made frugal clothing fit well enough without help. I did the pressing. :)

Daughter bought her dress after she was engaged at the David's bridal annual sale. Her dad paid for the alterations which due to her surprise condition--were fairly substantial. ;) However it all fit in the end and looked lovely. Daughter wore jewelry from a great aunt, and a grandmother. She was born on my grandmother's birthday and named for her, so we took Grandma's crystal necklace and bracelet and wrapped them over ribbon on the stems of her bouquet.

I did the bouquets, corsages and boutenieres with help from a book on Wedding florals and an idea in a magazine that I purchased at Michael's. I didn't follow any of the directions terribly exactly as I used mainly plants from my own garden and purchased one orchid for $15 and some bunches of fresh flowers at Harris Teeter for about $25 that I used in all my work. I also bought floral tape and corsage pins. I already had floral wire. I did test flowers by making one corsage with lots of different flowers a week early and storing it in a Debbie Meyer Green Bag in my fridge-- most of what was in it stayed fresh for days so I chose my flowers and greens that way. The orchid I stored in wet oasis foam for one day before tucking it into the bouquet on the morning of the wedding and adding the rest to the cake at the park. The flowers turned out great, the only problem was that my fingers were numb on the wedding day so the groom's sister obligingly pinned them on all our honored guests for me.

I don't know if I left anything out on how it was all done frugally. I will say though--there are ALWAYS more expenses in a wedding than one expects. Just the sheer 'stress' of getting it all done-- means tons of running about and all that. I spent WAY more than usual on groceries and gas lately--which goes with that. We also ate out a couple times when shopping, etc. We also had lots of company in the house and the groom's family had the expense of travel and lodging--so everyone had extra costs.

The whole week was a pressure cooker! I had help--but also the stress of a houseful of company--human and canine. There were many last minute changes due to the death the groom's elderly great grandmother 2 days before the wedding. We also had construction going on while doing the wedding stuff and I had an allergic reaction to my new medicine the day of the wedding--which thankfully my Mom-in-law figured out before I took any more. My feet swelled up incredibly and I guess I was puffy everywhere but didn't realize it. I also had a pretty nasty rash get going. Oy! The major consequenc e of that is that I took some benadryl and slept about 12 hours after the reception. When I woke up our company was gone, it was a nice warm day and Hubby and I enjoyed some peace and quiet in our pool.

Breathe! :)

In the middle of the week we got some nice news as well as the sad.--

We found out about the coming new baby-- ITS a GIRL, we think her name is going to be Evelyn Louise--which I know Louise is my middle name--and I am honored! not sure yet where Evelyn came from-- haven't talked to them about it. :) Anyhoo... we'll have a 2ND precious grand daughter! This is also very frugal as Ruby's Mom will be sending her old clothes and other items for her new baby cousin.
Also, my brother and his wife welcomed a baby girl the day before the wedding, very exciting she was wanted for 10 years before she finally showed up!God is good!

If you ever plan a do-it-yourself frugal wedding-- something you need to keep in mind is--

don't expect to do a frugal wedding a vacuum! All the crazy, happy and sad things in life will be going on simultaneously while you are planning and working on your wedding. But then that is what life is about-- beginnings, endings, life, love and family. All the most important things.

Its all good. Have a great Pokeberry day!
*PS* I almost forgot-- as a good frugal gal, I do plan to try to sell some of the leftover wedding things--the arch, maybe etsy some nests... we shall see--and we gave the groom's family all centerpieces to take home and still have some here to make our newly finished porch prettier too. Side bennies..

Out Goes the Income... After the Wedding I will...

2010-05-07T05:39:00.000-07:00

Hubby brought our bank to my attention yesterday. Ahhh.. yes of course. I'm in the midst of trying to squeeze dimes into quarters all the time and the basic facts of our finances are that I may need to just go get some more dimes!

"After the wedding" is getting to be a theme here, before that it was "after we move" and next it will be "after the baby comes" or something like that.

There's always a next expense it seems standing in the way of our goals. This week its our jeep. Even though lots of tuning and fixing was done a week ago we know its that time for the old jeepster-- time to get something different. :( We've more than got our dime's worth out of it and yesterday I was duct taping part of the bumper in place and I knew, its true. We're going to need a new vehicle before we do another major bit of work on the house. This trying to live without credit or borrowing is not so easy.

Hubby says that besides the extra expenses of the wedding and the on-going work on our home, we are also missing my old income--which used to cover all the groceries and my gas.

Well, I know its that way. Income and Outgo. the facts of life. What I have a hard time figuring out often is "how?" when I plop into bed really tired every night, how do I fit more work into 24 hour day without leaning on pricey quick fix habits?

Well I dunno. Anyhow that's on the mind this morning. That and the fact that there is only one week now until the wedding. YIKES!

I guess I could have told the kids to just elope---this is my only daughter though, and I wanted to celebrate in a special way. You gotta give it a shot sometimes. I know most of the expenses I've had lately were things that cost more than I had hoped they would. I am going to try to sell some of what we're using for the wedding afterwards--put it up on Craigslist. That would help. I enjoyed all the crafting--except for the part about having a deadline and not getting my housework done very well lately--with company coming Sunday.

A mortal woman am I after all--subject to all those mortal things and having to pay for them. Guess I'd best figure out how to do better... after the wedding.

Just a Little Pit Stop in Blog Land...

2010-05-05T12:43:00.000-07:00

Just checkin' in a bit.

I've got my checklist and I'm belting out pretty stuff for Daughter & Not-So-Plump Ernie's wedding. Our guests arrive Sunday night and the plan is Pizza with all the families on Friday the 14th and The Big Day is the 15th. ~smile~

I'm collecting Mountain Dew & Diet Coke cans to hang off their bumper with a big "just married" sing. I'm in the midst of polishing off 6 painted chicken wire baskets full of flowers for the picnic tables and making a rustic bucket to put some non-alcoholic champagne and glasses and ice in for the Bride & Groom's table. There's no alcohol allowed in the park anyhow but I thought they might enjoy a wee toast.

I finished my little place setting nests with m&ms in them. The big arch just needs some detailing. I've also embroidered flowers, beads and pearls on Daughter's veil. Very Pretty! (comes in handy havin' a Ma who used to work in a needlework shop. ;-) )

Before our guests come Sunday I need to finish all the centerpieces and make a cake topper and some signs. After they come I am making a big banner to drape over the shelter with white burlap flags and I'm making my white burlap runner-- Mom in law is bringing the burlap. She bought it and cut out 6 table runners and has a ton left.. so we're going to make good use of it.

Next week I also have to do the bouquet and the flowers for corsages and etc.. Those get done just a couple days before the wedding.

Between the crafty stuff and the running around to get things, I is gettin' pooped!
My poor garden is used to almost daily attention so it is being naughty and producing more strawberries than I can pick and lots of baby oak trees that I will need to pull out later. Maybe Hubby can help me pick some berries tonight. I'd hate to waste them. I am planning to make some syrup for a nice pancake breakfast when our guests are here. I LOVE strawberry syrup!

Well anyhoo... I don't think I'll post any pics here til after the wedding, too much time involved in that.

Just wanted to say hi and remember what its like to type.

Have a Pokeberry Evening!

Handmade Wedding Nests, Blue Bird Nest News, Etsy Dreamin' and etc..

2010-05-01T05:51:00.000-07:00

Well I've got 30 little nests in various states of readiness for my daughter's woodland wedding. The wedding is in 2 weeks. We aren't likely to have 30 guests, it is not quite certain what number there will be this was thrown together in such a different way. Well, that's what happens when a couple goes to nesting a bit early I guess, messes up the wedding plans a tad, not to mention dress alterations at the last minute.

Speaking of nests, I've been watching a great deal of activity around the blue bird house this morning. Mr & Mrs are busy apparently feeding babes as they have been in and out the little hole in the box quite often today. Mr. has also been doing his macho best to defend the box. It appears some of the larger garden birds have decided it makes a nice perch for them to scan the strawberry patch from.

Hubby and I witnessed Mr. Bluebird come swooping down from the trees to chase away three mockingbirds and a persistent cardinal. None of the bigger birds are really a threat to the babies, they care too large to get into the box through the small door, however Mr. B. will not have them sitting on his house and has been sticking close to ensure they don't get away with it.

Hubby says that's OK, it gives him something to do. "Homeland Security". I think I need to start doing my daily strawberry picking earlier now. There are more ripe berries this morning than there have been and more 'interested parties' of the feathered variety. It is also warming up. Our long cool spring this year is giving way to the heat now. If it weren't for the wedding I think I wouldn't mind this so much, but I've been torn in my commitments lately. What gets the priority? An untimely spring wedding or spring planting? There are quite a few pots sitting in the shade that need to be transplanted to the garden or to larger pots, and my company will be here in just about a week, and I am not finished with all the florals and decorations I am doing. Tsk tsk tsk, I'm sure its my fault, so I must be scolded.

Our gravel arrived yesterday! It is so exciting to see a driveway with actual gravel finally. I'm thinking this has GOT to cut down on my sweeping chores in the house. I also have a nice patch of grass now and in the fall I will expand it further. Soon, the whole backyard will have grass, between the beds. My roses are blooming and are fabulous! I wish I could post more pix, but I know I have to limit blogging time this week and I have forgotten to charge my batteries so my camera is sitting on the microwave next to the battery charger waiting for some power. I didn't even have my back up set charged! Yikes!

The snap peas are blooming now so I know we'll have some delicious peas to eat when my company is here, as well as fresh berries and salad greens and herbs. There are also little blueberries on my bushes so perhaps those will come ripe before the wedding as well.. we shall see...

I've been looking about at Etsy shops a bit this morning as I sip my coffee. I found one that I thought was very cute. A gal who does tiny little animals of felt and other things. Her blog is Moss Mountain I loved the little hedgehog she is selling at her etsy shop. I am itching to do my Etsy shop, Pokeberry Patch. I never got very far at all with it since there have been so many interruptions! However, after the wedding I think I will have several months in which my calendar should allow for me to begin to create and sell. I hope so!

I also am very interested in making some soft toys for my grand-daughter Miss Ruby, and for my future grand--who may be a Jacob or may be a ? Can't wait to find that out.
I had made Ruby a nice little dolly in a bed but unfortunately Mojo thought it was his. It fit very nicely in his puppy mouth, but once it was out, I didn't think it was going to be a good toy for Ruby anymore. Yuk.

I'd love to make Ruby a little set of soft animals toys to play with, maybe from a story. She's still a little young for most of my ideas however, so I guess just a simple doll will be fine, or maybe a kitty. :)

We shall see..

I may or may not blog much in the next couple weeks. I'll be making nests and finishing my arch and creating a banner with burlap letter flags and shopping, and cleaning and all sorts of things besides trying to get the rest of my plants in before they perish.

Have a great Pokeberry Weekend!

Buying Plants on Craigslist

2010-04-28T04:39:00.001-07:00

I've gotten some deals on Craigslist lately. A while back I got several large clumps of varigated vinca with ivy in it for just a couple bucks from the guy who sold me my bamboo plants. This will quickly become a wonderful ground cover for me. The bamboo was in 50 gallon pots and is going to provide a nice swaying in the wind screen near our porch, our stream and our pool. I got those for $5 or $10. All these plants are far more pricey in stores.

This week I answered an ad and spent $30 and got several hostas, varigated solomon seal, english primrose, cast iron plant, ginger lily and my favorite -- at $2 per pot-- Lenten Roses! I had just seen Lenten Roses (hellebores) at Lowes for $9.99 and at another nursery for $22! Can't tell you how happy I am with this purchase.

I do follow my usual procedure for answering an ad on Craigslist. I take someone with me. These days my someone is Mojo who is I think about 85 pounds of German Shepherd now. He loves to 'go for ride' with me and sits very nice in the car while I pick up what I came for. If I needed him to be tough looking or acting he is capable but he mainly is friendly. I feel safer with him.

I also make sure that someone at home knows where I am going and what for and all the addresses, phone numbers, emails and names that were involved in my purchase. I avoid areas I know are 'iffy'. I take along my cell phone as well.

When someone is coming to my house to buy something from Craigslist I always make sure Hubby is at home. Those are the 'rules'. Things like Craigslist and Freecycle can be awesome for frugal folks--you can get and give great deals but you always need to take care. I also never put my address or phone number in a Craigslist ad, I always wait until I have felt the person out, before I give them my phone number and I wait to share the address until it is almost time for them to come--so they can't just drop by unexpected. Also good tips.

I like to hear a nice friendly voice on the phone before my address gets out.

There's no 100% perfect safety measure but there's a lot of ways to make things less attractive to bad people. I know if I was a nasty person I'd rather tackle someone who doesn't have a large dog or husband nearby.

Anyhow my garden is just doing so well with bargain plants. Plants from friends, from clearance sales and from online sellers in our area. I'm pleased with my deals and I hope in the future I'll be selling some of my own bounty. We shall see..

Barred Owl Up Close and Personal...

2010-04-27T04:40:00.000-07:00

I do not have picture of this, but yesterday I found myself suddenly face to face with one of our owls. I've been hearing at least two of them in the woods quite a bit lately. This one was within a foot or two of my face looking right at me! Mojo was with me and was just as stunned as I was, he wanted to smell but I sort of guided him away, although the owl was not a bit bothered by us as far as I could tell. He or she just sat there and looked me right in the eyes.

They are big. I noticed that first. They have a lot of white in the face area and they are 'fluffy'. It almost looked liked an Ewok or a teddy bear to me.

Anyhow I was impressed and it was a great little treat for me.

George has apparently recovered very nicely from his snake bite. The kids are so relieved. Daughter thinks they can keep him if they can just hang on until their lease is up and they can find a less pricey place. She also just got a nice raise and is going to be made a manager soon and get another one. However, she really doesn't know what the reality will be like when baby comes. There's no way she can know, she'll just have to experience it. Life is different then.

Mrs. Bluebird peeks her head out of the house door quite often now. The Mr. Doesn't seem to come around often enough for her taste. That stay at home Mom thing can get to feel that way. LOL..

I've been using my inhaler more and more this year. I guess its the tree pollen. My doctor wants me to get allergy shots. I've had that suggested before but I recall that at the time the kids were little and there were four of them. I was sort of like Mrs. Bluebird--kind of stuck in the house. We had one car which Hubby took to his job all day and often extra hours too. For me to do that would have entailed corralling all four little ones onto a bus and going across town several times a week. I passed.

In my mind I could hear myself:

"sit down, let go of that, don't touch, sit down, no! don't touch that, shhhh, don't touch, sit down, ... where's your brother?"

Oh yeah... no thanks.

Well things are different now. My kids do it all on their own now, mainly.
I'm also more bothered with asthma symptoms since we moved to what MUST be the greenest state I've ever seen. I wouldn't trade the flowering trees of April for anything, but I would like to be able to breathe a little better. Perhaps I'll do it.

We shall see. In any case it won't help me this spring--but could help next spring.

Well, right now a titmouse is on the feeder, a woodpecker has been here. Mr. Bluebird has visited the box, but isn't there now, he's likely hunting. I can see quite a few little birds as well as our stream which has much more water after the rain this weekend. I can also see my 'to do' list out there.

I'm calling today to finally order gravel for our driveway--which is a THRILL! I'm happily dreaming of how it will look--so much nicer! Also I think it will have to cut down the amount of red clay 'durt' that walks in my back door all day. So exciting!

We may have some company this weekend, but not sure. Mother's Day is 'd-day' for getting my yard and garden stuff done until after the wedding. Our guests for the wedding will arrive that evening and stay until after the 15th sometime. I'll be too busy to mess with planting anything or digging anything. I figure I have one week to do what I can outside and then a couple days to clean like a mad woman inside.

Today I want to take my DR trim mower outside and try to hack away another layer of stuff on the hillside. Every time I do a little bit our yard gets easier to maintain, and nicer looking and less treacherous--the weeds and vines grow up over things like rocks and holes in the ground so if they are trimmed down you can SEE where you are walking. This is really more of a 'man job' but I guess I'm too picky. I can't seem to find a man in the house who does it the way I want it.

The DR trimmer is mine. I got it with a small inheritance from a great-aunt years ago. What gal wouldn't want her own DR Trimmer Mower? Its a great little brush cutter and has big wheels so I can do things with it that I can't do with a regular lawn mower.

Anyhow--I dunno--I probably should let the guys do it--make up my mind to it not being 'my way', but its one of those things I think that would get stuck in my craw. I'd have a hard time letting it go.

Pokeberry Pouter.

Time to go! Have a good day!

Treating a Dog with a Copperhead Snake bite

2010-04-26T04:42:00.000-07:00

Little George was bitten yesterday by a poisonous snake, probably a copperhead. George is the little lost dog that was found here and that my daughter adopted and took with her when she moved out. Daughter has been trying to find George a new home but to no avail. Apparently many people in our area are finding they cannot afford to care for their dogs and are doing the same thing. The area shelters are full up and will not take new dogs, nobody has responded to several ads placed on George's behalf.

So what happens then? Sunday when the vets are all closed the little guy has poked his snout where he shouldn't have and is suffering for it.

The emergency vet told her that it would be $92 to walk in the door and no telling what the cost would be after that. For Daughter that would mean-- do I pay my rent or do I treat the dog?

Well, that's a dilemma that not a few folks have had to face lately. It is a fact of life that sometimes people simply cannot afford to do what they need to for pets.

George has had his snout well cleaned with peroxide and licked a crushed benadryl mixed with peanut butter. His nose swelling has gone down some and he is a little better, his throat is still swollen, probably glands. He's not interested in food really, but I am taking him some chicken broth that I made this morning.

When the regular priced vets open Daughter can call them and see what else needs to be done, perhaps an antibiotic? 95% of dogs will survive a copperhead bite, 90% will survive the anti-venom--so probably that would not have been given anyhow. Antibiotics are probably still a good idea just because of the bacteria involved in a bite.

I am hoping little George will be OK, but I also know that Daughter really cannot afford him right now, with a baby coming she has all she can handle. I can't take him because Mojo just gets too hard to manage with George here and also we really can't afford two dogs. There really aren't a lot of good options right now for the little guy. It does seem he may make it through this crisis though, so that's good. He was a little lost dog in the woods, petrified of everything, and now he's in a home and loved, which I guess is better than out in the wild hiding under someone's shed like we found him.

On a happier note I have been watching a little more activity than usual at the blue bird house. I wonder if we have a hatchling? I've also seen lots of cardinal activity in the garden.

I'm creating a sign for the cabin/shed that will say "Hillbilly Hilton". Its sort of my Mother's Day gift to my Mom in law who insists she wants to stay in it.

Over the weekend Hubby and I enjoyed walking and looking at all the blackberries blooming and he worked on his little sitting area near the stream. I'm going to plant some things down there and I made the walk a little less steep with my shovel. I also began to 'rescue' some baby dogwood trees from our woods. I am potting them up to grow bigger and we'll use them in the woods and around the yard. If left to their own they would be stunted and scraggly due to the shade in the woods.

I found a large orange gall that came after a heavy rain. It is way up in a cedar tree. I learned that it is a threat to my new crabapple tree as it is a definite sign of cedar rust which infects apples and crabapples. Now I am wondering how to manage it. I suppose I will need to spray my crabapple or risk losing it. Unfortunately most of the sprays will render the little apples inedible--what about the birds? Hopefully I will find one that is not as bad.

Well last I heard about little George he was doing much better at about 3am. I guess I will call Daughter soon and see about him. She should be up and about soon getting ready for work. Always something...

Updated Aldi Price List

2010-04-22T05:27:00.000-07:00

Had a long Errand day yesterday. I went for a short doctor's appointment where I found I've lost a little weight and my blood pressure is down to normal person levels! I've been working on cutting sodium so I guess that helped. I think working outside has also helped. My doctor would like to have lunch and see each other's gardens, perhaps in June when I'm not so busy. She gave me her home # so I could call. That just only happens in a small town I'm pretty sure.

At my old library, I visited with my old co-workers--what's left of them--many were fired recently and it looks like at this time, most of the branches are likely to close in July--which means more of them will likely go. I found I forgot to return one book when I got home--so I guess I'll have to go back there again soon, maybe I should just mail it?

I went to the post office but will have to go back today--or send someone. Ruby's package is too big for a flat rate box--which is a shame. They are a good deal when I ship to her--not so much when I ship to anyone closer. I will find my own box, or use paper-which is cheaper.

I stopped at the Aldi in the town the library is and got the bulk of my groceries and a variety of stock up items as well as a plant and some solar yard lights. I've had pretty good luck with Aldi's 'side items' that they change weekly. I have a great enamel clad cast iron dutch oven I bought there, and I've gotten good towels there and I trust the guarantee they have. You can return an item within 90 days and get a full refund, and a replacement (sometimes). Just gotta keep those receipts. The cashier said she was going to buy some of the solar lights too, she'd heard from customers they were good. There's only one item I've bought there I didn't like--the pizza making thing. Unfortunately I was in the middle of working on this house before we moved and didn't keep my receipt. :(

I passed up Aldi's peppers to get mine later at Food Lion--big mistake! FL had them on sale but I had to dig hard to find any that weren't all shriveled. Food Lion is where I stopped after Aldi to get just a short list. I can't get everything at Aldi--but when I'm in the area, I can get most things and I do stock up also on canned goods and pasta there.

I also stopped at a Pita restaurant where my daughter works. Hoped to visit her a minute but they were swamped! I got a small pita and it was great, I was starved as I'd fasted that morning for blood work. I could only eat 1/2 of a small, #2 Son finished if off for me later.

I also ran into the library nearest me and picked up 5 books they had on hold. Two were more low-sodium cooking books. Three were from an author in the 1920s named Julie Peterkin. She was from South Carolina and mainly wrote fiction based on the lives of some of her black neighbors at the time. I wanted to read them because I saw a show on SCETV about her. We got rid of Directv recently--at least until football season--so I've been watching lots of the public tv stuff. Its actually pretty good, as good as the channels we used to pay for. We bought an antenna so we get quite a few channels including two local news and 4 weather channels. I know Hubby will want to watch NFL football though come fall, not sure how he'll work that out with Directv. He doesn't like their service or the prices or the extremely annoying calls if you try to get rid of them. He also feels most of the channels are junk and infomercials. (true--but I kind of miss some of them)

Anyhow below is my updated Aldi price list for those who like to follow it. I know some folks do. I didn't include Sam's Club because my membership expired a month ago and Sam's is so far away. I think I will likely renew before winter--because I could always get some very good deals on things like my allergy meds, nsaids I use for arthritis, cheese, and peanut and olive oils as well as meats, etc.. I do miss it--I just don't want to drive all the way there often and I'm not sure how much I have room to stock up right now--need my freezer space for the garden and wedding and such like. Its a decision on hold. I wish I could just go there twice a year and be done with it--maybe- we shall see...

Aldi Updated April 21, 2010

*I noted changes in prices for items I checked or bought, I didn't check all items)
Aisle 1:
Croutons- .95/6oz (didn't check)
Saltine Crackers-.89/ (didn't check)
Wavy Potato Chips-1.29/11oz (we no longer use, didn't check)
Oyster Crackers.(didn't check)
Pancake syrup-$1.49/24oz (didn't check)
All Purpose Flour- 1.79/5(didn't check)
Sugar 5/ 2.19 (didn't check)
Baking Soda.49/1(didn't check-normal size box)
Peanut butter--Creamy & Crunchy-$1.39/18oz (didn't check)
Sweet Baby Ray BBQ Sauce- (didn't see)
Angel Hair Pasta .59//16oz (didn't check)
Vegetable Oil- $2.39/48oz= .051/oz (didn't check)
Fruit Rounds Cereal $1.79/ 15oz (didn't check)
Honey Crunch 'n Oats 1.89/14.5 oz (new trial for us)
Dry minced onion $1.09/3.75oz (didn't check)
Garlic powder $1.09/5.5 oz (didn't check)
Light Salad Dressing 1.19/ 16 oz
Parmesan 2.49/8 oz

Aisle 2:
Chicken Stuffing Mix-.89/6oz box, =.148/oz (no change)
Instant Mashed Potatoes- 1.19/13 oz (up .20)
Tea Bags-$1.69/100 bags=.016 per cup of tea--(didn't check)
White Vinegar-.79/32 oz=.024/oz (didn't check)
Lemon Juice in bottle-1.89/32 oz (new for us)
Flour tortilla- 10pk/.99 (same)
Corn Tortilla-1.19/36 ct
Spaghetti -1.59/2 (same)
Lasagna Noodles—1.29/ (didn't check)
Egg Noodles--.99/12 oz (same)
Penne Pasta--.99/1#
White rice-- 1.49/3# (current price)
Pepperoni-1.99 for 8 oz - .2487 per oz (didn't check)
Spaghetti Sauce- 1.19/26oz (up .10)
Gourmet Pasta Sauce -1.89/24 oz ('Grandessa' has re-useable canning type jar)
New Orleans Jambalaya rice mix-.99 (trial)

Canned Veggies
Canned Whole Kernel Corn- .55/15.25 (up .06)
Canned Baked Beans-like Bush’s-.59/15oz (same)
Canned Pork N Beans -.49/16oz (new for us)
Canned Kidney Beans- .59/15.5oz= .035/oz (didn't check)
Canned Black Beans -.59/15.5oz (no change)
Canned Spinach-.49/13.5oz= .036/oz (didn't check)
Canned mushrooms-4 oz/.49 =.137/oz (current price)
Canned Stewed Tomato.55/14.5oz(same)
Canned Diced Tomato-.55/14.5oz-(up .06)
Italian Canned Diced Tomato- .49/14.5oz= .033oz (didn't check)
Tomato Sauce--.25/ 8oz= .031/oz (didn't check)
Canned Diced Tomato & Chilis .55/14.5oz(same, far less than 'rotel')
Canned Tomato soup- .49/10.5oz=.047.oz (didn't check)

Aisle 3:
Fab softner liq 2.99 /51oz=.058/oz (didn't check)
Fab softener sheets 2.99 (didn't check)
Zip freezer bags- 1 gal 1.19/30 bags (up .10)
Zip close bags- 2 ga (didn't check)
Saran style wrap- 1.09 per 200ft 1.29 (didn't check ,walmart has big/ generic)
Drawstring trash bags- $6.29/56 bags(up .20)
Bleach- $1.29/96 oz=.215/oz (didn't check)
Cotton Swabs 1.29 for 300
Iuprofen--50ct .99 none in store in 12/08 didn't check)
Acetaminophen-50ct/500mg- 1.99 (didn't' check)
Antacid Tablets—96ct-1.99(didn't check)
Laundry Detergent - 100oz/ 6.99-55 loads (?)= .06/oz (didn't check)
Eco Laundry Detergent 2.49/50oz/32loads (biodegradable compare to Purex)
Toilet Paper- 1ply- 1000sheet ‘ like Scott’ 2.29 for 4 rolls. (down .20)
Paper Towels-- choose a size- 2 rolls- 2.49 (down .40)
Napkins-250ct/1.49 (new for us)
Full Size Clear Plastic Cutlery 2.99/96pc, 32 ea:spoon, fork, knife (new for us)
Plastic Cups- similar to Hefty red/blue party cups--.99/20 cups (didn't check)
Maxi pads—1.79 (didn't check)
36 ct black trash bags-6.29 (didn't check)
Oven Turkey Roasting Bags 2/1.49 (didn't check, may not carry)
3 Blade Razors--2.99 for 4=.74 ea(could not find)
Tooth brushes 4/1.69= (didn't check)
Charcoal—16#/4.99 *new item for us

Fresh Produce:
Potatoes-Russet/white-2.49/10=.249/ (didn't check)
Bell Pepper--1.29/3 =(didn't check)
Celery bunch 1.29--lg bunch (didn't check)
Pepper assortment (didn't check—FL had on sale—but FL's were 'wrinkly' had to hunt hard for some, wished I'd bought Aldis!)
Jalapeno peppers- about a dozen large fresh-$1.29 (didn't check)
Roma tomato 6 large for $1.69 (up .20, less tomatoes but bigger)
Head of lettuce-1.19ea (didn't check—have in garden~smile~)
Tomatoes:4/1.69 (didn't check)
Sweet corn- 4 ears-1.99 (small, I think they were 2.49/4, didn't buy)
Cauliflower Head-1.99 (up .10)
Zuchini- pack of 5 or 6 small, 1.69 (didn't check)
Cuke, -1 /.59 (didn't check)
Baby Carrots .99/ 16 oz

Refrigerated Foods:
Eggs--1.25 doz.(didn't check)
Cottage cheese 1.99/24 oz. (up .10)
Milk 2.59/gal (up .30)
Buttermilk- 2.29/½ gal. Carton (didn't check)
Bacon $1.99/16oz. (same)
Butter 1.99/(same)
Spinach, flat leaf in bag-$1.99/9oz (have in garden, didn't check!)
Cheddar/mozzarella blocks 1.79 for 8 oz (down .30)
Shred mozarella-2.89 (didn't check—we shred our own)
Shred cheddar 2.99-- (poor taste in past, didn't check price.)
Chorizo Sausage 1.99/15oz
Deli Sliced Cheese 1.99/8oz (pepper jack)

Frozen Foods:
New (to me) items: Asian Teriyaki Stir fry w/veggies/noodles- was good-$2.99
Frz Chicken breast-skinless/boneless 3#/5.99 (down .30)
Frz chicken leg quarters (didn't check)
Ground Beef 3 # Chub- 75%-4.99=1.66/
Sausage for breakfast Brown N Serve type
.89/10 links (same price)
Hot Italian Sausages-2.49/5 links (didn't check)
Oj--$1.19/ frozen concentrate makes 2 qts. (same)
Whole Frying Chickens--.79/ (didn't check-small & 'dry' last time)
Popsicles- junior pops w/ sugar-24-split able doubles. 1.99 (didn't check)

Odds & Ends
Solar Garden/Yard Lights -6pk/14.99 (*new for us, cashier heard they are good.)
Nice 4-5” pot of a bright pink dianthus-which is perennial here and good in sun! 4.99—yield is 6 good starts! Hunted through selection for fullest pot.

Using Moss in A Shade Garden for a Path and in a Tree, and Mojo's New Garden Accomodations

2010-04-20T03:48:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy using moss and lichens in my shade garden as well as in crafting. I've incorporated some into my daughter's wedding florals, and yesterday I showed how I am using it as a mulch in some of my garden pots too.

While I was out working in the garden yesterday I noticed that some of the trees in my shade garden have double trunks which means there are little nooks I could use for growing plants.

Down by our stream we have a strange misshapen tree trunk that we did not cut down because it is so interesting. A few days ago I noticed that one of the little woodland violet plants that grow along the stream bed was also growing in a crotch of that tree trunk. That must have been what inspired this idea, that and the pretty little trumpet vine growing over the green roofed bird house on the hill. I would love to make the trees in my shade garden more decorative!

I gathered some very moist moss from inside my moss cold frames, or 'terrariums'. These are just glorified large size clear plastic tubs with lids. I have two of these behind our shed/guest cabin, next to my 'concrete block & shower door cold frames'. Last year the plastic tubs were dubbed 'propagation boxes' for rooted shrub cuttings, this spring I have designated them as terrariums for growing mosses. I seem to be on a moss kick right now.

I took the little handfuls of moss and pushed them into the tree crotches then added a bit of compost and 'durt' from my garden and some bits of creeping jenny, stone crop sedum, and other small leaved ground cover plant-lets. In my first attempt I tried to use some ivy and vinca, but I thought it looked too bulky and not likely to survive well. Perhaps it would have worked had the crotches been larger than they are in the two trees I planted in. It seemed easier to keep a smaller more delicate plant moist in the tight little tree nooks.I put some moss and airy lichens--reindeer moss, over the plants and then watered gently.

When I stepped back I found that I really liked the way it looked. I anticipate it will trail down the tree nicely. Perhaps in time I will have things climbing up the trees and trailing down them. Creeping Jenny grows very fast here, it may not be so yellow in time as it is darker in the shade usually, and turns a sort of brownish color in winter. Its one of my favorite plants for a ground cover or in pots, sun or shade it performs beautifully and multiplies like bunnies.

I also have a little bit of creeping jenny on my mossy mosaic brick pathway as well as moss.

The ground in my shade garden is difficult. I've made raised beds beneath the trees and around the edges which are easy to work because of the depth of soil there. The paths however are not so easy. They are filled with old tree trunks and roots and rocks and the soil is a horrible sand over clay mess. Putting a 'proper' Better Homes and Garden TV type brick walkway in would be impossible budget wise for me, but I love old bricks and I do have some I got from our old rented house in Charlotte--with the landlord's permission. I don't have enough to do a path entirely of brick but I can make brick and stone and moss mosaics.

I started this project last year, its just a small patch, but I hope to do more with it over time. The nice thing about owning my land and house is I don't have to do it all at once do I? Unless I move on to heaven, I have all the time in the world.

Mosses and Lichens really do need to have the leaves removed from them and kept moist and semi-shaded. They like some sunshine though and I think that is why there are big mounds of moss on our property along our north west lot line which borders an open field. They are shaded there much of the day by the woods behind them and the wind coming over the open field blows the leaves off them. Its a perfect moss and lichen environment. I go there whenever I want to replenish my stashes. I'm hoping eventually I will be able to cultivate moss to go along woodland paths and in my shade garden and possibly even use as a 'green roof' on our shed/guest cabin.

We shall see, its ambitious and I only spend an hour or two in the garden in a day, there's always something else that needs doing. Honestly I could play out there all day if my body were a little younger and my to-do list shorter. ~smile~ I've had more time than usual lately, it being spring, and my back will testify to that fact. I think I need to work out there more in winter so I don't get so out of shape next year! Maybe that would be a good time to move mosses or to dig in new brick patches?

Like his Mom, Mojo could play in the garden all day too. I have begun a new strategy with him. He seems to prefer freshly planted moist beds in the shade as nice places for a Mojo to lie down and stretch himself after a bit of frisbee chasing. This doesn't go over well with me and he seems oblivious as to the reason why his frantic Mom sometimes decides to get after him with the hose, or shoe him with a little push of her shovel.

Well.. I've been putting pots and wire baskets and stakes and all sorts of things in my beds to try to make them less comfortable for Moj. Now I have decided to give him a bed of his own. One in the shade garden and perhaps another in the back yard near the fire pit someplace. Perhaps if he has a couple of 'Mojo's own leaf piles' that are nicely moist, he'll leave my beds alone? It seems to be reasonable in theory. I mean he has learned that he gets a rug on the floor and Hubby and I get the actual bed, couch, and other furniture in the house, perhaps he can also learn which areas of the yard he may lie or dig in and which he may not?

I hope so. I have noticed in his anatomy as a german shepherd puppy it appears he has more snout and nose area than brain area in his head, but I think he's probably as smart as any other dog, just has a dumb trainer maybe. Perhaps the larger snout and smaller brain area is why it takes Mojos so long to outgrow puppy-ness? Hubby tells me he is officially still a puppy for another year!

Mojo is a pack minded animal. That is so ingrained in him. He simply must be where we are doing what we do. If I am pulling up weeds, Moj wants to do that too. What fun, what fun! We are digging, the pack is doing this, not just Mom. If Mom is tired and sits, Mojo needs a comfy spot nearby. If Mom is being testy and won't let him dig--he will have lie down won't he? A nice green freshly watered in hosta makes a great pillow, and quickly gets Mom's attention too. What could be better?

Well I have begun a new experiment, will Mojo learn where he may lie down in the garden and where he may or may NOT dig? We shall see...

Have a great Spring Pokeberry Day!

Thyme to Spiff Up The Gardens..

2010-04-19T04:32:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I worked some in my garden. Mainly I was spiffing up pots and other containers with a paint brush. I painted the old mismatched bird bath so that it now looks as if both pieces are meant to be together--but I'm not sure about he color. Maybe its 'too' black? Well.. I can always change it next year.

I chose black for several pots and brown because I already had good outside paint available and I thought they would make the plants inside pop more and also make the garden seem more uniform since I'm using large black containers for my veggie garden and compost bins.

Well here are some photos of the black & brown things and also my new pot of thyme. I used moss from the woods to mulch the thyme. I think I will use it in many of my pots this year. It will keep the ground inside the pots cooler and help them hold water and I like moss. ;)

Thyme is probably more of a full sun herb, but here the full sun is quite powerful and I've not seen thyme overwinter in any of my gardens since we moved here. Rosemary and lavender can do it, chives and parsley can do it... why not my thyme? Well--I decided that perhaps it just has been overpowered by wind and sun so I have put it in a semi-shaded sheltered spot this year as an experiment.

I set up my arch trellis again. I used smaller pots with it since one of my large trough pots was injured in our move. I debated quite a long while about where to put it. I put it in other places and changed my mind. Now it is finally set up on the path that leads from our back porch to the fire pit that future son-in-law made me from some of those concrete blocks. We love to have bonfires here and since we are surrounded by woods, I wanted to make sure our fires were as safe as possible, hence a large concrete ring to keep them in one place. I think it will be nice to have morning glories and moon flowers growing up the trellis this year. It does get shade for about an hour and a half in the afternoon, but I think it will have enough sun the rest of the day to make vines flower. Hope so anyhow. I can't think of any thing prettier than walking through an arch covered in moon vine flowers in the evening and then sitting by an open fire and visiting while listening to a distant whipoorwill calling, perhaps we'll even see a flying squirrel this summer some time?

It seems I've been sort of naturally gardening around possible 'room's. Sitting rooms. Its like I am creating outdoor parlors.

Our yard has evolved three sitting areas so far and I am gardening around all three. We have our burn pit sitting area where we watch fires in the evening sometimes. Our shady little spot behind the 'cabin/shed' where we watch the birds at the feeder and can see my main garden and hope to dig our pond (if Hubby can ever get some vacation days!), we also have a little wood bench made atop some tree stumps down by our stream where Hubby and I can hear the water trickling and see things like the flowering azalea trees, and the ferns, mosses and wood violets along the stream.

Eventually we also hope to do more with the sunny hilltop in front of our house. That is where Hubby wants me to plant a vineyard. I bought some catawba grapes to begin, but I have healed them in, in a large container for now as I am waiting for some grading to be done out front and the front decking to be built. The first grapes I am debating growing up the deck--but if not some other vine will go there. I don't want to plant them in front until he has done the work on the front though as I don't want to have to move them. I am keeping them in a shady spot in a well watered container. They'd like to be home I'm sure, but sometimes we all have to have temporary conditions, I know I've done it myself. The vineyard will be something we'll see from our deck in front of the house--when it is built and from our living room.

My favorite sitting place I think of all is right here at my laptop looking out of the very large windows here at the bird feeder and houses and my hillside.

From here I can watch the birds and they cannot see me! I can see that the little trumpet vine above the green roofed bird house is blooming madly and very pretty! This morning I have been watching a cardinal popping in and out of a shrubby cedar tree growing up against the tree on which the red roofed bird house is attached. No birds are in the little wood house, but I believe the cardinal is nesting in the cedar just beneath it.

Cardinals nest very low, I never have understood that, doesn't seem safe to me, but I am glad the cedar is very dense and his nest is not visible.

The blue birds seem to be happy in their house. When I was showing the trumpet vine to Hubby this weekend, I felt someone was watching me and turned around to see a bit of a shadow in the doorway of the bluebird house. No doubt we were too close and therefore 'suspect' in the female blue bird's mind. Right now Mr. BB is in the box with his wife. He sneaks in now and then during the day, she is almost never seen anymore, I expect once her eggs are hatched we'll see more of her. Stay at home Mom that one.

Well... I have a giant to-do list as usual this week. Sigh... I just want to go play in the garden--and that is part of my 'to dos' but I do need to do other things as well.

For one thing I must finish my floral 'pre-work' on daughter's wedding. I'm a little behind. I need to have done what can be done this week, so all I have to do on the days just before the wedding is the actual bouquet and corsages--the fresh flower work. I'm also decorating the cake with fresh flowers. I'm also making daughter a veil or some sort of hair piece as soon as I know what she wants--which is as soon as SHE knows what she wants. I am also overseeing my son's work on the shed/cabin. They've got it mainly empty now and one son is going to be doing some carpentry and plumbing on it. The other will be taking a load of junk to the landfill and working on trimming grass, weeds and vines on our treacherous hillside. Next week.. IF Hubby can finally get some vacation days we may still be able to get our grading and gravel projects done before the wedding--or perhaps it will have to wait. Sometimes our plans have to be on hold longer than I want them to be. It happens.

Its more fun to watch the birds these days as I see pairs head off toward various locations and I know there are nests hidden all about me, which I have not discovered, but I guess I'd best be going and getting on with my projects. Even if the woodpecker is at the feeder... So bye! Y'all Have a sunny warm Pokeberry April Day!

Spring Tree Canopy, Wild Trumpet Vine, Mojo waters the Poke Salet

2010-04-16T06:14:00.000-07:00

Every day the woods and garden are greener here,and most days I discover some new plant coming up. I didn't live here last spring, we were coming out here to work on the house but I missed much of what I can now see since I'm here every morning.

This morning I noticed that the odd vine that grows up the tree my green roofed birdhouse is attached to has flowered! It has bright orange trumpet flowers with yellow just inside the trumpet. I love trumpet vine, in fact I had just started some seeds for that this week. I didn't know what the vine on that tree was, I'd never seen it flower before. There is just a small row of flowers and they seem smaller than the domesticated ones I've seen in the past.

While I was out investigating the trumpet vine, I paused to get a photo of a dogwood flowering in the woods and also of the little poke sallet plant which is coming up. Those who have followed this blog know that Poke is my favorite Carolina plant. Last year this same plant grew to a little tree about 9 feet tall and wide with branches full of clusters of tiny white flowers giving way to beautiful green to ripening purple berries. The birds love the poke berries. They are poisonous to people, though I know there are some who know of ways to use them medicinally and the tender baby leaves in early spring, are edible as a cooked green if you follow the directions to wash and boil, change water and wash and boil again before cooking like one would collards or crissy greens. Being a yankee by birth, I'm not really much of a fan of greens cooked in bacon fat, so I have never tried it, but maybe I will some day.

I just love to watch the plant grow to a red trunked tree with all those pretty berries and birds all over it.

Mojo took the opportunity of my standing there musing and looking at the poke plant to lift his leg and claim it as part of the Mojo Pack.

I've got another batch of moss soaking in glycerin water and I moved the rest of my treated moss out to the porch to finish drying. It has a weird little odor, and Hubby is always one to find give an opinion about strange smells in the house.

I filled two Walmart bags with moss the other day while in my woods and I guess I need to do something with it. Some I will preserve and use in the wedding, some I will possibly use to mulch baby shrubs in pots, or my flower pots. Some I may patch together and use to enlarge my mossy path in my shady spot by the garden. I like to sit there when I've been working a while sometimes. I started to grow moss there last year in bits, and I will probably continue. I've also put some in a terrarium near my cold frames that I made of some clear plastic containers. I'm trying to propagate more of it. I love moss as a ground cover in shady places surrounded by ferns and ivy and woodland plants.

I'm so glad our tree canopy is back now that the leaves are growing up there. It does a wonderful job of keeping the heat out of many of my window in the afternoon.

Well we've got the shed mostly empty now for our guests to convert it to a cabin. Hubby needs to run some new pipe beneath it for water. Over the winter the pipe broke in several places. The plan is to open up the wall inside the shed and convert it some because the toilet is right in the area where folks would presumably sleep--and it has no door! EEK! Anyhow we hope to make this a 2 room guest cabin--but I'll keep tools in it when nobody is visiting. It will have a sink and shower and toilet on one part and a little dorm fridge and microwave and coffee maker. This will make it easier for folks to visit us and enjoy a rustic experience.

The cabin is not really a priority in our house renovations for us--but since it is for Mom-in-law, my brother-in-law is going to work on it when he comes for the wedding and give it a good updating for her. They will arrive probably on Mother's Day evening a week before the wedding. I'm not sure how long they will stay, but with their own place they may want to visit longer than usual. We shall see... Have a good Pokeberry Day!

Wild Azalea Trees, Preserving Moss and Lichens Experiment

2010-04-15T03:56:00.000-07:00

I've been wandering in our woods and down by the stream now and then the past week. I'm still learning my land. ~smile~ Every time we've lived on a place with a little land or near some nature I've had to 'learn it' and to become familiar with the plants and animals near me.

Here, spring is a great time to learn the land, as it is most places. I've noted that some of the trees and shrubs in our woods flower. So far it has not been easy to identify everything. I have figured out now which trees and saplings are American Beech and also which are Sweet Gum. I have a nicely shaped Beech sapling in the backyard which is going to be a wonderful shade tree for us. I decided the Sweet Gum trees need to be kept at a distance due to their habit of dropping 'gum balls' a spiky ball that I remember from our rented house in Charlotte. One of the neighbors had these trees and they dropped the gum balls everywhere, and they were very unpleasant to step on--although I am seldom outside without socks and shoes, Hubby refuses to be practical about this and he has found many a gum ball. Personally, I decided to always protect my feet after my first encounter with fire ants crawling into my Crocs. No more sandals, crocs or barefeet for me.

One of the trees we have down near our stream at the bottom of the hill is a Wild Azalea or Wild Honeysuckle. Its got a gorgeous pink flower that smells sweet when open. There is another tree down there that has just flowered and the white flowers look like those of a cherry laurel tree--but this tree has very different leaves and it is capable of growing quite tall. I haven't figured it out yet. I also found a very pretty flowering shrub, it has delicate leaves and tiny flowers that resemble small blue berry flowers in pink. No idea what it is. I just love the process of learning my land! I'll have to buy a good field guide of the woodland plants in this area.

Also in my woods or near the openings of thickets are many areas that are covered with mosses and lichens. I'm planning to use moss in some of my daughter's wedding decorations so I have been experimenting with preserving the moss. It was very difficult to find information on this process. What I tried is using a 40/60 solution of glycerin and water. I heated it up to near boiling and added some green food color. I poured it over moss and lichen--reindeer moss mainly--and let it sit in a glass pie pan for 30 minutes in the solution. I'm watching the progress of my experiment each day. So far what seems to be happening is that the moss turned brown the day after treating, but then it began to turn green. It appears the moss is slowly absorbing the solution from the brown bottom to the spongy soft tops. As it dries the green moves up--I'm assuming its the food coloring green? I really do not know, and I will likely experiment more with this until I figure it out. If the moss doesn't turn all green I can always paint it with a floral spray paint or try even a normal spray paint. I think the Design Masters paints would probably do a nice job. We shall see. I guess I am just very interested in this and it is a project I'll likely extend past the wedding because I could certainly use moss in a variety of projects in the future.

I've made a cute little nest for a party favor. We'll likely put M&M's in them and have one at each person's seat, on the plate. I was going to line the nests with moss but then decided that tea dyed wool bits might be 'cleaner' for the M&M's. The photo above shows a nest 'in process' I've since added a twig with mini-pine cones to it and it looks somewhat fancier. I like it best that way I think. The jar that says Moss Preserver on it, is a jar of leftover glycerin/water/food color solution that I've squeezed out of several batches of treated moss. I squeezed the solution out of the moss over a strainer to keep it fairly clean--well not clean but at least to keep out the chunks of moss. I added more green to it after the moss turned brown--but I'm not sure it needed more yet. Its all intriguing to me.

Well the moss play has been a sort of side distraction--and I have so much else to do that I can't really play with the moss much right now, but it was fun and I will pick up on my experimenting after the wedding. Maybe I will find some method that I can reliably write about? I could be the next moss preserving expert. ~wink~

Today is supposed to be a lovely day, and I hope to get lots of baby plants into the ground or into containers. Hubby is still nursing his jolokia pepper seedlings. He has had near perfect germination so that's exiting. They are growing fairly slow though, but they have a very long growing season so perhaps that is normal.

I get to feeling 'behind' on my garden, but then I remember--its only April! I do not HAVE to have everything planted out this early! We have a long season here and its OK if things proceed slowly right now. I don't think we're actually 100% past the danger zone with frost either--I think it is still within the realm of possibilities to have a sudden chill come along, though hopefully it won't happen.

In my veggie patch the comfrey is blooming by the compost as is the jessamine. The strawberries are blooming too. The snap peas haven't flowered yet but there is lettuce to harvest and green onions and spinach. There is also bok choy that I think I could stir fry some of now. The herbs are also coming along nicely and the banana tree now has a nice first pair of leaves. I'm still culling baby oak trees out of my beds and paths and I have a section of backyard now that actually has a bit of a lawn on it. :) My patchwork plug and seed method seems to have worked nicely. I potted up our grape vines when they came because I want to wait until after Hubby gets his days off to grade the land before I put them in their permanent spots. We want to start a little vineyard in the front on a sunny slope, but it needs to be scraped a bit to make it more even first.

The wedding plans are moving along as well. Daughter had her fitting and will have a 2ND one just before the date to make sure alterations are good. She has her shoes and fancy stuff. I've found a source for the cake and have most of my supplies for the decorations. Hobby Lobby had much of them half price this week so that helped. I will buy just a few things last minute the week of the wedding, but I think most of what I need I have now. I am hoping the flowers I planted specifically to use in the wedding will bloom on time--It seems they will--they're growing nicely and that is a month away now- so its a good chance.

We got rid of 3 old appliances from the shed and I got boxes yesterday to use to clean it out so it will be ready to be converted to a 'guest cottage' soon.

Other that that, our last unemployed child has a second interview scheduled for a job that is not far from here--so we may have full employment for our kids soon! Yeah! We shall see....

Have a great Pokeberry Day Y'all!

Dogs in The Garden, My Best Friend?

2010-04-12T05:05:00.000-07:00

Fencing all my garden areas is not in our budget, even if it were, I don't think I'd enjoy the view of our woodland hill here with fencing all over the place. Mojo, is my friend. I like him near me when I'm outside. I've always felt the company of a dog when you are working outside is for the most part a pleasure. Mojo is like velcro. He sticks close by all the time and wants to be where I am, unfortunately he also often likes to do what I am doing.

Yesterday Hubby and I sat down for a little while after doing some work in the yard. We sat in a little shady area where I have a couple of chairs and have been making some shade beds. They contain lots of small perennials that haven't completely grown up yet, which are beginning to pop above the ground now. Hostas in particular as well as some delicate woodland herbs. Of course all Mojo could see is a lovely soft moist shaded bed near his master and mistress's feet. Down he plopped in the middle of my babies!

I have been trying to discourage Moj from walking, running, short-cutting, lying, digging and peeing in the garden beds. Its a non-stop chore. As you can see Mojo is everywhere. Above is a picture of him standing by some of my bedding plants that are getting used to the outdoors on our back porch.

One way I have found that does limit some of the places he can waltz through is to put lots of containers in the beds between plantings, also rocks, bricks, stakes, and shepherd hooks holding things like wind chimes or my humming bird feeder. They aren't 100% perfect, but it all helps.

I potted up some of my most delicate baby plants and am not going to put them in the ground until they can fend for themselves better. This means more watering in summer, but I like to walk through the yard and water early in the day anyhow when summer comes. It helps me keep up with all that happens and I get to hear the birds singing and Mojo always comes along. I mulch my pots as well as my beds to try to keep moisture in them as much as possible. I like that I can also move pots to more shade when needed. The summer sun here is brutal!

While we sat in the shade our first hummingbird of the year came to visit the little sugar water bottle near us! April 11, 2010 first one! A male ruby throat--which is almost always the case.

Been so busy in the yard! Its the time of year when you have that little window to really push to improve gardens before the heat comes. We hope that Hubby can take some vacation days by the end of this week so we can rent a front end loader ( I believe that is the proper name of the thing) to do some needed grading and digging and preparing our land for a gravel delivery, a pond, parking areas, stopping erosion and a place to erect our swimming pool. Ambitious amount of work to get done in about 1 week. If that is done and wood decking is applied to 2 sides of the house and steps to the doors--I will have gravel delivered and we will have done our best to spiff things up before our guests arrive to stay for Daughter's wedding. We also need to empty our shed as my Brother-in-law and his partner intend to create a little home away from home for Hubbby's folks to use when then visit us.

Meanwhile Hubby is cutting out lots of dead trees and I am putting in my garden and trying to get grass going and making the various wedding arrangements and all that.

I am tired at night! It seems to take me a while to sleep though so I am not waking as early as I used to. I'm up now about 7 instead of 5 or 6.

Its a pleasure every morning to see more green! Trees are budding and leafing out all over the hillside and woods and in our yard. More and more of the things I planted last year are popping up or growing bigger. Here and there we discover new flowering things in the woods as well. Yesterday Hubby discovered the prettiest flowering shrub. I was so taken with its delicate beauty that I think I almost MUST dig it up and move it where I can enjoy it in one of my new shade beds. Perhaps there are some smaller ones near it? My twin trunked sapling that I moved last year to our backyard has begun to get leaves. I found it in the woods and had Not-so-Plump Ernie plant it in the back yard for me. Its an American Beech and I think will make a pretty decent shade tree in a spot where one is needed.

Well, this morning I have already begun quite a few things and finished some. Time now for breakfast and to get busy outside. Tonight Daughter and I go to have her wedding dress fitted. I am crossing my fingers that it will be possible to make it work for her, she's putting on a little bit of weight of course. We shall see..

Well, our humming birds have begun to arrive so the warm garden season is beginning for real. ~smile~ With all that needs doing before the wedding--there is of course always still time to garden. :)

I'm also enjoying creating the floral decorations for the event. I'm learning things that I think will come in handy when I am finally able to concentrate on my Etsy Shop. I could make woodland wedding items, or add moss and vines to my wool creatures.. we shall see.

Have a great Pokeberry Week!

Diggin' in the Dirt...

2010-04-10T07:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was out in morning and went down the hill to clear more of the tangled mess near our stream. I worked about an hour with Mojo's 'help' and ended up making it possible to get a view of two particularly large boulders that are part of the bank on the other side of the stream. We've been clearing little bits of this area at a time as well as other areas, choosing which trees to allow to live, which to chop down or prune, and inspecting the areas to see what comes up as Spring advances.

This time I found quite a few baby dogwood trees! That was very encouraging! I hope that in time there will be more of those and less of the scrubby looking cedars, also more of the beautiful pines and the redbuds and the jessamine vine and less prickly briars. I found a little violet plant growing in the crotch of a very gnarly old tree. It is a tree we've left near the stream although it is nearly dead and has grown into almost a pretzel. We just like the looks of it. Perhaps someday a little grandchild will climb on it?

I ended up with a pile of things that need burning and a large armful of vines that I will be using in my daughter's wedding after I strip off the leaves and soak them in water with a little bit of bleach. The wedding arch will not need much more vine on it, but I am going to create some table decorations from vines too.

Our grapes and plum tree arrived from Johnson nursery. I ordered Catawba grapes. They were discovered on the side of the river that is near us about a hundred years ago--they may be native grapes or may be an accidental cross with some European variety. Our post office is actually in Catawba so it seemed fitting. Catawba grapes can be used for eating at the table, making raisins, jams, jellies or wines, even a sparkling champagne style wine. The catawba variety also makes a good rootstock for grafting other vines to make them more suitable to this particular area's climate. We began this year with 4 small vines. I know that isn't exactly a vineyard, but in time...
I also got one self-pollinating plum tree sapling. We were trying to be careful with money this spring. Perhaps in the fall or next spring we can expand our vineyard and orchard more. We shall see...

My backyard nursery is coming along too. This morning so far I potted up 10 small shrubs that I had plopped into a bed last fall. They are from cuttings I took before we moved here. I have plenty more to pot up, my back is a bit sore though so I am going about it slowly. I want to put them in pots so I can move them about to keep them safe from the heat of summer and also because we'll be doing some excavating in a couple weeks and I don't want them to be in the way.

I have a wonderful sedum someone gave me a few clumps of when we moved to Charlotte. I think it is called sedum confusion. It makes pretty round mounds and gets yellow flowers. It tolerates heat very well and has multiplied so much that I am using it all over the place to fill in beds and pretty up the garden and yard. Wonderful stuff!
I've got several of those I'm moving about this spring and I think I may have to pot some up as well to possibly try selling next year. Small bits in a 1/2 gallon recycled nursery pot should have plenty of new growth by next year. If I keep my nursery plants near where I must water other things they will be sure to be well tended. If our pond idea pans out well-then I can even use the pond for watering--which if it does indeed have some koi or some other fish in it--well all the better! Nothing is better than fish water for plants.

Well so I have been digging in the dirt. its good for me. I've also been pulling or pinching or shoveling or hoeing baby oak trees up. Last fall we had a deluge of acorns here. I don't think this happens every year, but it was 'the big one' for acorn here. They rooted all over the place and I've been removing them all over the place. I've made good use of the leaves from fall to mulch, mix with soil and build large piles that will hopefully become oak leaf mold. The acorns are pesky and I shovel them off paths because they are also slippery.

What is it that is good though about digging in the dirt and weeding and such like? There is more to it than just making the garden prettier or more productive--it has a tremendous emotional, mental and spiritual value. I don't know how many times I've taken my worst problems to the garden and ended up leaving with perhaps a sore back or hands, somewhat dirty and perhaps in need of a good shower--but feeling so much lighter in my soul that I could never imagine giving up the habit of gardening.

I know in the Bible it says that working the land was a curse for sin--that Adam was cursed to work by the sweat of his brow to feed his wife and children. God caused the lovely garden to produce brambles and weeds and all those pesky things like aphids I suppose and various diseases of plants.. but I think God has always been merciful to his people. Even in the curse there was a great solace. To work the ground is to work the mind as well. To straighten the paths in the heart and make room for peace and contentment in spots that were too tangled up for a light to get near them.

Yup, it never fails to amaze me how much diggin the dirt soothes my soul as well as putting my garden in better order.

May God Bless Poland and also the Miner's Families..

2010-04-10T03:26:00.000-07:00

Niech Was Bóg błogosław, May God Bless You.

This morning I cried to see that the President of Poland and all those on his plane perished in Russia after a crash into trees in the fog. I have to admit I find it almost impossible to believe that it was a simple accident and I guess I feel that most people of Polish ancestry or blood will also feel that way too. How can they feel otherwise?

None of us have lived lives free of trouble, but I know that the people of Poland have endured a long history of encroachment upon them and of being batted about like a mouse between the paws of one cat and then another. May God Bless Them today as I know they mourn and I know they must also wonder if there is more to come.

Niech Was Bóg błogosław

Tomatoes in Containers, DIY Wedding Arch, Hot Day in April..

2010-04-07T04:03:00.001-07:00

There's hot and there's 'hu-hot'. Yesterday was 'hu-hot' for April. It got up in the low 90s here, this morning its pretty humid, so no telling... About noonish yesterday I found out that during one of the projects over the winter Hubby disconnected the wiring to the AC and hadn't yet gotten around to fixing it! I'm one of those semi-homesteady types who has never gone off grid because well--I don't want to live without hot showers, high speed internet or AC unless its one of those scenarios where civilization as we know collapses, in which case I'll be splashing with Mojo in the muddy stream down the hill--and not doin' much else til God takes pity on me and I die.

No fear, all is well. Hubby brought some wires a little box gadget home after work and got it all up and running. We slept in a cool bedroom, which wasn't cool til about midnight. I guess we didn't expect to need AC in early April--but one never knows here.

I put some of my tomatoes out yesterday and quickly moved them to the shade of our back porch. The Mountain Pride and German Johnson didn't seem to have too much trouble but the Roma fainted dead away in the heat and threatened to die on me. 90 is pretty hot for one's first day outside. They all perked up nicely once they were out of the sun.

My little friend came over and we worked on the arch for my daughter's wedding. We took it apart in three pieces, I want to see if those will fit in the jeep, otherwise I'll have to break it down a little further, hope not. We got the whole thing covered in sphagnum moss which took 4 bags. I have one bag left for detailing it later. The next step is wrapping it in green rafia and honey suckle vines. My friend suggested soaking the vines to make them more supple and easier to work with-- GREAT IDEA! She was just so helpful. I did start to wrap the vines but we both were ready for lunch and to set a while. We had each enjoyed a salad and visited before she went home. I left my vines soaking overnight and will do more today on them.

I'm not done yet with planting seeds for the garden. I do think I need to plant some peppers for one thing. I waited a while, but finally decided to do it. Hubby wants to save seeds of his jolokia peppers, so I hesitated to grow eating peppers and risk cross pollinating his precious babies.. but we do use lots of peppers and I'm pretty sure nobody is really going to like the jolokias--except him. I guess I'll just put mine way over on the other side of the property someplace. I want some jalapenos and bananas and a few other kinds. Things that are edible without a fire extinguisher. I'm thinking I'll make signs that say, "hot" for mine, and "hu-hot" for his.

I started my decorative gourd seeds today and some squash. We have a long growing season here and they should all do fine, there's still time to start more seeds. I think I may try to grow the gourds up trees. I saw this done and it looks pretty neat and it provides shade near it. They also look nice as part of a border mixed in with flowers--so long as you keep them going in the right directions.

The gourds are for me to do artwork on after they dry. I bought seeds for birdhouse gourds, baby bottle gourds, nest egg gourds and apple gourds. Its ambitious but really I think a plant or two of each one will give me all I need to paint and decorate away next year. I don't think they'll be ready to work with before Christmas, so most likely they'll be worked on next winter or early spring.

They need time to dry properly, and then they need a good soaking and cleaning before painting or wood burning projects can be done. In the past I've made gourd santas and folklore figures and bird houses, it's fun and although they are a bit of work to prepare they are easy to decorate and make a nice final product. The last batch I made as gifts are still getting raves.

I'm still enjoying watching my blue bird nest. The other two nice houses stand empty because I haven't gotten around to moving them and the blue bird will not allow them to be inhabited so near his home.

He is gorgeous in flight! I just watched him chase away a downy woodpecker. I don't know why he decided to do that, the wood pecker wasn't even near his tree, but then he is a 'bird brain', and they do many inexplicable things.

I guess nest building has gotten to a frenzy now. They are out in the garden right now digging through mulches looking for the best stuff and going in and out of the hole in their little house. They mainly do this in the morning and that is when I prefer to be in the garden, but I'll give them a little time to get things done before I head out today. I haven't put my big batch of low sodium, low fat chicken stock away in the freezer yet, that's a chore I can do this morning to keep me out of their hair for a while. Also I need to discuss wedding stuff more in detail with my Mom-in-law--get more of this ironed out. Although we are keeping it simple--well 'simple' is a relative term when it comes to a wedding isn't it?

The garden is full of pretty birds outside and behind me my parrots are making kissy noises to remind me that I need to come and see to their dishes. If that doesn't work, I'll hear Sweet Pea calling me 'honey' and eventually Bubba will chew me out in a sort of cajun-french birdy rant. Bubba was a rescue parrot with no background and we think he might have been from the Katrina pet exile, he sounds very much like he's lived in New Orleans. Parrots who want something aren't easy to ignore.

I'm enjoying seeing yellow finches, red cardinals and the red on the woodpeckers as well as the blue birds and all other less colorful birds that are visiting the feeders and trees near it. Every morning there is more green in the woods and on the ground. My humming bird feeder has been up since the weekend, but no little hummingbirds yet--which reminds me that it is early still, not really time to put tender plants out--so I think I won't pot up anymore tomatoes just yet. I can quickly carry 6 containers into the shed for a cool night--but any more would be pretty hard.

Gosh, I could sit here all day gazing at the red bud, yellow Carolina jesamine and white dogwood blooming in the woods and watching all the birds, but I guess that wouldn't get things done around here would it? Better go have a Pokeberry Day!

A Real Wood Deck, Mojo The Garden Puppy, and My Bucket Container Garden..

2010-04-05T07:12:00.000-07:00

We were busy this weekend! Hubby was off Friday so that morning we walked our land with a clipboard and mapped out our plans for when we rent a backhoe and bucket machine. (don't ask me what's it called--that's Hubby's thing) After that Hubby and sons cleared a section of land near our little stream and planted some of the bamboo I bought last week. They split one big pot into two clumps and put one on each side of the stream. It didn't need water because as they dug the hole filled with water. I hope it will do well that wet--it appears to be so far.

Hubby and son then worked on putting real wood down on our back porch/deck. We have a lot more decking work to do and not all will be done before the wedding but at least we'll have a nice covered porch to sit on, and our home's entrance won't look too awful. I need to touch up paint on the back door there, Mojo has pawed it up. That's my fault. I taught him to ring a bell that was hanging from the door to go outside or in--well now he paws the door--and the bell isn't there anymore. I guess we should have taught him to bark. oops.

Other projects we hope to get done before the wedding are grading the land, digging the pond, putting up our pool and emptying the shed so our guests who want to turn it into a guest cottage for Mom in law, can work on it when they come.

Other than that I still have to keep up with my gardening and landscaping and the house, and do the various things you do for a home made wedding. I'm busy.

I worked all weekend on various garden and landscaping projects. I put in a new flowering crab tree that I bought with money I got when I took back a couple of plants that died over winter. Hurray for 1 year guarantees! Also hurry that I kept my receipts! I have a section for crafting receipts and for gardening receipts in my coupon file crate. I usually make perennial plants a new marker when I plant them and then staple the one they came with to the receipt and put it in my file. Then I can look for it if the plant dies before that one year is up. Things can happen, so its best to do that. I also got a couple of heathers and I put them in the ground extra deep then shoveled some gritty sand over them. This is called "dropping" them. My hope is that when I dig them up in fall all the little branches will have rooted so I can pot them up for the winter and have many more plants than I began with to use as ground covers. I'm going to see if this works with phlox as well--i need lots of ground cover here.

My bucket garden is going great. I'm still sanding, shellacking and painting buckets to use for more plants. The tomatoes are ready to go, and I will put them in buckets outside now, but I am going to watch the overnight temps so I can cart them into the shed if the temperature drops.

I'm also coming along pretty good on moving clumps of grass from where I don't want them and putting them where I do want them, as well as seeding around them and mulching with straw.

Mojo is 'helping' everyone. He was very useful on the deck project, and of course we do love that he stamps on newly planted things to make sure they are really down in there. LOL.. Yah, that's him in the flower bed-- pretending he doesn't know that I don't want him there.

Moj also enjoys lying at our feet on the new wood decking or near the fire pit when we sit at the end of the day and rest a bit. He's always 'right there' wherever one of us is.

This morning I was out early anticipating another hot day. I moved all my Golden Comfrey to a new bed behind the compost bins. I potted some of it up to sell or give away next fall or spring. I put 4 very large clumps in the ground and then mulched them with wet newspaper and old leaves. I always pull the mulch a way from the plants a little bit, the leaves and paper will keep grass and weeds from getting hold in the beds while the comfrey grows. By next year they will be part of the soil.

I saw that all my Red Latham Raspberry Plants are putting out new stems and leaves this spring. They were the most delicious raspberries I ever tasted last year, but we only had just a very few. Can't wait to eat some of those this year! I need to hoe them though and mulch them. I am not moving strawberries any more right now. It has gotten warm and most of them are flowering now. I will catch the baby runners later on with cups and move those instead. I'll just stake the runners into little pots of soil and when they have begun to root sever them from the mothers. I think I'll leave the moms in the spot they are and let them just be a ground cover.

I've got some stock on the stove today, I'm going to freeze it for low sodium cooking. I didn't add any salt to it. It can simmer while I work. I used my biggest stock pot because I was doing a little fridge/freezer clean out early this morning and found lots of things to throw in there, including 5 or 6 frozen chicken carcasses, some carrots, green onions, sweet onion and celery. Its all in there with pepper and bay leaves. Its already smelling and looking good, I'm going to keep it on the burner until about noon then cool it for skimming and freezing. I will be freezing on ice trays and one cup containers for use in recipes later.

The birds are singing and working on nests. I thought the bluebirds already had eggs, I'm not so sure now. After I came in from working in the garden they were busy out there picking up bits of pine straw from last year that I had piled up near the compost bins. I guess they are still building. I heard an owl about an hour ago, making lots of untimely hoots, I would have thought he'd be asleep at this time of morning. I've decided to call my neighbor's donkey 'Donkey Kong'. He is very noisy. I'm not sure what they are doing with him, but its obvious he's enjoying himself. They have a few horses and another donkey too I think. We are thinking that perhaps they are breeding Donkey Kong to create mules and maybe more donkeys as well?? Dunno, but he's certainly busy whooping it up over there.

While I was out sanding some more buckets I heard sirens! I then realized this is the first time since moving out here I've ever heard sirens. We heard them many times a day in Charlotte. Wow. These were coming from some roads that are way back behind our property, hope folks are OK back there. I said a bit of a prayer for whoever is involved in whatever is happening. It made me think.

Last night I saw one of those shows where a realtor is helping someone buy a home. This young woman was looking for a home in a different country. One of the must haves for her other than the usual desire for stainless appliances was a bomb shelter! Yup, 2 of the 3 homes she was considering had bomb shelters built in. She felt it was a very important feature. I had a hunch I knew where she was--and I was right. She lives in Israel. Hearing the sirens here gave me pause and I prayed also for folks who live where they must have bomb shelters and where sirens often mean that something has blown up and killed or injured people. I realized how fortunate I am to live here where at this time at least things are nothing like that.

The other day too, as I walked to my mailbox way down the hill, I thought about the fact that many people live in places where a tiny apartment with no yard can cost as much as 80 to 100 houses on land like mine. I gave thanks for what I have. I know this house is no thing of beauty. We do not have granite counter tops and stainless appliances--I don't even have real kitchen cabinets yet--except the two I recycled. But I am a fortunate woman on the earth these days. I have a home of my own, land to garden and birds to watch, and at this time at least my children all living and well as well as my husband.

I have many future plans for my home. I don't know the future but I like to dream of the possibilities. Maybe none of it will ever be? Dunno--but today-- is a day to give thanks isn't it?

This is the Day which the Lord has made, we will be glad and give thanks for it!

Hot Weather Gardening and Blogging

2010-04-05T04:46:00.001-07:00

Well it warmed up here quite a bit over the past several days. We've been in the mid 80s at least a couple times. Now it is time for me to shift my gears into a new schedule. I will likely do my blogging later in the day when its too hot to work outside. I can blog when I come in from my various chores.

I took some pix this morning, but will post them later. I'm looking right now at the blue bird on his nest box. He doesn't visit as often as he did when he was house shopping. I believe the Missus has eggs in there, though I don't know how long they take to hatch--maybe she's got babes? In any case I rarely see her at all, and see him a few times a day now.

We did quite a lot over the weekend. I'll catch up and blog on some of it later. Time to get out there before its too hot. :)

Pokeberry at Night...

2010-04-01T18:31:00.000-07:00

Gosh its scandalous around here at night.

OK, maybe not.

Hubby came home to a homemade turkey sub sandwich and chips. After dinner and a little bit of TV I took him out to see his banana tree. It was planted last year and died back in fall, as they do. It was so cold we didn't know if it made it. Yesterday there was no banana tree, today its nearly a foot tall!

After that we walked about the garden a bit and Hubby gathered some dry branches and wood and started a fire while I watered the backyard plantings. We talked about the day.

I had taken a couple of plants that died back to Lowes today and gotten my refunds and bought a pink flowering crab with the money and also a pink and a white heather plant that were clearanced. I plant to try to propagate new heathers by 'dropping' the plants deeply into the ground and covering the stems nearly to the top--this way they hopefully will root by fall and I'll have multiple pink and white heathers to plant out for a season in a protected spot and then use as ground covers on our sunny hillside.

We talked about plans for our kids, and the wedding, we sat watching the fire and the stars up above the oaks in our yard, and talked about felling the oaks and planting shade trees instead--or maybe leaving a spot where we can just watch stars.

It got warm today, it was in the 80s. Hasn't been that warm this spring. We talked about where we are putting the pool this spring, and what we need to do to make it private, where the bamboo I bought will go, and the banana tree. We talked also about the estimates I got for gravel for the driveway and what we expect to need to rent a backhoe/shovel thingy (sorry I don't know the name of that). We want to get our land leveled in the yard and around the house and dig our pond before we start building our decks, which we need just to able to reach our top floor so we can finish our siding. We hope to get the gravel and the land work done before our daughter's wedding May 15.

We chatted about the wedding, and about the fact that we only own 7 mismatched very worn out lawn chairs. I shared what I had found out about prices for new lawn chairs or a picnic table. Hubby is for building a couple of benches and letting it go at that for now. We have some wood we could use. Probably we'll have to do that. It just isn't possible to be always chunking out money for things.

Mojo inspected whatever was going on about us in the dark as we sat by the fire. We heard some owls in the woods near us, more than one. I'm guessing it was owl love again. We've heard that before in the evening, when we lived in Charlotte. Charlotte is a big city but it is a very 'country city' in that there are lots and lots of trees in Charlotte. Its the greenest big city I've ever seen, thus there is more nature there than one would think--certainly many varieties of birds.

The stars were lovely, the fire was nice. One little frog began to sing finally, and then there was a choir of frogs down by the creek. We will sleep tonite and hear them all night, and the neighbor's donkey may holler now and then as well. We may hear owls in the nights or coyotes or hunting dogs.

Tomorrow I will work outside most of the day. There are lots of plants to put out and move and I need to transplant grass plugs and seed around them, and lay out some straw. #3 Son is home tomorrow and will help me. #2 Son works tomorrow, so I won't trouble him. He works nights.

Lots of chores coming up before the wedding. I was thinking maybe I'd call my little friend, since she has lost her job. Maybe she'd like to come help me out now and again--for gas money and plants? Knowing her she'd come for nothing. I just think I could use a partner.

Anyhow the fire is out now, we'll be in bed soon. I just thought I'd write a little about an evening since I wrote about a morning. Life is challenging, but its good.

Watching the Moon, a Pokeberry Morning is Born

2010-04-01T03:53:00.000-07:00

The Moon has been slow to set the past couple mornings. As I've said before, I've never really studied much about the moon, so I don't know why its where it is when it is, or why its as big or as small. I know I could find out, I just am not the kind of person who needs to. I just like to watch it. To me its relaxing and peaceful to observe nature and I enjoy seeing birds nesting and hearing frogs at night and noticing that certain perennials are beginning to pop up or leaf out. I can grow cuttings of lots of things and have learned to do many things that interested me. I'm not into molecular biology, or even very interested in the names of the parts of plants--but I do enjoy untangling a mass of roots and dividing it into several new plants.

My 'style' of thinking and doing is I guess part Realist and part Believer. Thinker--yah--but only to a certain point, Fighter--yah--but only if I think its worth while and likely to make a difference. I can accept a defeat, but use it to find some other road to travel--always believing there's more someplace. More what?

More life I guess. I see what is there, sometimes more clearly than other times.

Right now the sky is lighting up, the sun is going to come up behind me soon, meanwhile there's that moon still moving slowly through the tree tops in front of me. Now it seems to be headed down a bit, or further out and down. I can see the garden now, there's more light.

As always, my land appears and looks like 'potentiality' to me, not finished, not beautiful as I would like it to be 'someday'. A painting in progress. The hillside is still spotty with lots of red clay where there's nothing growing and weeds mainly where there is something. The land is not level so the homemade beds aren't either--which to me means that more natural materials will blend in better--make the garden of rocks and pieces of logs, not straight cut wood from the store. Straight lumber looks terrible on bumpy ground.

Now the moon seems to have stopped. Perhaps it won't go anyplace at all, just become harder to see as the sky gets lighter? A pink tint is beginning to color the wisps of clouds that are out there, I didn't see the clouds before the pink came. Behind me its a yellowy tint--that's where the sun will be. The sun makes things real.

Down the hillside to my left, I see the little stream or creek that is at the bottom of our land. The water is like mud, it is not a clear stream, it never will be. In its way it is attractive, especially if you are near and can hear the water come over the rocks, but its not the sort of pretty you see in magazines. There are birds down there, in the little thicket of vines and bramble between the trees. I can hear some of them calling. The birds aren't at the feeder in the garden yet, they will be.

The moon is actually moving, its gone behind a large branch so it can barely be seen-- it didn't seem to be moving until I looked away and then looked back again--and noticed it had changed.

More birds are calling and singing now, dogs are barking in the distance as well. Lots of dogs, probably a hunting party. I hear groups of dogs in the distance here sometimes, people hunt not too far from here. The neighbor's donkey is also doing his thing, he makes quite a loud sound. I can hear a truck, maybe more than one now. People are going places, work and school.

A couple of birds have come to the tree tops overlooking the garden. The moon is further back now, behind me the sky is yellow. A bird has come to the tree above the red feeder in the garden, and another. Its a pair of cardinals, hard to tell in dim light, as the feeder is red. A chickadee is also feeding now, and a finch. More birds are approaching from the sky, landing in treetops all about me. More calling and tweeting and singing in the woods.

My eyes watch the birds as they come, one, two or three at a time. They stop in one tree then another and get closer. Some are slower to approach the garden than others. Some flutter down from the trees like leaves. The moon is further back still, and just a little further to the west. The sun has not yet passed the hills and trees behind me, but the sky is blue, the pink has become a pale lavender blue ahead of me, behind me the yellow has become a creamy white.

The doves are walking about on the ground beneath the feeder now and there are half a dozen birds at a time perched eating. Some birds perch on the handles of garden tools I left standing upright yesterday when I was working in my beds. The moon is fading, it seems larger and further away, not so defined as before.

A finch is on the thistle sock, its been ignored so long I was going to remove it today, and hang the hummingbird feeder there instead. I'll use a different hook I guess. The moon is losing its brightness.

A large bird flies way overhead, the smaller birds are unconcerned, it must have been a crow or something of that sort. It did not appear like a hawk. The hawks swoop in from some hidden place, they don't fly over. The moon is becoming part of the sky, had I not been watching it, I might not know where it is now. I can see it still, but it is near faded out.

The place behind me where the sun will be is glowing brighter, now I can see the sun's reflection in my window. It is coming up between a tree and a neighboring house across the way on a different hill top. It is not quite clear of things yet, not risen all the way above the hills. The moon seems as if it is behind some of the sky now, it shows a faint shadow over or behind blue sky. A new round of birds has begun to arrive.

There is my wheel barrow still holding some strawberry and day lily plants, beneath a light covering of old leaves. I left it there when I was tiring. They will need to be tucked into beds today. The woodpecker is here, the larger one. He is enjoying the suet on the feeder. Now he is up a tree pecking at dead wood. The moon is in the same place, but even fainter now. The sun is starting to clear the neighbor's roof and will soon be over the tallest tree on that hill.

Mojo is at my feet wrestling with something, most likely something he shouldn't have. Hubby's in his shower, I can hear the water running and I think Mojo is chewing up an empty styrofoam cup. I left a few on the bottom shelf of my plant light stand-- I plant in them. I suppose I should check.

The sun has cleared the hills, the moon, I'm not sure is there, only its whisper.

Its a Pokeberry Morning.

Mojo and I go outside, I sip my coffee and look about. In the morning light I can see a couple of wild trees down the hill are blooming, perhaps they are cherries that strayed? Somewhere down there is a wild azalea, is it blooming yet? Up above there are more buds on trees than there were last night even, more on shrubs. The tall tree in front of the shed has small leaves where there were none. Some of the plants and weeds seem to have grown while I slept. The woods are lighter and hundreds of trees now stand where not too long ago I saw only dark. The moon is gone.

Hubby leaves for work. Mojo and I go in, and I find my broom. There are bits of styrofoam and potting soil under my desk. Mojo has found another cup, I'd best get busy.

Echo Stress Test Results..

2010-03-31T11:40:00.000-07:00

Got my test back--and thanks for worrying with me folks. I'm OK. Actually the test results are BETTER than last time. Go figure. Here I stressed all week for nothing. ;) What's funny is one of my younger brothers just had the same test done.

I guess we're all just nervous sorts. Shrug.. that's all I can figure.

Anyhow this means I don't have to worry about dropping dead while using my pick axe on a tree root and I can get back on that treadmill and work past the 'hump' where I feel like I'm older than dirt.

It also means I'm probably going to be continuing the RX I got earlier to use as needed for stress and trouble falling asleep. I'll also continue the diet it seems to be working. However I am going to allow certain treats sometimes--as needed. ;)

My BEST EVER Coupon File, Gardeny Stuff and Bird Nest Update

2010-03-31T04:29:00.000-07:00

Its Wednesday and all the grocery stores in my area start their weekly sales on Wednesday. Recently I hadn't been doing much with my coupons because I had so much stocked up in my pantry that I kind of let it go for a short time. Well... gosh stuff gets used up eventually and this week I found my supplies of shampoo, razors and toothpaste dwindling and I'm nearly out of hairspray. (eek--when you only get haircuts for special occasions-well, hair spray is your buddy~wink!)

I stopped casually in the store one day to just pick up some of those items without being prepared, saw the prices, and left empty handed in shock. I decided that this is no time to go shopping unarmed. I'm back in the coupon saddle again.

Mojo is looking at my big uglee purple milk crate, he's worried we won't be in the garden this morning, and he may miss his usual cultivating followed by being chased.

The duct taped old purple crate holds my collection of very old recycled hanging file folders filled with coupon inserts from Sunday Papers. There's about 2 years of coupons in that thing.It is the best coupon sorting/filing method I've ever come up with, and I've tried it all I think.. except maybe that crazy contraption my Uncle Wayne (I guess that would be 'ex-uncle' since she eventually thought better of the deal) used to strap to his grocery cart back in Stoughton, I think it was his goal to always get his groceries free, he had all the couponing/refunding bells and whistles in his system. Me, I'm too lazy for that, besides the thing looked like a cardboard piano/airplane or something. (huh?) I like to run into the store with nothing but my list and a fist full of coupons, or my easy to carry couponizer. The file box stays home under my desk.

The way I store coupons is very easy--I don't cut a coupon unless I'm planning to use it that day. I just take the entire insert from the Sunday paper, write in big bold print what date it is--with a sharpie, then file it in my crate. I have 3 sections for coupons in my crate and each section contains 12 monthly hanging files. I used to just use plain file folders but soon found out that hanging files are better as they prevent 'coupon insert slump' which is a very aggravating situation when you are in a hurry.

My sections are: Smart Source, Red Plum and "Other". Smart Source and Red Plum almost always have inserts in the Sunday papers except a few weeks during the year when there are no coupons due to holidays usually. "Other" is for those occasional inserts like Proctor and Gamble or General Mills, I just stick those together.

Storing the coupons is easy. Keeping them updated is simple as well. Since there are seldom coupons that are good for more than a few months, and even more seldom any good for over a year, I just go through the current month folders in all 3 sections once a month and get rid of expired coupons from the oldest inserts. If I'm not 100% on top of this--its OK-- nobody is grading me on it. I just need to sometimes do a little catch up de-junking so things don't get too crowded.

Generally I toss any inserts that are completely 'dead' sometimes I will find just one or two coupons that are still good in last year's inserts, so I may stick them in my Couponizer and toss out the rest of the insert. Some folks send expired coupons to military bases I've heard they can use expired coupons on bases for maybe a few months longer--I don't know the details but if anyone military reads this--let me know--and I'd be happy to send them to you if I have some. ( unless I find out there's like a hundred military folks reading this.)

So, the big question then is--if you can't SEE your coupons in there, how do you know where to find one when you need it?

Well-- that's really not hard either and I rely on other people's hard work helping me out. For a long time I've used Grocery Game--which I am finally going to let go this month. I like it fine, it was great for my 'training wheels' and no service is more thorough or perfected, nor can I get all the great deals on my own that I got with GG, but-- it is geared toward shopping only on certain days and at certain stores and those days and stores don't always fit my needs, besides you do have to pay for it--although--if you are new to coupons it is well worth paying for. Its not that much $ at all for what you save. I won't go into detail on GG, you can read about it on other posts if you like or at their website. What I use most now is Coupon Mom and sometimes Sunday Coupon Preview

Coupon Mom has some great things on her site, what I use mainly is her coupon database. I haven't normally used her printable coupons because I used to use Vista on my laptop and it was so easy to gum the dang thing up that I had to avoid cool things like that. However, now that I have Linux*(just found out--can't use Linux w/ coupon moms printable coupons) I may give it a try and see if it works out for me. (if you need a PC--do NOT buy one with Vista on it!!!) Anyhow I go to the coupon database in her sidebar and I click on it, then click on North Carolina Although I live in SC, the database for NC works best for me because I get most of my coupons from the Charlotte paper, as big cities just have more coupons.

Anyhow--I click on NC and then I can type in any product name and the database will come up with any coupons that are currently in circulation that will work with that product. It will also tell me the source of the coupon and the expiration date. All I need to do then is check my file crate for that date and insert and pull out the insert and see if I have the coupon or if I used it already. Very rarely it can happen that the coupon wasn't in the insert to begin with--nothing is perfect. (BTW- it really does pay to buy 2 or 3 papers for coupons, especially if you have a big family and especially on weeks when there are more coupons in the paper than usual or when there is a P&G insert)

I prepare for grocery shopping using the tabs on my laptop's browser to go back and forth between my favorite store's websites and Coupon Mom's database. I usually create my shopping list right online and then just print it out. Many of the stores now have great tools for creating a list. I can usually even add my coupons to the shopping list by cutting and pasting the info from the coupon database.

After I've made a list and noted where to look for coupons using the weekly sales, I go to my crate and pull the coupons I need and cut them. Then I stick them in my Couponizer.

When I shop, I don't bring a purse, just my couponizer, my calculator and my wallet. I use a men's wallet to carry my debit card/cash and ID and store cards. That way I can put it in my jean pocket and spend my time looking at product labels and comparing prices, not worrying about my purse falling off my shoulder or sitting in my cart. The couponizer sits open in the kiddy carrier of my shopping cart and is not at all i n the way or 'weird looking' (sorry Uncle Wayne.)

Shopping for me is part of my JOB, its serious stuff. It is at the grocery store that most of us part with the biggest chunk of our income, we should give that chore our undivided attention, right? I figure that especially in this economy, and now with just one regular income, I need to be a real work at home woman, and make my time profitable to our bottom line here.

Of course no shopper is perfect and sometimes you just need to go out mid-week between big shops. If I need to send a kid out sometime (hopefully he was going that way anyhow) for something that I need last minute I can still log on to Coupon Mom and check for a coupon, then just give the kid the coupon along with some cash to go get it.

If I see an item on sale but there is no current coupon, and I think I may be out and about near a store after the weekend, I will sometimes go to the Sunday Coupon Preview site and find out if a coupon will be in the next newspaper. Kind of cool to 'know' the future.

Because my diet is significantly different than it used to be, I have to eat more fresh foods and more scratch foods, but there are also some prepared foods I still buy, also there are some things Hubby will not give up that get with coupons. (Hubby's sodium laden Zatarain's for instance) I enjoy Smart Balance products and Mrs. Dash and some low sodium and low fat foods that make my life easier in the kitchen. Like most Americans, I also buy lots of non-foods, like razors, shaving cream, soap, shampoo, dish and laundry and cleaning supplies, paper goods... Using coupons saves very significantly on those things--especially when also combined with sales. Even if you cook entirely from scratch you can save enough with coupons to make it worth doing. Nowadays, you can also often get coupons for organic and green products--even vegetarian stuff. Last summer I even bought canning lids and jars with coupons! I think that was just the most fun ever for me, I mean-- a coupon for canning lids? And I found them on sale too! ~grin~

Not all sales are good sales--some are a bit dubious. This is where it pays to keep track of prices a bit. Grocery Game is expert at this but I have a not too hard, imperfect but useful method. I use my Aldi and Sam's club Bare Bones Price List for that. (the most recent one is usually in my sidebar links) I don't always have to use it--because I have quite a few of the numbers in my head now, but I still update it now and then just to check. I figure if a sale price is lower than the every day price at Aldi or Sams--its a good time to buy some extra for the pantry. Otherwise, I just get what I need now, or skip it and wait for a better sale.

My Pokeberry Coupon Method is from a long time of trial and error. I use both modern technology and common sense, recycled and re-purposed containers and the whiz bang in the right combination that works for me. I've got links to favorite resources or posts I've written on the sidebar for anyone who is interested.

my last tips on this-- The most pricey fancy grocery store may be the best one for coupon shopping- I like Harris Teeter for it because they will double and sometimes triple coupon values. Also--check for things at drug stores. All the major drugstores have deals that combine well with coupons, some will let you use a combo of store rebate, store coupon and manufacturer coupons and you may get some things free or even be paid to take them. Always get those store cards. I know--Big Brother knows more about me that he should.. but at least I get deals on my groceries. **almost forgot-- check any store you are in. Many take coupons--such as Dollar General, Walmart and Target.. etc.

Enough about the coupons--Now --back to my garden and birds....

I'm a bit puzzled over what may be a weed or may be a perennial coming up in one of the beds, question is--do I pull it now or wait until its showing its face better? If I wait--I may be weeding when its 95 degrees and humid.. .such a dilemna. It pays to mark everything you plant! I guess this is especially true for us gramma types cuz we notoriously forget what we did last year, and we HATE hot and humid.

Last night I removed a sweet little mossy nest from my shed. :( I had to. I'm glad it didn't have any eggs yet. I noticed a lovely Eastern Phoebe was peeking in there. When I was repainting the shed door after we just bought our place, I took the screen off the door, and well, in the middle of painting--we had company at the time, and it began to rain an insane amount suddenly and I never got back around to putting the screen back on. Its the small back section of the shed, nothing much in there right now but my collection of nursery pots and some pvc pipe. However--we do plan to make it part of the 'guest cottage' for my Mom in Law soon so I can't be letting even pretty Phoebes put their eggs in there. I brought the pretty little nest in the house and put it in a pot with my baby bay tree. I then set a little stone bird on it. Mojo walked by the pot last night and gave it a very good smelling, he never misses a thing does he? #3 Son went out last night and stapled screen over the door so this will not happen again. My apologies to the Phoebes, hopefully they will notice we still have a couple of openings in our actual real bird houses on the hill.

The blue birds I believe are nesting now. There was some excitement in their box yesterday, I'm pretty sure Mrs. B is setting on some eggs.

Last night, and again early this morning, just before the big moon disappeared and the sun began to come up there was a great deal of racket in the big field behind our woods. I believe it is a pack of coyotes. They sound like they have lots of young ones. A very nasty screamy, howly,yippy noise. I really think, this may surprise folks who think I'm a great nature lover--I am--but I'm not fond of these guys. I'd rather be waken by the neighbor's donkey looking for love than by these critters.

Well the peace of Pokeberry is uninterrupted at the moment, its another beautiful but chilly Carolina Morning. The feeder is full of little flutters, Moj is patiently (for him) sleeping at my feet and the Pokeberry Life is good. I've got a huge list of projects to get busy on, but first time to make out my grocery list, and pull those coupons too. Have a Pokeberry Day!

A New Strawberry Patch, Grass Plugs, and My Bucket Vegetable Garden

2010-03-30T07:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Mojo 'helped' me begin to move strawberry plants to their new home. I put a sign up for them. I've been enjoying painting signs for some of the things in my garden. I put those little coated wire cages over some of the plants to keep Moj from trampling them. He's a very good cultivator-- unfortunately.

I also began to retrieve the clumps of nice green grass that grew at the bottom of the hill--the ones I seeded in the backyard last year, but which were carried away with the flow when it rained hard. My new strategy is to plug in spots of grass from the hillside and then fill the bare spots around them with seeds and cover it with bits of straw or evergreen boughs until it can root. Most of the plugs I put in last fall have done well, I hope these will too, and that they will provide a shield for the seed I plant too, keep it from washing away.

We've done a great deal to try to slow down the erosion problems and Hubby will do much more soon as we intend to rent a back hoe/digger thing (machine) in a couple weeks we think, to attack it more effectively. In the meantime I have spent $13.00 on some grass seed, and $6.00 on my 'token' piece of sod. The grass clumps that are happily growing away down the hill were paid for last year, and they are MINE! So I will just have to keep going down there and getting them and put them in my backyard where they should have been to begin with.

My bucket veggie garden is coming along. I still have buckets that aren't ready to fill, but the ones I have planted are growing and I have moved them to an area where they will get sunshine and I can tend them as needed. Currently there are onions, potatoes, lettuces, spinach, peas, cabbage, broccoli and bok choy plants in buckets. All cool season plants. The cold frames are stuffed to the gills and my light stand in the house is pretty full as well. When I feel just a little more confidant in the weather much of this congestion will be relieved as more plants are allowed to go it on their own unprotected.

I'm going to plant a screen between the house and the bucket garden so I won't notice how many big black buckets are growing out there. The view from here eventually will just be pretty, a field, bird feeders, natural looking herb and flower and berry beds and our soon to be pond--assuming it holds water. I need to check into what kind of clay we have here--make sure its the sort that will hold water. We're pretty sure it is--if so we may not need to line our pond, or we may be able to do it without the more pricey pond liner materials.

I do have a pretty, mulched island bed across the driveway from the back porch. It is filled with my bargain shrubs and perennials.. many of which will bloom and smell pretty this summer. That's about the extent of my landscaping so far. The front will have our vineyard and not sure what else yet.

I'm a little pooped today. Its one of those days. I haven't gotten the result yet for my echo stress test last week--which makes it more stressy. I think the point of a stress test is probably not to make you feel stress--but so it goes. LOL.. I figured if something were terribly or urgently wrong I'd have heard early. Since I haven't, I'll probably hear tomorrow as Wednesday is when my Doctor is in the office I see her at. She splits her time between two towns, so I usually see her either on Wednesdays or Fridays. That's how it is in rural areas. I could call her other office but most likely my info is at the one I go to so that would not be helpful.

The blue birds apparently have some excitement in their nest box. There's been some unusual activity there this morning. I believe that the Missus has produced an egg or two. They haven't been working on the nest long enough to have hatched anything, so that's what I am guessing. They are very secretive about this nesting business. You almost wouldn't know they are here if you didn't watch very carefully.

The gold finch males are now yellow instead of winter gray. The juncos seem to have left, so I guess its time to put up the hummingbird feeder. Its so chilly still, at least it feels chilly to me. I wonder if the little hummers will actually come so early, but I guess I will put my feeder out. Just one this year--maybe more later. I've downsized some in the bird department. Feed is getting crazy expensive and my old feeders and houses needing either culling or repairing so I decided for now to stick with my 3 best houses, my newest party feeder and the only humming bird feeder that is still use able. Perhaps I'll add on later--but no hurry. This is enough to feed plenty of birds here in Pokeberry.

Besides, there's so much else to do! Like my daughter's upcoming wedding, and getting that garden all in, and revamping my cost cutting efforts in various areas.

Speaking of 'efforts'...I stopped in at the grocery store yesterday without having any coupons or checking sales--I was just going to grab some shampoo and razors, since my stash is pretty low right now.

Well good grief--just those two items could have cost me $15.00 if I'd gone ahead, and I'm almost out of hairspray...Sigh.. I was getting this crazy idea I could stop my couponing if I had a big enough garden. Nope.

This morning I was cleaning out my old metal file cabinet so I grabbed hanging file folders and found an old plastic file crate and cleaned it up, and put some duct tape on the bottom where there was a little crack. I have now moved my coupons to a hanging file system instead of the manila file folders that kept falling into the old milk crate they were in and annoying me. Now they are easy to access.

I use a file system for coupon inserts because then I don't have to cut any coupons until I use them. I think I may write a post on my couponing again some time soon, its been awhile and I've changed some of what I do. Meanwhile I still have links to things I've written on that in the past, and to good websites on my sidebar.

These days it is a JOB to shop. You really cannot afford to do it without some good tools. Or at least I can't. Imagine if I spent nearly $20 and all I got was some razors, shampoo and hairspray! Good heavens! You betcha those coupons matter, especially if you have a grocery store that will double or triple coupon values, and you match the coupons with the right sale. That same little pile of stuff could end up costing only $5 or $6.

If that takes me an hour to plan my shopping--I could be making as much as $30 an hour during that time. Something to consider eh?

Well.. I really should be outside digging something up and moving it. Its a lovely blue sky day here South Carolina. I'm a bit chilly, but I think its just me, just need to get the blood flowing eh?

Have a Pokeberry Day!

Catholic Sister's Wool Felted Dolls for My Little Sister are Ready to Go!

2010-03-29T04:26:00.001-07:00

These two little girls are all done and ready to be shipped to Wisconsin where my little sister will be turning 50 later this month. My how time flies. She and I are both gramma's these days. In fact her little grand-daughter is just about the age she was when my Mom or Dad snapped a black and white photo of us on the front steps just before our first day of school one year. I don't have the picture but I could picture it for the most part in my mind, enough to make dolls from memory. They don't have to be picture perfect, the little Norske Sosteren weren't perfect either,it would have been impossible to do all the fine embroidery of a lovely Norwegian bunad traditional skirt and vest set. The dolls were instead made with a simplicity about them that I like and so did their recipient.

Well, now I have no more obligations before but to get my garden in and prepare for the wedding in May--which go well together. I've decided to get out my smallest clay pots, clean them, possibly white wash them a little and plant them with small succulents or mosses. Then I will wrap them each with a strip of burlap and some raffia to match my daughter's wedding theme and use them for table decorations. I am not sure anymore if I will try to fashion vines into table decorations too--because the vine is time consuming to deal with and I still haven't finished covering the 7 foot tall double wedding arch that is the main feature of the wedding. I also want to paint some cute signs for the wedding and more for my house and garden too.

Also among my painting projects are my big 6 gallon pots that are sitting on the porch with drainage holes drilled in them, waiting for me to give them black or dark green coats so they may go out to the garden and hold veggies. My cold frames are getting pretty crowded so I need to get that done soon.

I've decided to be somewhat consistent with my gardening and landscaping efforts. Perennials will go in the ground, annuals will go in pots. This will go for veggies, herbs, flowers and vines. I've begun to pot up some of my baby annual flowers. I could start putting them outside now--I'm still a little nervous about weather so maybe I'll keep them on the porch or near the shed so they can be overnighted inside if a bad cold spell shows up. Its the season where gardeners need to keep an eye on forecasts.

My beds are going to be more consistent too. I am using lots of rock in my beds near the garden, especially in the shady areas. I had been also using odds and ends of landscape timber pieces--mainly leftover chunks from building the house and decks, or slightly damaged pieces I bought for $1 each at Lowes. Well--I decided to take those to the back yard and use them to build up taller beds along the perimeters of the yard and driveway with landscape timbers only for a cleaner look.

In the garden area I will use a combination of mossy logs and stones. Hubby has cut down lots of trees and I could line quite a few beds easily for my herbs and perennial flowers and my baby shrubs etc. This will give a more natural look to the area where our pond will be too. I like them because some have very interesting shag bark, and many are covered with lovely moss or lichens. I can let them decay into my perennial beds and feed the soil and replace them with more rocks or logs as needed.

Behind the pond (future pond) I want to plant a screen of some sort--perhaps with Rose of Sharon and flowering ever green shrubs. This will hid the big black plastic veggie pot garden from view when we sit in the shade and look out at our pond. Instead we'll only see pretty stone and log lined beds and a hillside that we hope will be covered in mown grass eventually. This is the area behind the shed that my Mom-in-law's crew are planning to turn into a guest cottage when they come. Hubby says eventually he wants to put a small deck there and a door so the occupants of the cottage can come out and join us for a view of the pond, or maybe sip their morning coffee there alone. Perhaps we will move our fire ring there? We shall see.

In the front yard we shall have decking, but also some parking areas and our 'vineyard' of Catawba grapes that are native to our neck of the woods, near the top of the hill, then perhaps some flowering trees and shrubs and a rain garden or a few of them, leading down to our little stream.

Dreams abound, money isn't so plentiful as dreams--so we're doing this in little bits at a time, using all my 'frugal ninja skills'. Hubby does hope to rent a backhoe/shovel thing so he can arrange all the post-construction dirt in the proper places and improve drainage to prevent erosion and dig our pond. We think this will be done in April--as soon as we can spare enough cash and he can take a week off. So that should be done by the wedding! Not much else will be though, just garden planted.

I bought a piece of sod. It was $5.98 and I think its maybe 4 feet long by 2 feet. (my guess) Hubby had wanted to sod the backyard and I guess I thought I'd give him a realistic look at how that would work. Its a budget buster! I think it would be at least $100 to do a small area of our backyard. Its sure nice lushy stuff--but we could use the money for at least 10 other projects--so we'll have to use seed. I will use that piece I think as a sort of grass welcome mat in front of the shed for my Mom-in-law, this way there won't be any dirt tracked into her 'house'.

Meanwhile I'm still making my own grass plugs, as well as moss plugs in the shade garden, and I will also seed the back yard again. This time though I need to find a way to keep it from washing away like it did before. It all ended up growing near the bottom of our hillside--very nice and green beneath the septic field--but not exactly where I wanted it. I remember putting straw by it, and then having a little wood chip path arranged and BAM! it became a sort of grass seed/wood chip lava flow during one of our many torrential down pours the past year. We certainly do get the rain here.

Well, its a new place, we've got lots of bugs to work out. I am glad I began the garden with all the plants I had started while we were renting. Its great to see the perennials coming up now, many times multiplied from what I started with. Every little bit I did has increased for me. Yeah!

Of course here and there is a shrub or something that didn't make it--no matter. I bought many of those clearance priced damaged plants at Lowe's and I made a habit of stapling the receipt to the plant tag and keeping it in a basket. I put new tags near the plants so I would recall what they were. If I see a dead one I can return it within one year for a full refund--even if I bought it damaged on clearance. This year I need to return my little dogwood tree and one holly plant and one Russian sage. I think that may be all. I saved a huge amount by buying those 'poor dears' most of the damaged plants are coming back just fine. Some weren't really damaged they were just done blooming. I love to look at the clearance racks when I go there. All my pansies were bought that way last year, and my impatiens, and many other plants. My knock out roses were only $5 each, and they look like they are going to be great this year and my azaleas were less than $2 each.

I also love their clearance mis-tint paints. I always check those. I just painted my garden tools strawberry pink using a clearance price $5 gallon of high quality severe weather exterior paint. Now my tools are all bright pink and very easy to spot if I misplace them while working in the yard--and I still have lots of the paint left. I've also done some flower pots and old wood furniture in clearance paint, and using both clearance paint and Lowe's rebate program my son's bedroom is going to be painted free. (almost felt a little guilty for that one--but it was legal--and I've spent many thousands at Lowe's since we bought this house-- all our insulation, drywall, supplies etc.. I guess I deserve some freebies.) Can you believe they will give you $5 back on a $5 gallon of paint if you send in the form during a rebate sale? Who'da thought?

My little friend and I love those frugal deals! Now that she will be unemployed I can't wait to hit the rummage sale circuit with her for baby stuff this spring. I hope we'll get to find out early if we're having a Jacob or a Leah, cuz nowadays there is very little 'neutral' baby stuff. When we had our babies there were lots of things you could buy that would go either way--I guess now they just assume that you know. Mom-in -Law and I were lamenting about that cuz we wanted to buy something baby for daughter and both ended up buying the same white 'onesies'.

Wow--we just had an electric surge--weird. it is raining--for which I am happy since it means no watering the garden--but I don't think its raining so much that I should lose power.... hope not!

Guess I'll be working on the wedding arch today, and planting more seeds.

Have a Pokeberry Day!

Streams of Income, The American Dream Is Still Alive!

2010-03-28T03:33:00.000-07:00

Hi folks-First of all--I apologize for the weird happenings on the blog.
-I know things are disappearing here. I did contact Blogger for help. I don't know what is causing it. The sidebar links to my "Motley Crew" blogger list are becoming invisible one after another, everything is set normally so it's a mystery to me. Another thing I really don't understand is y'alls comments and mine are disappearing too. Usually I will try to publish the comment and reply to it and then it might or might not post--and then it will vanish. I've reported that as well.

On any given day there are various weird phenomena, glitches with any computer related thing--I guess that's not unusual on blogger. These issues are just not something I can fix, so hopefully Blogger is working on it and will fix it. In the meantime--go ahead and post comments if you like--maybe they will show up later. Dunno.. Also as far as I can tell my links are still 'there' they just don't appear unless you run your mouse over them. I will still be able to read your comments even if I can't make them show up--so go ahead! ~smile~ Say your piece!

Yesterday I had a great time with daughter and my little friend, who owns a shiny nice pick up truck. We drove out to China Grove and bought some plants from a nice couple who started to just sell their divided perennials because the hubby was out of work. They sold some last year and this year they sold more and they are busy potting up some for next year now and dreaming of getting a little greenhouse. The wife is busy photographing and making a little book of the plants in full bloom in color so folks can see what they're buying. Very nice folks, and it was great to meet them. I picked their brains about their little venture and got lots of ideas and realized that my long ago dream of starting my own backyard nursery is quite do-able!

I checked Craigslist again and saw that there are quite a few other folks who are doing the same thing here and there. No, they don't have everything nurseries do, but they do have some things nurseries don't. If they're all as friendly and customer service oriented as these folks I think there's no reason they won't do well with some hard work. If enough folks will travel as far as China Grove for some plant deals I thought, why wouldn't there be some who would drive to my little neck of the woods here in South Carolina?

I got 3 huge pots of bamboo as well as some nice clumps of variegated periwinkle mixed with ivy-- ground covers! The guy must have liked me, cause he tossed three huge clumps of the ground cover into the truck and only charged me $2 for it. I also got a nice pot of red monarda, bee balm. All the plants are things which will help stop erosion and I know from past experience will spread quickly. The bamboo will have to be watched carefully and not allowed to go nuts--but it will be very useful in a few areas where we really need a fast multiplying 'privacy screen/fence/erosion-control' plant. I think I may need to put a clump in front of that giant tower of concrete blocks that I can't get Hubby to agree to let me get rid of. ;)

My garden is coming along. I've got plans for the layout more and more, and I know where my pond will be--which will be useful for watering plants as well as pretty to look at. It is going to be right atop the hill, behind our shed, in between our little shady sitting area and my big sunny garden. My little friend who knows how much I dream of a little backyard nursery suggests that I can also grow pond Lilly's to sell.

My head is swirling with inspirations--which for me is a normal state--LOL. My little friend has already been saving me all her old nursery pots for a year or two, and I have lots of my own and some that were found 'curbside'. I need to locate a good source of free or inexpensive compost. The folks we bought from said their city drops free loads on their property and they let it age a year before using it. I don't think we have that service here, but I'm going to see if there is a service we do have. My little friend was one of those who lost her job at the library during the current reduction in force, so she has time on her hands and that lovely pick up truck and is happy to haul for me.

Meanwhile I've got my compost bins always filled and stirred up, and I've started some big leaf piles. I also need to make acquaintance with my neighbor to the south who has horses and a very loud donkey. I'm thinking they must have a goodly amount of 'useful by-products'. If we put fish, maybe koi in the pond, we'll have koi to sell too, and fish water is great fertilizer. I also have a great abundant producing herb called comfrey that I am moving near my compost bins. the leaves are good for making a sort of 'fermented stinky comfrey tea' that is also known as a good fertilizer. Its a pretty plant and I'm moving mine nearer the compost bins, it reproduces like crazy every year. I started with a very small clump and I think I have at least a couple dozen large clumps now.

Many big ventures have started small and there is no reason I can't do a little something with plants, a little something with Etsy and who knows what else. Mulitiple streams of income have always been an idea that appealed to me. I'm sure I've written about it before. Like Martha Ballard whose diary inspired my favorite old book, "The Midwife's Tale" I can see the potential value in many things, in barter, in buying and selling amongst neighbors and friends, in cultivating a little extra for trade, in putting away a little here and there, keeping a careful account and not wasting money on things you can't use for more than one purpose. My art and writing talents I know also have potential. Well.. anyhow it was a very inspiring shopping spree for me.

Even if I find myself unable to do all the things that come into my wee bitty brainy--I know I can at least dream and write about it all and encourage others to give something like that a try. I am a firm believer in 'doing something'to improve your self-reliance a little bit, even if its not all that you might like to do.

My little friend, always has some neat story to tell about her frugal adventures, or her daughter's. Her daughter has a great knack for making extra money. Currently, she is planning her wedding but she likes things on a bigger scale than what our daughter's wedding will be. Still its going to be frugal in its way too.

She has bargained her hair cutting skill to get many things free, an accountant for her side business, second hand dresses for her bridesmaids. She even bought a $3000 wedding dress on ebay, removed a stain from it and re-sold it $4000 because it wasn't what she wanted to wear--her frugal Mom, my little friend is making her real dress, but meanwhile she used that extra $1000 to pay for something, I think it was her flowers. There are so many ways to be creative with our 'trading' in life. This young woman has a great start going. This used to be what being a homemaker was all about, running a household economy. Maybe working outside the home some, maybe not--but always making something of what you have.

I was glad my daughter got to hear the 'testimony' as we were driving, the story of how ordinary people can create a little wealth for themselves even in this crazy economy. I just know that the American Dream has never died, it just needs to be given a shot by enterprising people who don't have too much government control in their way.
I also know that you can never count on working for someone else as a 'sure' thing anymore. Private and government jobs all have potential to disappear, sometimes for no fault of your own.

We're the sort of folks here who came from rugged individuals, or they would never have made it here in the early days. I always admire the immigrants I meet who will go without so many things in order to start their own business. Working long hours, living in crowded conditions and keeping an entrepreneurial spirit-- the things that made America what it is. I hope we never give up and just expect the government to do it all for us--what fun would there be in that? What satisfaction? What reliable income? What freedom?

I guess I feel like, whatever your situation it is almost a patriotic duty to cultivate the steams of income within your grasp. Just like its a duty to stand firm against the tide of busy body experts that want to take that away from the average person in the name of doing what's 'best' for us.

Food for thought.

Blue Bird Turf in Pokeberry and a Busy Week Comes to its End..

2010-03-27T06:04:00.000-07:00

Well the little blue bird and his wife that have been house hunting here have finally settled on the big blue bird house. They're busy building their nest in there. However-- Mr. Blue Bird doesn't want anyone else nesting nearby. He's been intimidating all lookers at the other two houses that are in trees within sight of his nest. I talked to someone at Wild birds Unlimited about this and she told me they do not want to see other houses near there's. Hubby and I decided the only solution is to move the other two houses a little further away so they won't bother him. I'm going to move one back further and the other one around the side of the house. I'll still be able to see them, but they won't be easily visible from the blue bird house.

I've been watching him and he has chased off any birds that wanted to look at the red or green house. He's chased off finches, phoebes, chickadees, titmice and a cardinal. I didn't know blue birds were that fierce. He'd just perch next to them and stick his head at them in a threatening manner and they'd leave.

I've been concerned about a cat I've seen here lately. I think it knows the blue birds are using that house. I'm hoping Mojo will keep it at bay. We think we know when its in the yard at night because all of a sudden the frogs down by the stream stop singing.

We think there is an owl nesting in Pokeberry woods. :) We've heard it from our bed a few times lately. Been sleeping with the windows open this week.

My little school girl sister dolls are nearly finished for my sister's 50th Birthday. I've also been painting cute signs for my herb beds.

Hubby installed Linux on my laptop because the Vista system it came with was SO AWFUL, I couldn't do anything faster than a snail's pace. This means the past week I've been a little befuddled learning how the new system works and running into odd quirks that need ironing out. I haven't quite figured out how to get my photos correctly for instance. Once I do-- I still haven't figured out how to get them OFF my new camera. Eventually I'm going to use my camera memory--though it should take awhile cuz there's a lot on it. I can't find anyone's email addresses and some odd things are happening here on my blog--which I'm not sure if its blogger or my pc. One thing that happens often is reader's comments disappear--then I have no idea how to find them again. Another thing is a few of the blogs in my Motley Crew Blog List on the sidebar do not show up unless you run the mouse over the the title area. They happen to be the ones I tend to read the most--which I'm thinking has to be connected somehow. Does it not want me to read them?? Is my laptop possessed? Is it the ghost of Microsoft past trying to scare me away from Linux? And why is there not a class action lawsuit I can join about this Vista Operating System? I haven't talked to one person who is satisfied with it.

Ah well... always something eh?

Well its the weekend. Daughter is coming over and she and I are going to take a long drive and go buy some perennials from a Craigslist seller. $2 perennials in gallon pots-- oh yeah baby!

Well, later on I will move those bird houses and give our poor blue bird a break from defending the entire hillside from the song bird hordes.

Have a Pokeberry Weekend!

Bird House Activity!

2010-03-23T04:47:00.000-07:00

Wow.. I think I need more bird houses. There has been plenty of interest in my three little wooden houses out on Pokeberry Hill. There is a pair of blue blue birds--or maybe it is two pairs? That have been quite interested in all three houses. They seemed to favor the small one with the green roof most, but now I see the male is in the tree above the red roof house and has been also sitting on the 'actual real blue bird house'. He seems to want all three. There's a chickadee that showed a great deal of interest in the larger house as well and some smaller birds--not sure what--have been chasing about near the red roof house.

I do think I'll have baby bird this spring, maybe lots of them.

That little bluebird has never hung around the garden and hillside as much as he has since the houses went up, he's just so much fun to see, So Pretty!

Well, I need to get running. I have an echo stress test this morning and its quite a ways away in the town I used to work at the library.

BTW-- The library plans to close 1/2 the branches and let go almost 1/3 of the staff in about a week. Wow. My old branch is not on the chopping block but it sure will be busy as they are closing the two branches nearest it.

Pray for my friends at the library that those who need jobs can find them and that they can do whatever they are called on to do.

Have a Pokeberry Day!

Strawberries over the Septic Field...

2010-03-22T06:30:00.000-07:00

Last year I didn't know exactly where our septic field was. The former owner of our place gave us a sort of bum steer on that info. We had a guy come out and pump the tank and he told us where it almost had to be. I then dug into our paperwork and sure enough he was correct. Meantime, I had started the garden atop the septic field. Well-- that's fine, the peppers grew fine and we won't plant those there this year, but I do have a little problem. I put my 50 strawberry plants over the septic field and apparently they really like it there. Yup, they've multiplied and put down some very nice long hefty roots. What's not to like in that location eh?

Well.. I'm thinking.. realistically this probably isn't a problem, but I just don't want to eat berries grown in that location. Call me finicky.

I started to move a few this morning when Moj and I were out inspecting the garden. I began to put them in a big bed on top of the hill where I had planted some potatoes and other things last year. I only moved 3 plants so far--I plan to get out there and do more later this morning. I'd like them all moved before they flower. Anyhow what's funny is, last year I didn't seem to get much for the potatoes I put in that bed, but when I went to plant the strawberries I pulled up two beautiful little red potatoes! I'll be gettin' the pitchfork and doing some more exploring in that spot before I dig up any more berry plants. I may have enough little red tates for dinner. There's some fresh parsley there too-- what a great little combo. ~smile~

We had a lovely Saturday but Sunday was kind of yucky. It was cooler than it should have been and windy and rainy. Good for the newly planted stuff however, just not so good for me.

I've been busy on my pc. Hubby installed Linux on it because I had Vista--and honestly I think everyone who has that should join in a class action suit against Microsoft because it is awful!! Soooooo Slooowwwwww.

Linux is much better but its almost impossible for me to get vista to open now and I have all my stuff over there! Sigh.. its always something.

Another thing keeping me busy is my new diet. The doctor mailed it to me. I'm eating better health wise than I ever have, but my pressure seems to be just getting higher. Now I'm on a diet with even less fat and I'm still getting used to the sodium thing. I was so disappointed to find out that Mrs. Dash has potassium in it--so I can't just shovel it on my food as if it was a free holiday of flavor. A bit frustrating.

We have a young house guest again, from Wisconsin. I love seeing the 'kids' when they come. (they're all adults, but I remember when.)

Not much action at the bird houses yet, but I guess they've only been on the market 2 days, I shouldn't expect much yet. I do have high hopes. I did see a bluebird yesterday that I think may have been checking out my nice bb house on the stump from across the field. Perhaps he'll decide to bring the wife and give it a walk through?

We shall see...

Rejuvenating Bird Houses, Feeders and Garden Statues, a Spring Chore

2010-03-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I rejuvenated some birdhouses and my garden bunnies and made the decision, for now, to take my old party bird feeder out of commission. The old feeder and the bunnies have been with us for about ten years.

In the past ten years the feeder has had a new paint job almost every year and a few repairs, the bunny Mom has been repaired several times and the bunny set has had a couple different paint jobs. This is the first re-paint and modification for the little birdhouses.

I stashed parts from the big party feeder in case I want to repair it yet again in the future, this time it needs a more major overhaul than I want to do this season--just too busy. For this season at least, I am happy with the one big feeder I have in my garden, and I'll also have just one hummingbird feeder in the garden. Perhaps later I'll add on again, we shall see.

Its a little early for hummingbirds, but I think it may not be long. Yesterday I saw the one sign of spring that I think tells me it is here, the fire ant hills are active again. There are other signs. We slept with windows open some of last night, and could hear all the frogs and sometimes the neighbor's donkey too. There may be some cold days, but its all uphill from here I think.

I got out some sandpaper and a wire brush and cleaned off loose dirt and paint and smoothed out a gap in a bird house that I had fixed earlier with some wood filler so no baby birds would get wet in the rain. I painted the roofs only of the houses with an acrylic enamel paint formulated to use inside or out, 2 coats on each. I used old crafting acrylic paints. Berry Wine and Moss Green. The two houses also got little blocks of wood for their backs so I could mount them on trees rather than hang them from branches, we rigged it so that we can leave the wood blocks on the trees and simply remove one screw to detach the houses for future repairs and paint jobs.

Most of our trees do not have horizontal branches anyplace within reach, they are all tall trees, hanging a house from a branch as the little houses were originally designed would not work here; besides, I always thought it seemed treacherous to have a house that swayed about in the wind hanging from a chain or rope. I think the birds will prefer being solidly in place on the tree trunks.

Hubby was busy thinning out the woods around the now much bigger garden and cutting up some logs so I had him cut one tree and leave me about a 5 foot stump to mount my blue bird house on. They don't like their houses on trees that could harbor animals up above them--so this is more like a fence post and it is across a field so I hope they will find it inviting. I hung three houses this year. The other three I decided to retire. One is a cracked gourd house, the other two are metal and I don't think would be good to use, I think they'd either be too hot or too cold. I'll use them in the house maybe as decorations. I personally would not put my babies in a hot tin house would you?

The bunnies I usually paint brown and even detail some so they resemble the bunnies in old storybooks like Peter Rabbit. This year I repaired Mrs. Bunny with a mortar & stucco mix and she had little sandy grains all over her. It gave me an idea. Why not make the bunnies look like green moss was all over them? So they all got coated with the gritty mix and I brushed some of it off. I then gave them several coats of paint with a couple of different green spray paints. It took several coats because I needed to use the paint to sort of help 'cement' the mortar grit onto the bunnies. I will use them in a shady spot in the garden and I think next fall they will come in and overwinter in the house with some of my favorite plants. Hopefully next spring they'll just need a touch up and no more repairs. When/if I ever get tired of the moss look I'll just wire brush the bunnies and give them another new look.

Mrs. Bunny has had a tough life. She had weathered I don't know how many Wisconsin winters before she and I met, and fiver or six more after that. She then brought her two babies with her and joined us in Fargo where her ears had to be almost totally re-modeled. I seem to forget how fragile the ears can be and they seem the easiest sot to grab when she needs moving, oops. Since Fargo she has come along with her babes to North, and now South Carolina where I hope she'll continue to have a long useful life and keep those two babes with her as long as I live. They are a darling little set, I have no idea how old, but I know they are well over ten. The babies never grow up though, they just stay little and cute in the garden wherever it has been.

I now have my three feeders mounted across the field where I can see them from this window and also from my garden and the bunnies will be set in place in a shady bed later today now that they are dry. I will get a nice spot cleaned up for them.

Oh! There is a little blue bird now, is he looking at my house?? I hope so! I've put it in the best spot I could think of to get some bluebird action, usually that house ends up with sparrows, but I do keep trying. I wonder if a few meal worms might sweeten the deal? We shall see..

Tidying up the Projects Before Hubby Comes Home..

2010-03-18T04:17:00.000-07:00

Hubby is finally coming home from Fargo today, just in time I think to miss their annual big flood. He was kept almost a week longer than he had hoped to be gone so he's been a bit cranky. I know he wants to be here in his own 'castle' (I could almost spill my coffee over thinking of our 'creation' here as a castle, LOL) Anyhoo... well I've had just about everything torn up around here and filled with the various things I'm doing while he's been gone.

Yesterday I started to tidy up a little. I had one of my sons go straighten out the inside of our shed and the other one got to push the giant mop on our painted floors. Lavender Pinesol--very nice--I had to run to the county seat to get some things done and its quite a long ways away, to the east. This was after a trip to the west to pick up an RX my doctor phoned in.

It was nice after all that run around to come home and find the house smelling like lavender, and the floors are clean. T'anks guys!

One of the things I did yesterday was to take the wedding arch out to the back porch to finish it, along with all the stray pieces of vine and moss, they are in the big blue tub under the arch. I'd been doing this in the dining room which already has my 'desk' and my felting mess and my big light stand of plant babies. I mean the place sort of lost the look of home here. I also lined up my big buckets that I'm not done turning into container gardens. I have drainage holes drilled in all of them, and I began to sand them and spray on the shellac. I have a couple gallons of paint out there waiting as well and brought my garden 'planting table' to the porch so I could do my sanding and painting on it. So these messy jobs will get finished outdoors rather than in the dining room.

The light stand has lots of empty spaces! Yeah! Well the reason is I've moved lots of plants to the cold frames outside now, there are 8 containers of plants outside. I use old rubber maid style dishpans for the cold frame plants. The clear, newer clean containers are for in the house. The old dishpans I've had for years and years. We used to use them originally to sort curriculum and educational manipulatives for my four homes-chooled kids. Over the years they eventually made their way into the garden and basement or garage depending on where we lived, they've always been useful. Well now the cold frame is temporarily full and the light stand needs more babies sown for it. Time to plant more tomatoes and of course start up some squash, cukes and the gourds I want to grow for crafting, and more herbs...more flowers.. etc. Slowly the plants make it from light stand to cold frame and then to the garden itself. I've used most of my new bucket plant containers so I need to hurry up and make more! Busy me, as usual.

In the house, my felting continues. I have one doll nearly done for my sister and the other waits for her dress. They are coming along. My Mom in law has received her Norske Sosteren dolls and loves them. She wants to treasure them and pass them down. I think its interesting that my best ideas seem to come and 'get done fastest' when they are ideas that relate to giving someone I care for a gift, more than just making a thing to sell it. I'll have to push past that 'emotional crafting' if I want to make a go of Etsy. Then again, its just about time to start making toys for Ruby isn't it?

Ruby got on a web cam last night and #1 Son walked dumb Gramma through the process of getting instant messenger so I could visit by webcam with him and his baby gal. I didn't know we had a web cam, after our visit #2 Son brought me one to use next time. I got to see and hear Ruby, but they could not see or hear me. :( Ruby looked like she was a bit 'gypped'. She was saying her best stuff "hi, by, yes, no" and even singing a little, and Nobody talked back to her! Where is Gramma in the computer? She couldn't see her.

Gosh she's gotten so big! I can't wait to have little webcam visits where she can see us all so she will be able to remember who are until we meet again in person. Such a traumatic thing that must have been for her last night... she needs a toy. ~wink~

Oh gee, I always said I would never be one of those Gramma's that spoil the kids... well.. OK, maybe just a little toy. ;)

I saw some neat stuff at some of the blogs I follow.

Tramp's Camp has a recipe for a traditional Irish Stew. My Mom was an Irish Cook--it brought back Memories when Tramp 2 talked about some of the recipes being a bit bland. That's true. My Mom was not one to use much for spices. She could sure get the 'real flavor' out of meat though. I don't know what it was but she did it right. I think salt was a biggy--but since I'm having to minimize that and fat I looked at the Irish stew recipe and came up with a little heart healthy side I think will a good way for me to enjoy something with Irish roots, but less traditional.

What's not to like about a pot full of food that includes bacon, sausage and potatoes? (Sigh... those were the days. ;) )

I'm thinking the amount of bacon I can eat now with my sodium and fat restrictions must be something like a chopped up half teaspoon... hmmm... wouldn't that be yummy on top of a potato? Maybe with some Mrs. Dash and a dressing made with that strange science 'no calorie' mayo and plain yogurt? And the parsley of course is 'free'. I'll call it a heart healthy Irish Potato. As for sausage...well, now that's a tricky one. I don't think I'll be adding that in. I did find a way though-- I can use a very small amount as a 'flavoring' on a whole grain rice or pasta dish. Just have to do the math with the sodium and fat so I know what's OK.

Another blogger that always has something neat on her blog is Julie at A Succulent Life. Julie always makes the coolest quick little projects. The latest one is a little book she made with old Christmas cards. I love the picture of the Santa with his head missing because she cropped all the cards together and didn't know what she was cutting. I liked it because it shows his feet up, and as the official Santa in our family I could appreciate that.

Its such a good feeling when its all over, gifts made or bought and wrapped and the holiday over, and you just kick back and think how it all went so nice. I'm thinking of making myself a sign to go over my desk here, and I'm torn between Pokeberry Patch, or maybe Santa's Helper or Santa's Workshop.. since I make so many of the gifts I give.

I kind of like to think of myself as being a sort of elf in the gifting process.. making the gifts when nobody is looking, like the elves in the old Shoemaker story who made his shoes when he was sleeping and helped lift him from poverty. Anyhow I've had that on my mind some lately and seeing Julie's little book was neat.

Actually one of my works in progress that didn't get finished was a little wool felted elf. He's in a zip-close bag right now with the poor no-face fox. They need some help. This is a learning process and I got stuck on those, but I then got busy on the dolls for the time being. No matter, cuz everything I do I learn something and that can be applied to more things. You can't have a 'bad' craft project, they all teach something if nothing else.

Well.. that's about it. Like the shoemaker's elves, I've got my work all cut out for me, so I'd best go do something. Have a great Pokeberry Day!

Catholic School Girl Dolls, The Next Little Side Project..

2010-03-16T08:25:00.000-07:00

My little sister is turning 50 next month and they are having a big bash for her. I won't be able to attend as its in Wisconsin and its less than a month before my baby's wedding here in South Carolina. I've decided to send a bit of myself. Myself & herself as little girls on the first day of school, sometime back in oh about... I guess 1967 or so, give or take a year. I'm the tall skinny one with the saddle shoes. Sis is the cutey with the bow.

I started the dollys this morning. they have flesh on the arms and legs but I covered it with a little paper towel to keep it clean while I work on other parts. That's a new things I figured out when working with wool felting. If you are making a complicated figure its best to keep the wool from grabbing onto finished parts. Then you don't have to pick out quite as much wrong colored wool strands from your finished project. A tedious process involving a good tweezer.

The gals here are going to have old fashioned ugly wool plaid school jumpers. Ah yes.. those were the days. I may just let my doll wear a colored blouse-- an old Nun back then gave me a really hard time when I did that once. They were to be white ONLY. I also had a penchant for knee socks, sis wore cute little bobby socks.

Anyhow I thought it would be a nice memory for her to see ourselves as little girls again now that we're both granny's.

I was worried I wouldn't get this project in there due to the load of stuff for the wedding. Daughter is coming to help with the florals though and the cooking has been taken totally out of my hands. Thus--I can actually do some other stuff too. :-)

Out in the garden, I planted out some Broccoli and Bok Choy this morning and cut more vines for the wedding arch, and watered my peas and pruned a little shrub. Life is good.

Have a great Pokeberry Day!

NORSKE SØSTEREN Felted Wool Dolls

2010-03-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of my little NORSKE SØSTEREN dolls. The big and little sisters are made of wool and have wire armatures so they are pose-able.

I did find that using a hot curling iron worked nicely to iron the dolls and I also used some "Gemini Masterpiece Dried Floral Preservative" on the dolls. I took them outside and sprayed them because that stuff stays in the air a long time--you can really smell it all day! I tried ironing them before spraying and it didn't do the job as well as I wanted so I sprayed them and then did a touch up ironing and Voila! It did the trick. Now they have no fuzz!

They are off in the mail to my wonderful Mom-in-law who truly deserves a nice gift as she has taken such a big load off my shoulders by volunteering herself and her team, as I mentioned in my last post, to do ALL the cooking for my daughter's wedding. Now all I am doing for it is the decorating and a bunch of other stuff... LOL. It seems every time I get some stuff done, there's more. LOL.. life. :-)

Delegating is the Coolest!

2010-03-15T06:42:00.001-07:00

I had a great chat with my Mom in Law this morning. Daughter and Mom think I have too much on my plate with the wedding. Daughter suggested simplifying the floral order just a tad-- and Mom in Law wants to take charge of all the cooking with her 'crew' my Brother-in-law and his Partner. Between them they all have WAY more experience than I do with parties and gatherings. At first Mom suggested I give her my recipes and she would do the shopping and cooking.

Well we talked a bit more and she had lots of good ideas so I said, you know what.. why not use your own recipes, you know them well and that will be fine with me. She also wants to make some burlap table runners for the picnic tables, we're using burlap for the bride to walk on to her place beside the groom under our vine and moss covered arch. The tables will be decorated with succulents and pine cones and some sort of hand made twiggy bird nests.

Anyhow... everyone loves the rustic pretty setting--I'm going there today or tomorrow afternoon to check on some details--I'll bring my camera. Its so pretty! And can only be prettier in May, cuz the Carolina's in May are Heaven on Earth.

In fact there is an old saying:
Carolina is Heaven in springtime, Hell in summer and a hospital in winter.

This is because in pioneer days there was alot of malaria and other fevers in such heavily wooded area, and they didn't have swimming pools and AC --which make the Carolinas a heckuva lot better these days.

Anyhow--My 'to do' list is down to really just doing the fun stuff-- making the various decorations and bouquets, boutinieres, corsages, etc..

This means I have time to fit in planting my garden--which goes in just about that time too, and making a little sister doll set for my sister's 50th birthday in April.

Delegation. Pass it on. ( a message from the friends of Pokeberry Mary)

I'm glad, because I woke up tired again today. UGH! Didn't sleep well. I guess Hubby needs to come home. He's delayed in Fargo again. He was a bit cranky about it, until I told him that his Jolokia Ghost Peppers have finally begun to germinate. Now he's excited. What we will do with at least a dozen plants of the hottest pepper on earth--I have no clue--but he must have them. Perhaps he'll save them for times when he sees Minnesota Viking fans? Like when he is in Fargo. The guy just can't get over that Brett Favre thing.

Well old Fargo is poised to have another bad spring flood. Time for Hubby to come home. Besides, its better for Mojo and me, we miss him.

Well.. my load is considerably lighter now, but its still quite a big list of things to do. I'm excited though. Daughter's wedding is going to be lovely.

Have a great Pokeberry week!

Bird House Hanging Day...

2010-03-14T06:48:00.000-07:00

Well there are 5 bird houses sitting on a bench waiting to be rehung. There are just tons of birdys out in Pokeberry this morning calling, chirping, singing, warbling and doing all that spring 'twitter-pated' stuff. The blue birds have been here and are gorgeous! The finches are turning yellow, its definitely mating season in Pokeberry.

I put some fresh peanut butter/bacon grease suet out this morning. Again it didn't turn out quite right--this time its too wet! However, like before the birds do not care, they're eating it. I was just down the basement and scrounged up some big screws and Hubby's cordless drill. I've also got some good twine recycled from my pine-straw bales and I'll be goin' out and hanging these babies this morning.

This morning I'm also working on my daughter's wedding arch. I've taken the ribbons and birds off and put aside all the pretty stuff. Right now the process is all about wrapping the arch with moss and green brier and honeysuckle vine, and maybe I'll use some jessamine vine as well--if I can find anything with pretty little twinings on it--that would be nice too.

The toughest part of the arch project is up at the top. there is a cross bar I want to drape some pretty nylon mesh on the sides to make it like a romantic enclosure. I got the fabric for 77 cnts a yard on sale, ivory, sage and peach. I had these little drapery rings with aligator clips on them that I found one day at Lowes when I was looking at the clearance mis-tinted paints. Each set of rings was one ring short of a set so they had marked them down by more than half. They looked useful so I picked them up.

Well I unscrewed one end of the cross bar at the top of the arch and put the rings on it, then put the bar back in place. Now I am slowly and tediously 'mounting' the rings in place by wrapping moss around them and securing them in place with wire. They will not show when I'm done--though if they did it wouldn't matter they are the same color. Anyhow they will be used to 'clip' the fabric in place last minute at the park after the pre-decorated and disassembled arch has been put back up. I'm kind of proud of this little idea. I think its a very clever way to do this so that I can still take the arch apart in 3 pieces for storage/transport and I don't have to worry about the fabric at all. Later on I plan to use them and some vines I think to make romantic curtains for my bedroom. I will dismantle the entire arch, re-use all the crafting materials and maybe sell the arch on Craigslist to another bride. #2 Son said I should just use it in my garden, but I have one arch already and I don't think it is sturdy enough for that.

Yesterday I was so pooped! I sat about all day and then went to bed early. Sure enough I'm doing much better this morning. I have to do that sometimes. Last week I had a day like that once too. When I crash, boy-- do I crash! Not a bit of energy.

I'm pushing that Etsy store idea to the 'back burner' well... maybe its not even on the stove right now. ;-) Hopefully later on, but meanwhile I have always MOST enjoyed crafting for my own loved ones more than for selling my work so that's fine. I just won't think about it right now. When my family doesn't need me, I'll pursue that. I still have the space on etsy, just don't have it stocked.

I'm not so sure about the dolls I wanted to make my sister for her b-day either. I do want to finish the set for my Mom in law though--and there's no reason I can't do that pretty quick. Just gotta 'do it'.

The next batch of projects other than the arch, are planning our wedding picnic style meal. We will probably grill at the park. Daugher wants BBQ chicken in the mix someplace. I am going back there Monday or Tuesday to look at the shelter we rented again, I don't think I saw any electric outlets and I want to try one of these pale green sheets out on a picnic table see if they fit--I have another purpose for them if they don't. I just need to know what I'll need to cover the tables and cook.

I'm making all the table decorations, the arch, the cake topper and bouquets and corsages. I LOVE that sort of thing. The theme is woodland wedding, so I'll be able to use many things I have here in Pokeberry, vines, moss, little plants... and the rest is from Hobby Lobby or my craft wardrobe--which has endless 'odd' supplies in it.

The planting is going well here for spring too. I may put a few of the cold frame babies in their permanent pots outside today--gotta check the weather forecast first. If need be I can cover the pots for cold nights, we still are chilly here in the morning.

Hubby is hoping to come home tomorrow as early as he can get a flight. I would like to get the house all tidy before that..but I think to be honest--he won't mind if I don't . The laundry is caught up and things are 'straight'. We got the things he wanted done in the yard and 'then some' to surprise him. Its all good. He's just going to be so glad to be home.

I do sit down by the way. I always work on things in snatches and whenever I feel tired I sit a while. That is why I always have my work area/computer table near the kitchen and a window overlooking a bird feeder. I want to enjoy a view while I rest and work.

Well, the outside birds seem to have finished a few rounds of breakfasting, I think I'll go hang up a bird house or two. I want to try to get them all on trees that surround the garden and that I can see from my window. :) I don't want to miss any of those fledglings! Have a great Pokeberry Day!

Wedding Date and Venue Set.. Keepin' Busy, but Tired..

2010-03-13T06:02:00.000-08:00

Yesterday things strayed off my original plans. I went to Hobby Lobby and picked up a plain white wedding arch to decorate for my daughter's wedding. I also found that some lovely ribbon and mesh netting was on sale that I could match her colors with, 77 cents a yard! I got some sphagnum moss as well and a plain two tier curly edge veil to use to create a veil for her.

Daughter had a doctor's appointment so she and Hubby-to-be were off work. They wanted to stop by and show me the latest little ultrasound--which is supposed to show a face looking out and a little hand waving. Since they were both here and had time I took advantage of that rare chance to drag them out to the state park I was thinking of using for the wedding. I have been trying and trying to get them both not working at the same time!

We drove out to the park along with #3 Son and looked at all the reserve-able picnic shelters for family events. We made a choice of our favorite and 2nd choice just in case.

The one we wanted was PERFECT! Daughter was delighted that there were geese on the lawn nearby and it was on a little hill overlooking the lake. We walked down the hill and there were several great spots to hold a little ceremony with the lake and trees and big mossy, lichen covered rocks as a back drop. There was even a spot where a big tree stood behind two huge rocks and it had a heart carved in it! I could picture it as a great place for a some wedding photos!. Daughter loved it and I got online and reserved it for Saturday May 15th.

Our venue will cost $38 with taxes and fees. The only other fee is $2 per adult to enter the state park. I thought I'd see if Not-so-plump Ernie's family might want to chip in for that, for their own guests and we could cover ours. It won't amount to more than $50 most likely.

The wedding will be small and simple and romantic. There's no alcohol, which is fine. I figure if anyone wants to, after the event they can come out to our place and sit around the fire pit that evening and visit. Most likely the groom's family will opt to go home as they live a couple hours away and the wedding is going to be about 40 minutes drive from our place the other direction.

The shelter is nice. It has a brick floor, places for grilling if you like, lots of sturdy picnic tables which I will cover I think with some $2 Ikaea twin size sheets in a pale green, and decorate with bows. I've begun to stock up on the paper supplies at Sam's club, plates, plastic silverware and cups, napkins will all be plain white or clear.

I'm decorating the arch with green Brier and honeysuckle vines from our hillside, I did a little bit last night to see how it would look. My plan is to have it decorated most of the way well in advance and just tuck some fresh or silk flowers in later. We're going to disassemble the arch in 3 pieces and slip it into plastic sheeting and it will then fit in the back our jeep. Since we are going for a woodsy look, the tables will feature little hand woven vine baskets filled with moss and bedding plants, maybe some succulents. Instead of using a white runner for the bride to walk on, we're going to cover the ground with a sheet of burlap-- either brown or sage green. The colors I'm using are Ivory, green and peach, as well as the brownish twiggy vines. This is a frugal wedding, but it can still be a lovely one! I don't think the most pricey venue in the world could out do this simple country park for prettiness.

Now that the venue and date are set in stone, it is much easier to get the rest done.

We had a huge amount of rain last night, all at once with thunder and lightning. Hubby is still off in Fargo and I miss him. Mojo misses him too. He barked at the thunder and had to go outside and inspect it.

Today, so far it seems it may be a lovely day, the sun is coming and going. I overslept, and for some reason just feel as if I could use a nap. I think I may just need to do that, maybe take it easy today and not try to get much done. Maybe after a little more shut eye I'll feel differently. It seems like a good day to work outside, wish my energy level were more in sinc with the weather!

Well, I took a picture of the 'start' of our wedding arch. It obviously has a way to go. I need to cut more vines and I'll do that later on. I picked up a plain cheap curling iron while I was out as well.. I'm going to see if I can use it to 'iron' felted wool creations. I also found some dried floral Preservative spray that says it can be used on fabric--I wonder if it might be useful for my felted things too--to keep the fuzz level down. It was an older can and the cap was cracked so it was $2 off the price of all the newer bottles. Seems to be just as full. Why should I care if the outer cap is cracked? It will be hidden away in my wardrobe of art supplies anyhow nobody will see. ;-)

Well, its another one of those odd mornings that just call for coffee and a nap. Go figure. Have a Great Pokeberry Weekend!

Healthy Eatin' is Actually Kinda Tasty!

2010-03-12T04:31:00.000-08:00

The other day I made a little side dish to go with some yummy London Broil. It was snap peas and baby carrots, Semi-Asian/ala Pokeberry. I pre-microwaved the baby carrots 3 minutes to give them a head start. Then I put them in a bowl with the snap peas. I drizzled this with a wee bit of olive oil and then added a generous 'to taste' amount of Mrs. Dash Original, next time I want to throw in some ginger and celery. It was pretty good, but the leftovers were even better the next day when I 'morphed them' into an even better side.

Last night I used my homemade no-sodium, no fat (almost..a wee tad of fat always sneaks by ya)chicken stock to make a big batch of Brown Rice in my rice cooker. I cooked the rice with another generous helping of Mrs. Dash--can't recall which flavor--maybe original, maybe onion herb or garlic herb?

When the rice was done I got out my leftover peas and carrots, mixed them with a portion of the rice, drizzled a little bit of Sesame oil on them, and sprinkled in some orange zest from an orange I'd just eaten. I then reheated it a minute in the microwave and ate it along with a a little leftover London broil. It was BETTER the second time--in fact it was just scrumptious.

As for sodium. I'm barely missing it. I have not been using my whole allowance--I'm doing better than the limit. :-) I did put a mini-pinch of kosher salt over the entree and side dish, but gosh you could almost count the grains.

I've learned quickly to savor my morning coffee now that its not very much and I get a treat of one glass of red wine in the evening, which I also sip very slowly and enjoy.

After dinner last night I divided the brown rice left in my cooker into 11 more single servings and put them in cheap baggies. I then flash froze them on a cookie sheet overnight. This morning I wrapped saran over each little bundle and then popped them into a couple of zip top freezer bags and labeled them. I now have 11 more single serve helpings of delicious brown rice that I can reheat quickly and eat with any veggie or just plain. It was actually quite good. I rice cooker full of brown rice made 12 servings! Homemade fast food!

Hubby is a white rice fanatic. He just loves that stuff. I grew up with an Irish Mum, so really we seldom had rice, we generally had potatoes with gravy and the works.. lots of butter and salt and red meat and veggies and bread. It was like Thanksgiving several times a week. Mom was a great cook but she was not a healthy cook. Of course at the time, with 5 growing kids, she probably didn't know that. Anyhow, Hubby won't touch brown rice. Well... you can't make other folks change their habits but you can lead by example and I'll just make my little separate items that are healthier and maybe eventually he'll want to give something a try.

I've been thinking about my heart of course, how not to? I know I have two heart issues that were diagnosed in the past. Either one can lead to heart failure. One can be helped by diet and keeping the pressure down, lowering cholesterol can help prevent anymore problems. There is a valve problem that I can't really control--its either going to progress quickly or slowly. Hopefully it hasn't changed much in the past year. The stress echo test should show what's going on with that. I'm back and forth on my thoughts about it all.. but the best thing is to not think about it at all. In a way, it would be good to just find out I have panic attacks, but I'm not so sure that's it.

Well anyhow I've kept busy to keep my mind off it all as much as I can. One good thing is its warmish here. Last night it was warm and I went to bed with the heaters on--and gosh! I found it TOO warm in the house. Its almost 60 already this morning. YEAH!!

Its also on and off drizzly and rainy. Well this is perfect planting weather! Hubby got held up in Fargo so he won't be home this weekend, so I don't have to really do for him at all... I want to surprise him with a prettier back yard when he comes home.

Yesterday I went off to Lowes and picked a couple of bales of pinestraw and a few more bargain plants. Got some little pots of a variegated yellow and white sweet flag grass which I tucked in here and there to 'brighten up' things. I also got a small 'daisy gardenia'. I have lots of plants I've been tucking into a sort of 'berm' across from our porch. I gave them all some fish tea as a spring tonic yesterday and then started to mulch with the pine straw. Today I'm going to take the jeep and get some more. Also see if they have sod or grass seed--I can add to my little homemade plugs.

I also started to resume my little grass transplanting 'plug' project where I left off last fall. Eventually the backyard will be a semi-shade garden, with grassy paths from house to shed and our fire ring sitting area. We've decided the pool is going out front where there is more sun and a flat area.

Surrounding the paths and the fire ring will be berms or understory plantings in front of the backdrop or woods. I don't need any heavy equipment or help to do this job I just go at it a little at a time, making things prettier everyplace and resting if I feel out of breath or tired.

I may buy a little bit of sod, or some gravel but I've been getting most of my 'grass plugs' from areas of the property where its actually growing. Nothing was growing in the backyard when we bought the place. The man who was here before had the land all littered with piles of things that choked out the sun. Now it is getting better and better.

For perennial plants and shrubs, trees, I usually buy when they are on clearance or I propagate them myself, split old ones, take cuttings that sort of thing, and lately more and more I grow them from seeds. Sometimes I share with my friend Cindy and we do some swapping. I need more room to do this work--more sheltered space.

#3 Son has his eye on something he wants and he hasn't got the money for it. I am thinking I have some very heavy labor that he could do for me in exchange. I have 2 big cold frames now with old shower doors for lids, they are made of those big heavy concrete blocks we inherited here. They're in a big pile that reminds me of King Louie's 'palace' in the Jungle Book They are very heavy--I can't lift them. Number 3 son however is a very buff young man who I'm sure can do the job--though its a big one. I'd like at least two more cold frames, depending on how many more shower doors I have in the shed. (the man who was here left us all sorts of goodies, windows and doors we kept--as some we are using) I also need a trench dug and some block put in across the drive at a certain spot to stop the flow of some erosion that we've been battling, then eventually I can extend the backyard to that area too.

Now #3 Son works for us all the time and usually does it for dinner and a bed. He has done a great deal on this house. This arrangement is until he can figure out what he wants to do and find an opportunity. It has worked well for us as he's a great worker and usually good company too. Moving those blocks around is nobody's favorite job and the boys have all had their share of doing that. Not-so-plump Ernie, my future Son-in-law also got his share of moving block for me. He built my first two cold frames and our nice big fire ring. Well, if #3 is serious about wanting some extra cash--I can give him an opportunity to really work for it. ;-)

So... The warmer weather has got me busy. My mind is off of troubles much of the day, and that's a good thing.

I need to run out this morning, so I'll get more pinestraw, but also I'm stopping at Hobby Lobby and Walmart. I'm also looking to find something I can use to 'iron' my little felting projects when the surfaces aren't flat. There is a little crafting iron tool that I could buy--but its more than I want to pay. I'm thinking maybe a curling iron or a hair straightener would do the job for about 1/2 the price--we shall see...

I stopped work on the smaller doll for the time being, until I make this little run and see if I can do what I'm doing better and more easily with a better tool. She's close to done though.

Well... out in Pokeberry Garden, the birds are all over the place and many are building nests now. I have a few bird houses sitting in here on my dining room table that have been cleaned up and repaired this week. They need to go back out now--tis the season! I'm going to have #2 Son hang them for me before he goes to work this afternoon.

He will be working weekend nights from about 4 pm to 2am. I'm thinking he should see pretty quick if he'll be getting enough tips to make this job pay off. I sure hope so. The weekend is probably the best time for pizza I would imagine. He starts up school next week again so he'll be busy.#2 is also somewhat of a picky eater--his favorite food is pizza. Well, they give him a 50% discount, so looks like I won't have to feed that one on weekends anymore. ;)

Daughter and I have been talking about the wedding. I saw the prettiest veil! It was on etsy. It had just a simple twiggy vine halo with white carnations in it, and then it had the veil sort of attached underneath it in a loose style. I thought it looked perfect for an outdoor wedding beneath a vine covered arch.. hmmmm... I'd make it for her if she likes it.

The plan is for the wedding to be May 15. Not much time I know, but this is a very small wedding, so shouldn't be hard to get done. I do need some good leather gloves though so I can collect some green briar to wrap around the arch, and use the gloves to 'slide' the little thorns off. Then I won't have to find grape vine anyplace. Also green briar is more delicate and easier to twist about. Yet another project. I'm also thinking I may send some little sister dolls to my sister for her 50 birthday next month... hmmm.. Maybe that's more than I can get done... dunno.

Well we shall see... Have a great Pokeberry day!

First Baby Pea Plant Arrives, Mojo learns to Weed..

2010-03-11T04:33:00.000-08:00

Its warmed up some even in the mornings now. It was 45 this morning when I got up. I fed Mojo and the Parrots and then Moj and I went out to the garden to water the plants in the cold frames and peek at my containers to look for signs of life. Above is a photo of the first little bitty green bit of pea plant poking up inside one of my containers. Gosh it took a long time! My pink camellia plant is getting ready to flower too, that's also been slow. The camellia can bloom in January or February but she hates to get frost on her delicate petals so if its cold she will just keep her skirts wrapped tight and refuse to show them.

I've finished my big sister felted Sostern doll and my little sister is coming along nicely. I was just working on her black tights a moment ago. Hubby is still in Fargo.

Had some good news yesterday! #2 son finally got a job!! YEAH! That's 5 down and 1 to go.
Daughter and Fiance are both working, #1 Son and Daughter in law are working and now #2 Son is working. #3 Son is still sending out applications and resumes and waiting. #2 just found a part time weekend job deliverng pizza at night. Can you believe it took weeks to be hired for that job? I mean they do 2nd and 3rd interviews now for pizza delivery! That's how bad the economy is. Well, I know that's not much--be sure you TIP your pizza guy if you order out--they get paid like waiters when they are on the road--below minimum! He is a student and hopefully that will be enough to pay is car payments and insurance and make ends meet for now. He can keep looking for better. There hasn't been much opportunity here that's for sure.

#1 Son has a good job now with great opportunity potential and they have already talked to him about a possible step up, God-willing he'll do well. His dear wife is just working part time in a restaurant so they can share babysitting. Daughter had to pass on a chance to be assistant manager at her store due to just not feeling well with her pregnancy. In any event they are all employed now but #2 Son--so that's another little weight off the Mommy-worry load.

Miss Ruby is learning to kiss and hug. I sent her some pretty dresses the other day and a cute little stuffed chick/ducky bird that makes a noise. Her Mommy tells me she walked around with it giving it kisses and hugs. Awwww... Kids, how 'bout a video for that? How cute!!

Hubby planted his jolokia ghost pepper seeds under light last weekend. I'm watching them for him. I don't know what he'll do with those if they actually grow and set fruit. They are just so ridiculously hot. He loves to make his own hot sauce, but nobody will be able to eat that stuff! Ah well... he's interested in the garden now and that's a good thing.

I'm going to try to make a little soup and some brown rice with my homemade salt free chicken broth today. I'm getting used to this. I can feel the 'little pressure' in my chest frequently, its going to be hard waiting for that stress test, of course if it gets at all worse I'll be running off to the ER and find out what's up earlier. Meanwhile I'm certainly more motivated to obey my diet. I'm thinking maybe I will call the doctor's office and ask if that is really the soonest I can have that test, it just is such a long time to wonder about things. Makes me wonder what happens when we have the government more involved in health care? I mean usually we get pretty prompt attention here, what happens then?

That is a political hot potato I know, but I am very interested in it. Lately I'm hearing how some places are taking more and more control of citizen's diets and habits. North Carolina recently outlawed smoking in all restaurants--not even in the smoking section. There's liberal areas where you can't have certain ingredients in your food. Now New York says they want a law that stops restaurants from cooking with salt.

Well as someone who HAS to watch the sodium, you might think I'd be for that idea. I'm not. In my family there is a strong hereditary tendency to hypertension. However, I still believe each individual is responsible for their own choices in life. If they are not--there is no liberty or freedom. Also, it is not proven that sodium effects most people. I get the feeling that Science has become our Moses these days. The powers that be rely on it to hand down commandments for our good as if they are God. Studies are funded in many ways and used to control things that are not the governments job to control. When did our ancestors EVER expect the government to control our diet or the climate? What strange notions we are accepting these days without even blinking it seems.

Well.. in any case, anxiety or heart? I don't know. Could be both. Today is a stay home day hopefully. I'm going to finish my Sostern Dolls and hope to get them mailed out. Tomorrow I have errands to run and Hubby will be home. ~smile~

The birds are all over the garden this morning and there has been lots of spring chatter out there. Frogs all night long too. I can sleep sometimes with the window open now. Its not a sunny day but its a good day.

Life is good, enjoy your Pokeberry Day and if you think of me, just pray I'll be patient and nothing 'exciting' will happen as I wait. We shall see...

OH-- I just about forgot to tell y'all about Mojo's new trick! He has learned to pull the grass out of my flower beds. Only the grass. :-) He weeded the pansies this morning. I couldn't just post this without that--as soon as I did I looked and there was his picture! It was like he was saying, "Aren't you going to tell what I did?"

Anxiety? From My View..

2010-03-10T04:14:00.001-08:00

Well, my doctor asked me to find out more about family history and since my Mom died in August and I can't think of anyone to ask on my Dad's side, he also had died youngish, I asked an aunt.

Egads. Sometimes I think you just don't want to know. It seems every one of my the women on my mom's side has/had hypertension, high cholesterol and issues with anxiety that had to be medicated once they were in their forties--going back as far as my great gramma. All the D------ Women, had panic attacks or nerves or back in the day 'hysterics'. She said that she and her sisters have all at one time or another thought they were having heart attacks and it was anxiety. Usually for no reason. They also all have issues with arthritis and/or fibromyalgia and I know that most of them have had knees replaced, one also a hip. There's several cases of rheumatic fever as well--which I also had. Pernicious anemia made the 'hit list' as well as did diabetes.

Well fine. Anyhoo I have my regular blood work up today. The big question is has my cholesterol gone down or do we have to start talking about using a statin. Apparently 2 of my aunts use those and it works, but my aunt says that since I'm so young (ish) I should try to hold off on it as I will probably have to take it in my 60s.

One thing though she also said is that nobody but her dad--died of heart failure in their 50s. I found that to be relieving. She said there were some who did later however.

Well I gotta tell ya's my Mom was a hoot. She left me the biggest collection of bum inheritances. I got the flabby arms, the thin hair, the hypertension and the arthritis and I'm betting when I've had my stress test I'll find out I've got the anxiety as well. Thanks Mum, I won't say you never gave me anything. ;-)

Sigh... life is so fun. I'm apparently a modern day hysteric. Well, I guess I could have guessed that. Or asked my kids.

Russel commented below... bacon?? Bacon?? I'm eating low sodium 'strange science' margarine and he has to mention bacon? Ugh, pass me the cheerios... oh wait not this morning, we're fasting.

I guess I'm just in a bit of a 'sarcastic humor' mood. The thing is nothing makes me feel worse than 'thinking I'm nuts' and unfortunately for me-- that's kind of how I think of myself when I struggle with being nervous or uncomfortable emotionally. I feel like I'm not 'all there'. It makes me angry sort of. I guess we all have quirks of our mental outlook--that's one I have. Maybe cuz I was raised around so many women who seemed to be chronic worriers.. and now I have had my grown son and daughter in law telling me 'not to worry so much' and its like you feel almost doomed to a fate worse than death-- being an anxious elderly person--and here I am just barely elderly. I don't even qualify for a senior discount but I've got my clonazepam and my bp meds and diuretics already. And yah... I miss my butter and bacon too.

Well, no matter. Things will look up, the odds are good that I'm not going to drop dead in the garden or on my tready, I'm just going to be an annoying person. LOL..

Look out kiddos, gramma's clutching her chest, "Its the big one, I'm comin' ta join ya Mah."

Inexpensive Large Containers for the Garden and Felted Wool Dolls..

2010-03-09T05:03:00.001-08:00

I'm working on a little gift project. I'm making two little felted wool dolls for my Mom in Law's Birthday. She has an older sister in a nursing home way up in Northern Wisconsin and news lately is that she is fading. Mom in Law and I talked some about her recently and about the years when they were young. They are quite a distance apart in age, 16 or 17 years. They grew up in a small town in Northern Wisconsin and are of Norwegian descent.

I thought it would be a nice birthday gift to make a pair of "Sosteren" two norwegian sister dolls. The older one is at least 16 because she already has her "bunad". The bunad is a traditional festival costume and they are lovely skirts with blouses and vests and are heavily embroidered. A bunad is only for older girls. The little sister will be wearing a short skirt and tights. I wish I had time to make these dolls with all the lovely embroidery that would be on the real costumes-but honestly it would not work for a small doll anyhow, so I will leave them simple. In any case they are sisters, a big grown sister and a little one, in their finest dress.

Every project I work on with wool I learn more and gain more sill and get more ideas! It is a wonderful medium, I'm enjoying it very much. I just cannot make all I think of fast enough however, it is hard to even finish one thing before beginning a new thing.

I have learned a little bit about how to fix my photos so they will fit in etsy--but when I took photos of some work I realized I needed to work on the wool felting more, and I had to learn a way to 'fix' the felt so it would not get fuzzy in time. Now I work with bits of tissue paper sometimes covering finished parts of my projects to prevent stray wool from getting in the wrong places. I just cut small pieces of tissue and loosely wrap it over finished parts and hold it in place with tape.

I'm using a steam iron to make some things crisper, and I'm experimenting with 'hair spray/fixafive' recipes to find the right way to keep my items from getting fuzz on them. The fuzz shows up in photos and I see that I must work on getting my pieces right and learning all I can before I start to sell things. When needle felting you use different needles. I have some that are finer. I use the regular needle first, then the fine one--which are also easier to break!. This helps get things nicely felted so they aren't so fuzzy, but any handling can create stray bits of wool fuzz, so I found out you can use hairspray or a mix of 1 part white glue and 2 parts water to preserve the felting so it won't do that. My own hairspray didn't work well, its not very strong.

Another thing I have learned is that you can make a stiff 'pellon' base for felting if you want to felt into the pellon and then press with a steam iron you can have a stiff 'felt fabric'. This is how I did the bunad skirt for my older sister. There are lots of things to learn about felting.

Other than the felting I'm working on my yard and garden. We are having a short burst of lovely weather here. Yesterday and today sunshine and warm! The overnight temperatures are still cold, so that is keeping the garden behind. I have two cold frames full of seedlings in waiting now and I've begun to plant tomato and pepper seeds for the light stand in the house. Next week is time for my onions and potatoes to go out--though some put them out earlier in this area, I think the cool nights really make it silly to bother this year. My peas have not broke ground yet, but I think there is a stirring under ground, maybe today?

I've been painting a few 6 gallon plastic buckets at a time and filling them with a nice mix of peat, mini-wood chips, compost and soil. The painting process works very well. I rough up the white food grade buckets with a bit of sand paper, then I take them outside and spray them lightly with shellac. I do this all over the outside of the buckets and just inside the rims about a 5 inches. I don't bother with the bottoms. Shellac will help make the paint stick to the plastic. It works on metal as well. I find that a spray can of shellac will do quite a few projects and is less pricey than shellac based primers that you hand paint on, also easier.

I take a drill and put several holes for drainage in the bucket bottoms, 5 or 6 usually, about the diameter of a pencil. These buckets have a bit of a lip around the bottom so the underside is not touching the ground and they can drain freely from bottom holes. If they were completely flat I would drill my holes on the lower part of the sides.

After the shellac has dried for 30 minutes or so, I take a big paintbrush and brush on some good exterior black paint. The one I chose was Valspar Severe Weather Exterior Paint in 'dark kettle black'. It takes a good 24 hours for it to dry enough to fill and put outside. The buckets look just like my big black nursery pots that I 'gleaned' from the curb in our old neighborhood on trash day. They are huge and must have held big saplings.

These containers are easy to move around, I keep them light and cut the expense of filling them by adding a layer at the bottom of crushed soda cans or plastic pop bottles followed by a thick layer of autumn leaves, (mainly oak in our yard). That goes in before the mix I made of peat, compost, soil and small wood chips. It provides drainage and keeps the buckets easy to move.

I plant the containers sort of like 'square foot gardens' except that they are round and each is bigger than a square foot. From a short distance you cannot tell they were painted, they truly look like big nursery pots. Not 'pretty' but they will do for growing vegetables and will be very easy to tend, much better than our awful ground and I don't have to bend down so much either. I even use a garden table to fill and plant them on so it is all an arthritis friendly process too. I can't wait to see them all full of beautiful big plants instead of just potting mix.

Another little tip. Our house had lots of old plastic blinds on the windows. UGLY! They were here for the building process to keep it cooler in here with the sun. I cut some up and bleached them and cut the blinds into plant markers. Using a grease or oil pencil to write on them I have plant markers that will hold up to weather and look just fine.

Another thing that has kept me busy here is working on my diet. I have to cut my sodium and cholesterol more dramatically. UGH! I must tell you, I am a woman who grew up loving Wisconsin butter and salt. This isn't working out with my personal genetic makeup and looks like my heart risk factors are increasing again. I've been doing OK with it. I've discovered some projects I enjoy. Mrs. Dash is wonderful stuff for instance. Smart Balance also has a lightly salted spread that isn't all that bad for a 'margarine'. (I can't believe I'm eating margarine! it almost seems evil)

One thing I like to keep on hand is a soup base product, well I haven't found a good substitute for that in low enough sodium that I can buy at my local store. I do have a tiny jar of bullion cubes but that's not going to work out. I have a pot of stock on the stove this morning. I'm making a sodium free broth in it. I'll have to make ahead and freeze some things using that as a base so I can grab them quickly for lunches and dinners. I don't think Hubby and son are ready to embrace my diet yet, so some things I just have to make separate for myself. I'm also getting lots of use from Hubby's George Foreman Grill.

I'm waiting for an appointment to have an echo stress test soon to see what my valves are doing and such like. I've had some mild angina type pressure. I'm glad I'll be having that test. I will feel good to know that its 'safe' to exercise more vigorously--or if not--I'll be glad to find out before something goes wrong, so hopefully there will be a remedy.

I've also had to cut down on my coffee! The doctor says 8 ounces, well- I'm making that a goal. Right now I'm having about a cup and a half to 2 cups and no caffeine the rest of the day. She also says I must not stress about things, and must take something to calm my nerves if needed. Stress is a heart risk factor, she says its just as bad for me as smoking--well I don't smoke--but I didn't know it was that important.

The good thing about a big garden is making your own canned or dehydrated tomato products. I'm planning to purchase a good dehydrator in the near future, before we get any big harvests. This way I can make them without sodium and add seasoning that is good for me.

Speaking of big gardens, Hubby enlarged my garden area Sunday. He got out his old Stihl chainsaw and did some 'tree killing' as we call it. He removed a great deal of 'scruffy trees' all around the garden area to let in more light. We left the huge old oaks that grow straight up and don't really shade that much. He needs to get a new chain for his old saw so he can clean up the mess, but already I see that my potential growing area is now four or five times bigger. Things will grow much better this way. I do still have a cluster of shade trees behind the shed so I can sit and cool off between garden chores. I keep some chairs and a table there and have been planting flowers and shade loving things around to make it pretty. He seriously loved the gardens I've had at the last few places and want MORE of the fresh veggies. Especially tomatoes and peppers. He wants me to do it in containers so its easy to tend and he will help with the garden and the cooking, sez he..

I'm glad its finally warming up, but now we don't have much time before the heat comes, and the wedding. We need to do some major work outside. This week, Hubby is up in Fargo and the boys and I are preparing for some of that outside stuff we'll be doing soon. One thing they are doing is dismantling some of the quirky cement block walls that the former owner began and didn't finish in front of the house. We intend to do some terracing on our hill with those blocks, make them 'disappear' but also hold back erosion and form beds for planting the hillside and create a better parking area. We also intend to build a deck that will go all around the first floor of the house. First we must push some earth around and dismantle the 2 decks that are existing as they were put in very poorly. The boys and I are getting those areas all free of clutter and ready to be worked on. I'm also working on cleaning up an area behind the shed and organizing my garden pot collection, possibly build a couple more cold frames--but that will wait until next week.

We need to have deliveries of gravel and topsoil and to rent a machine to push things where they should be. All these things cost money and require a stretch of warm weather. Building decks and putting up siding is the same--money, money, money. None of this will be done in a month, but I am hoping some of it will be done over the next several months.

We had a few extra 'surprise' big tax bills the past few months and the last one I hope to pay this week. Now I hear its likely North Carolina isn't going to be able to send folks refunds this year-at least not on time. HA! I'm paying them a big chunk and if I am late, I will get a huge fine--so I won't be. Will they be fined? Of course not. Will they be careful not to spend every cent they get and run out of money again? Probably not. Frustrating. I'm glad we are in South Carolina now, Its not a rich place, but its friendly and warm and far less expensive tax wise.

Anyhow if we ever get to use any of our money we'll get the rest of this stuff done. God-willing.

Well time to enjoy that 1 cup of coffee and my low fat, low sodium breakfast so I can get back to work on my Sostern dollls before it warms up enough to work outside.

Have a Pokeberry Day!

Quick Note...

2010-03-03T05:06:00.001-08:00

I did a post a moment ago--this one is just a little head's up. From now on I'm going back to moderating comments. Last night someone randomly went through and posted comments on 14 different posts in some foreign language with a link - and God only knows what happens if anyone clicks on it. So now I have to go back to all 14 of those posts and remove the comments... which I don't have time for and is pretty annoying.

dumb of me to fall for that. :(

Snowy Morning..

2010-03-03T04:54:00.000-08:00

Julie asked after my last post--yes I am completely well, hope she is too. :)

We have a few inches of snow this morning. Well La tee dah.. eh?

I was just watching out my window and witnessed Mr. Mojo--who was scolded in the house-- saunter right up to the very pot my baby lettuces are in, look around a bit, and then take his big nudgey nose and give it a few good stirs. I ran to a window in the kitchen, rapped on it and then lifted it to holler at him. I KNOW he does these things on purpose! He's so naughty. He wants me to come out and play in the snow and I am just not in the mood. Besides I've been making repairs on Hubby's Fargo coat, he has to go there next week and he's got his multi-layered pockets all torn out.

Anyhow, Mojo is very curious about my decorating. Now that I have painted walls I've been prettying up the living room. I've been putting little gardeny things and plants in there, my fairy in a pot, a bird, birdhouses...that sort of thing. Mojo wants to dig in dirt if I do, and he loves to chew as well as dig and thinks I have put toys in the pots and won't let him have them. One morning I scolded him over a flower pot I didn't want him touching--well he went outside and found a pot in the garden and brought it well chewed to the door. I don't think he does this with evil intent--I think to him its all play. I play with pots--he wants to play with pots as well. He loves to bring his toys to me to share with him. (yuk) so why don't I share MY toys?

I'm a bad puppy I'm afraid. I do NOT want to share my toys with Moj.

Well I wanted again to take a photo of the snow in the woods and it is breathtakingly pretty--but of course-- again-- my camera batteries are dead! I'm charging them right now. Perhaps they will be ready before the snow melts, but I wouldn't count on it, it melts usually from the trees fairly quickly here. Our snowy views are always very temporary.

Well now there is Mojo outside running all over the place with my watering can... Sigh.. What's a Garden Pup's Mum to do??

Spring in the House at Least..

2010-03-02T09:42:00.000-08:00

Well, its snowing! My gosh, this whole Global Warming thing is just not working for me!

Anyhow I brought some garden inside. My pretty birdbath has gotten cracked in the middle and won't hold water anymore so I had one of my boys haul it in last night and I filled it with succulents and moss and pretty rocks. Its a little garden 'fix' until it warms up better. I also have a couple of orchids blooming, and my poinsettia from Christmas is still pretty. This will all have to do.

I put some of the baby lettuce out in a container yesterday to grow--hopefully. The rest is still in the cold frame. I thought I'd see how this batch does before I plant any other cold season things directly outside.

I've been making a couple of new containers daily. I take the big 6 gallon buckets I got on Craigslist for 50 cents ea. and I give them a quick hand sanding, then go over them with some spray on shellac. After they are dry--about 30 minutes later--I paint them with black exterior latex. Now they look like my big nursery pots. I'm using these for the main part of my garden this year. I simply have given up on the 'durt' here. I can't get a shovel in deep enough to even turn it with all the roots and rocks and clay. We decided to go with a combination of raised beds and containers. Containers are easiest for me to deal with so mostly those.

I'd love to get more in the ground but I can't trust this weather, at least I have the indoor garden to look at while I sit here bundled up looking at the gloomy skies outside.

Tomorrow is supposed to be warm and sunny, so far though the predictions haven't been very good, its almost always a little colder than expected. I'd like to get Mr. Gore and ask him to turn up the heat a little, cuz this is nuts!

A Fairy Waits for Spring...

2010-02-28T04:35:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite story poems that I used to read my little girl when she was about 4 was 'A Fairy Went a Marketing' Someone has set it to music and its on You Tube, so I've linked to it. Anyhow, my little girl-- now a woman--reminded me of that fairy some, and I've got a few little bitty fairies in the garden here and there. One is by a patch of Sweet Williams which were her favorite flower when she was very small. The one in the photo above is sitting waiting for spring, she is in a large pot that held lots of pretty flowers and vines last year and she is sure it will again soon.

It was so nice back then, life was all fairies, and kittens and puppies and birdies and babes.. hmmm.. actually why can't it always be that way? Perhaps in some ways it is.

Speaking of kitties, There is a small tabby cat that has been napping under the shed, just as George the lost dog did before Daughter adopted him.

What to do? Mojo goes out and barks at kitty for a while each morning, it doesn't make much effect and Mojo tires of it and comes in, and generally at some point in the morning kitty disappears someplace only to reappear again the next day for another nap. I will not feed this kitty, I've made my mind up to that. I think it will probably not leave us and surprise kittens as Mojo has made it plain he won't be a good neighbor to them. Its nice to see a kitty for a moment, but we won't encourage it to visit often.

The birds continue on at the feeders seemingly un-bothered though there is sometimes a cat beneath the shed and the occasional hawk swoops in attempting to catch one of them.

Yesterday six gorgeous bluebirds visited us for about an hour. The smaller birds mainly stayed in the tree tops while the doves, as large as they are, didn't seem to care. The bluebirds feasted on fallen seeds beneath the red feeder and made the garden more beautiful. I stopped and watched from my seat here with my binoculars and just enjoyed it. Who could resist such a scene?

Well aside from the birds, there is more going on in the garden and in the house. I now have one of my cold frames full of cool season plants; veggies, herbs and some flowers. Today I will clean out the other one and soon it will also be filled. The light stand has room on it now for at least 4 new tubs of seedlings. I want to start planting the warm season crops. I'm growing tomatoes in particular and peppers, but also lots of other things including some gourds to use for crafting.

I've got a few different types of big gourd seeds. One year for Christmas I made some special birdhouse gourd Santa's and a pair of Tomten figures, a matching girl and boy. Tomten are a sort of Scandinavian elf like person that wears a little red hat and have a Christmas legend. My Norwegian in laws loved the gourd Santa's and tomtens and often tell me I should make more and try to sell them.

Well, we are in a good climate for growing gourds and I will see if I can do it. They must grow and ripen and then be left outside to become hard and moldy and 'yucky' and then be brought in and cleaned well before decorating. I've done the cleaning process before--I soaked mine in the tub with wet towels over them so they be damp--they float--so you can't wet them all over without the towel. I then scrubbed them hard for a while until they were clean enough to decorate. At that time I chose to decorate with a wood burner and oil pencils and to coat them with polyurethane. They came out beautifully. I purchased those gourds at Renfrow's Hardware, they were a bit pricey, but then it takes a long time to ready them for sale. It would be nice to see if I can grow my own instead. So, like many things, it all begins with a seed, and hard work, and could result in gourds to decorate--we shall see..

I am still working on Etsy--or at least thinking of it. I think Hubby will help me with the photo problem I've had today, he's been busy on some other projects but I think he is ready for that. Actually I haven't really 'asked him' to help, it could have been done sooner, I was not ready. I was delayed a bit by family events, and other things, but the idea is still appealing. I've also got about 1/3 of my house painted now on the inside--which is pretty cool. The house looks so much more like a home now.

I still can't think of much I'd rather do though, than keep house, garden, make some things and write--maybe I won't make much money at all, but maybe 'just homemaking' is still a worthy life? Why not? I'm sure I'll be busy enough and who else really does the things I do? Nobody. The things are do are needful--so I guess--its the way it is. I am simply 'that Pokeberry Woman' I guess. If its OK with Hubby and Me, then that is all that matters.

Well, here's a mug of coffee lifted to Spring--may it come soon and last long, and may much be done by the time it is gone. A garden begun, perhaps some decks up and some siding, a driveway defined better, a daughter wed... Good Heavens! Maybe Winter is easier?

Still.. I know this will be a good spring!

A Pretty Morning, but on the Chilly Side.. Waiting for Spring

2010-02-25T05:35:00.000-08:00

I've been enjoying watching the birds outside as I have my breakfast and coffee. Catching my eye in particular a pair of Carolina Wrens that are inspecting the compost bins. The male has been using one of them as a 'post' for a while. He sits there and surveys the land. It appears a female has come now to join him for spring. She has been hunting for bugs beneath the leaves nearby. It is the nesting time of year. Right now a blue bird is sitting atop a shepherd's hook reminding me that I have not yet mounted my nice blue bird house-which has never hosted blue birds by the way. On my list for the past several days has been 'clean out the bird houses', I've still not gotten around to it.

Earlier I saw a black headed bird a ways down the hill gathering dry grass and going in and out of a brush pile near the woods. I think it may have been a rufous towhee but I didn't see it that well. The feeders are near empty again as well, and it appears to be time to cook up more suet--I have enough to fill the feeders today but I think that is all.

A very pretty woodpecker has been searching for suet or bugs, he did a bit of tapping on one of the wood frames for a raised bed, I don't think there are bugs in that--it is pressurized wood. Two titmice are chasing each other through the trees I think it must be two males likely courting the same female.

I've started to drag some of my seedlings out to the cold frames now. They sit in those during the day and I bring them home to the light stand at night. I want to leave them out but I am not sure what the temperature drops to inside those frames, I keep thinking I should invest in a new max/min thermoter. Its a thermometer that tells you what the maximum and minimum temperatures have been. I had one in my old hoop house green house in Wisconsin but that greenhouse was torn apart in a bad storm and the thermometer died with it.

Technically it is certainly 'time' to be putting more plants outside or in the cold frame, even to start more seedlings. When the sun hits me and I'm out there I can feel that familiar southern sunshine heat--the sun is warmer here than in the north--you can feel it. Still... its chilly this morning. Its 32 at the moment and the temp hasn't budged a bit in hours. That's not that cold... but dare I truly leave my babies out all night even with a cover? Maybe just the lettuce...and the scallions, and parsley perhaps?

I need more room on the light stand! It is almost time to start the warm season plants, and the cool season stuff is still here. I do still have the bottom shelf --but I never put a light fixture on that--maybe I ought to.

Patience. Patience is always hardest at certain times, when one is 7 months pregnant, when waiting for some important good news, and always at the tail end of winter--no matter where you live-- north or south-- its never too early for spring.

In Go The Seeds, Then Comes The Rain.. Mojo's Lamentations, Ruby Herself, and Looking Forward to the New One..

2010-02-21T04:20:00.000-08:00

The sun was very warm yesterday afternoon when I finally tucked my first sowing of peas into the ground. I planted four kinds. I'm not sure about one of them, I don't know how old the seed is, it was a gift from another gardener and is an old Telephone Tall Pea variety, an heirloom. I am to save seeds if it happens to germinate and grow. Perhaps it will. I gave my peas every chance. I soaked them overnight in water and then sprinkled and coated them with a little legume inoculate, a bacteria that helps peas sort of generate their own nitrogen so that they will grow nice and big. As I was sowing and enjoying the warm sunshine I was thinking ahead to the rain that was expected today. Perfect timing for planting!

This morning it is already warmer than it has been in the mornings here by nearly 20 degrees. It is 43 degrees here at 7 am! Spring must be coming. Yesterday I heard many bird voices singing their best songs early in the day. I remembered that I do need to get my nest boxes all cleaned out and properly mounted soon.

This morning at the moment I only hear the rain. The little peas in the warmed up earth are soaking up moisture and hopefully I'll see bits of green peeking up in about a week wherever a seed was sown. If the weather holds, I will be planting out more things next week.

Mojo had an adventure yesterday. We took him with us for a ride into town. Hubby bought a new TV. It was kind of funny because we forgot we had Moj with us. The TV box took up most of the back of the back of the jeep--which is where Mojo goes normally. Obviously we couldn't fit him in the front with us and he did have to go in back, in the little bit of space we managed to arrange for him right behind Hubby.

Mojo always waits nicely in the car and we decided to stop and have lunch in a restaurant while we were out, so Moj was of course in the driver's seat when we came back. He looked a bit like he belonged there too. ~smile~ Of course he was ousted back to the rear right away.

Mojo makes the funniest sounds when he is not pleased. One night the boys had company and he badly wanted to stay up with them. He generally goes to bed when Hubby and I do. We told him to lay down and he did, but he flopped down loudly and dramatically with a noise that sounded allot like 'harrumph'. We chuckled in our bed. Yesterday Hubby had put Moj in the cage as we were getting ready to leave for our ride. Mojo let out the loudest most plaintive wail I ever heard--"HOW could you??" That's how he ended up in the back of the jeep with the TV, we just couldn't. We aren't always so 'easy' there are times we have been quite firm with our no to Mojo.

Sometimes the boys like to go target practice in a field back behind our house. When they have a gun with them Mojo is not allowed to follow along. Yesterday after we got home they did that. Moj sat outside on his tie out looking longingly out at the field where the boys had gone, and beseechingly back at the house to see if we might have mercy on his plight. Not this time. Eventually he again plopped himself down with his disgruntled harrumph noise and waited for them to come home.

This dog is almost like having a 5th kid. He wants to play with his big brothers and go wherever they go, and he doesn't like to be left behind or out of the fun. His verbal complaints are so funny! He truly does seem to be human when he tells us off or pouts.

I did have to abandon him one more time for a short while. He is a devoted Garden Puppy. However, I did not allow him to come with me when I planted my peas. I know him too well. He wants to do whatever his human pack mates do. If he sees me dig in the dirt in a certain spot--as soon as I am done he will run over there and dig that same spot. I finally realized that as much as I enjoy his companionship in my garden, he cannot accompany me for seeding or weeding chores. He seems OK the rest of the time--but those are times when he can really be a problem.

On To Human Babies...

I heard news from Daughter-in-Law out on the other side of the country. Ruby has caught cold so she is 'slimy and whiny' and therefore no pictures this week. She has also learned to say no and put up a good little tantrum already and is an expert climber--which is keeping Mommy and Daddy on their toes. I was amazed at Christmas to see what a true force of nature this tiny little one was. She's so much her own person, as they all are from birth. Reminds me of my own babies, especially #2 Son who was the climber and Daughter who was the independent one. But she's not either of those, she's Ruby. It will be fun to find out who the little person is that is growing now, and scheduled to join us in the fall. Reminds me of one of my old favorite Cat Steven's songs-- Oh Very Young.

Oh very young
What will you leave us this time
You're only dancing on this earth for a short while
And though your dreams may toss and turn you now
They will vanish away like your daddy's best jeans
Denim Blue fading up to the sky
And though you want them to last forever
You know they never will
You know they never will
And the patches make the goodbye harder still

Oh very young
What will you leave us this time
There'll never be a better chance to change your mind
And if you want this world to see a better day
Will you carry the words of love with you
Will you ride the great white bird into heaven
And though you want to last forever
You know you never will
You know you never will
And the goodbye makes the journey harder still

Oh very young
What will you leave us this time
You're only dancing on this earth for a short while
Oh very young
What will you leave us this time

Feelin' Better and Chomping at the Bit for a Warmer Weekend!

2010-02-18T07:45:00.000-08:00

Well I was just outside cleaning up one of my cold frames to make room for some seedlings I hope to put out there tomorrow. We're warming up finally. It doesn't have to be uber warm for these plants, I might even have been able to put some of them out sooner but its been so crazy cold here I didn't want to chance it. Right now in the garden I still have some lettuces from fall and some herbs. The parsley has continued to grow, the chives are beginning to green up and the bigger sedums are poking out new nubblies.

Mojo and I enjoyed a bit of frisbee throwing and I fussed at some of my gardeny stuff and then came in. I am cleaning some more of those dirty old mayo jars and I have some leftover chicken to pick at today. I think I'll use it for dinner with some pilaf and make a batch of stock and some cookies--but gosh-- well-- first a nap.

My throat is much better, but I've still got a sinus infection--just not as bad now. I still need that little extra rest.

I made a new file on my pc this morning, its a list of article ideas to prompt me for writing in a more formal way--try to maybe sell a little of my writing to magazines. Actually that might be a better idea for me than etsy--though that is still on the burner--just not cranked up to high today--its simmering.

The main reason I began to blog in the first place was to improve my writing--I always had the idea in the back of my head that someday I would be paid to write. We shall see...

I want so much to work outside this weekend! All the stuff there is to do... oh my!

Oh I got new tires for my car a week or two ago. 2 rear ones. Hubby usually does that and he never will keep the old tires for me. We've argued about it. Well this time I took it--and I kept the old tires! Saved the $3 recycle fee and got myself a couple of planters.

YUP--they're goin' in the garden. They might not be the kind you can turn inside out--I'm not sure. I'll paint them pretty and put plants in them anyhow. Julie over at A Succulent Life has tires and hers aren't inside out or painted, but they're pretty with the colored rocks and succulents in them.

Hubby thinks I'm nuts--but sheesh! He's hanging onto a huge pile of old concrete blocks-- now THAT is ugly. He says they're useful--well so are my old tires.

I'm thinking I may move some of my strawberry plants into tires.. or should I make them a home for succulents or flowers like Julie did... hmmmm..

Well anyhoo, its nappy time. There's some nice warm sunshine hitting the recliner and its calling my name.

No Talky, Sore Throaty..

2010-02-16T16:33:00.000-08:00

Well I saw the doctor today. Looks like I've got a sinus infection and double ear infection. My throat is also terribly sore, so I have sinus med, antibiotic and lidocaine to numb my throat. Fun fun fun!

I'm sitting here right now because I'm such poor company. I was surfing around a little bit and Hubby wanted to know if I'd like to work on my etsy photos right now. I think he feels sorry for me and wants to help me. I'm just not in the mood. :( Bummy me.

On the bright side Daughter had a doctor appointment today too and is doing fine. Baby is the size of something?? is it a kidney bean now or a kumquat? (what is a kuquat anyhow?--some sort of fruit I guess)She's working her full schedule and seems Ok, she doesn't seem to be having too hard a time with morning sickness but she takes naps and looks a bit tired. Wedding will be in May and outside--I think. Since its so far still I planted some springing blooming annual flowers in hopes that some might be in bloom to pick for her wedding. I'm mainly looking for white, yellow, orange and green blooms and of course green leaves. Its not certain I'll have blooms but if not we'll just buy flowers for the wedding and we'll have a prettier garden. Win/win.

We've been doing lots of texturizing and painting in the house and I wonder if that is what got me sick. Its been too yucky to get outside much. We should be in the 50s the end of this week though and then I'll plant my peas. Peas will germinate in 40 degree soil--so they can go soon. Spinach as well.

I'm looking at food dehydrators. I want to get one before we start harvesting anything. I do want to can and do some minimal freezing but I think there are lots of recipes in which I could easily use dehydrated fruits or veggies--and its so easy to do that. I used to have one but sold it on Craigs list--dumb me. However--maybe not so dumb-- cuz they have improved them so much that I think when I finally get mine it will be a better one than I had before.

Not a whole lot more to say today, I guess the sinus meds are kind of making me sluggish. So no talky now, or writey I guess. ;)

Recent Update of Sams and Aldi Price Book

2010-02-16T03:07:00.000-08:00

This is my 'personal' price book for Sams Club Warehouse store and Aldi Discount Grocery Store. It is not 100% accurate. I only update the items I actually purchase from time to time at my local stores.

Lately I've shopped for cheese exclusively at Sam's club and I'm beginning to get all my canned vegetables and tomatoes at Aldi. Those particular items I'm noticing a big difference between the prices at these store and other stores. The items I buy at Sams or Aldi are almost always lower priced than the everyday prices at the normal sort of grocery stores in my area. Sometimes using coupons and sales however the normal stores have much lower prices than Sams or Aldi on many items. I've noticed it is almost never that I find a coupon/sale deal that gives me lower prices on cheese or other dairy at Sams and lately the price of canned tomatoes and veggies at Aldi did rise a little--but it seems to be at least 20 cents per can less than the other stores--often even when those things are on sale. Those are just my most recent observations. Also I now buy Diet Coke at Sams, I never used to but it has gotten so high priced that Sams finally has the lowest price most weeks. I'm also cutting back on our purchases of this item and also trying more store brand diet colas. This is one of those things Hubby in particular wants around--so I haven't cut it completely.
On meats/poultry/seafood-- Sam's usually has the best deal on rotisserie chicken and it is a nice thing to bring home after a long shopping day. I like to buy whole chickens at Sams as well, they are daily priced lower than most stores--except Aldi--but they are better than the Aldi whole birds. This week I got Sam's whole chickens on sale! Aldi has the best price and good quality on frozen, skinless, boneless chicken breasts. They still sell 3 # bags and they are still just around $2 per pound-every day price.

Books--I also find good deals on popular books at Sam's club. This week I purchased Coupon Mom's book for less than it is on Amazon! I've also purchased Sarah Palin's book there and it was about 1/2 price. I made the mistake of not buying the recent printing of Julia Child's Mastering French Cooking there in December because I thought it might by my Christmas gift. :( Turns out it was a great price--Sam's sold out and I did't get one under the tree. Awwww..
Sams Club

Updated: 12/30/09
***2/10
DAIRY
**Milk- 1 gallon-2.06(up.12)
Cottage ch 80oz or 5#; 5.98 (.o74peroz-or 1.79/24oz)
Cheddar 5# 11.28/2.25/#
Mozarella shred 5#- 2.15/#
Egg beaters--
Butter-1.72/#
**Cream- 2.98/qt.

BEVERAGES:
Diet Coke: 4 2ltr/1.07ea

FROZEN
Asian Stir fry -Veggies frozen-6.98 /4.8#(1.45/#)
Lasagna
Pork Egg Rolls- 8.87
Crinkle French Fries-8#-6.54(.81/#)
Italian chickn. Tenders:48oz/10.88(.22/oz)
Mozarella sticks-8.98 55+

BAKERY
Flour tortillas 36- 10” 3.84 lg.(.10ea)

CLEANING SUPPLIES
Cascade
Tide*doesn’t seem to work as well as it used to, overpriced.
Ecos- new gray water friendly detergent includes softener- 13.88/210 oz.
.066/oz

BEVERAGES
*Wine 5liter- blush )11.37
Folgers coffee
Beer-
OILS
Peanut Oil- 35 pounds is $48 (7/09)
**Diet Coke-1.14/2 liter
SPICES & CONDIMENTS

Chicken Soup Base--3.47 *makes 10 gal)
Parmesan Cheese-7.38 (minus $2 evalue)-24 oz=.30/oz reg. price
Red Pepper Seeds- Chili Powder-4.98/20 oz.= .198/oz
Cayenne Pepper ground-
Blk pepper whole-5.5
Spaghetti Season14oz/5.64(1/3c =4csauce)
Salt-4LB-.
Heinz Ketchup -4.28jug

BBQ Sauce -Sweet Baby Ray’s- 2pk; .06/oz
Baking Soda
Salt
Kosher Salt ?
Dry minced onion
Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ
Granulated Garlic

CANNED VEGETABLES:
**Canned Vegetables & tomatoes are now significantly lower at Aldi so I did not update or buy any on this trip 2-10-however they are a few cents less than regular stores--@ about .71per can
Mushrooms-.14/oz-12/4ozcan
CANNED TOMATO/SAUCE

Sauce-12/15oz-can;.6.48=
.54/can
Diced -8/14.5oz;.042/oz
PASTA, FLOUR & RICE
Popcorn 50#/16.58=.33/#
Converted Rice:
*Rice-White12# 8.68 Long Grain 25#
Spaghetti noodles 6# (.94/#)
Pasta Sauce (Ragu)
Rotini 6.52
Macaroni
Flour-25 # =7.26= .29 per pound
Pecans-2#/9.78= 4.89/#
Meat-/Deli
Rotisserie Chicken-
Chicken sausage- 3# 11.97; (3.99/#)
Whole Chickens-
Corn Beef-2.88/#

Cereal
Fruit Loops-

PRODUCE

Bell Pepper-1.16ea; in 6pk

Sweet Onions
5#bag lg. onions; .774/#

DOG FOOD-
Members Mark 50#/18.48=.369/# (Walmart has a better brand- for our dog)

Aldi--

Updated:
12/31/09--re-updated 2/2/10
Aisle 1:
Croutons- .95/6oz
Saltine Crackers-.89/# (same)
Wavy Potato Chips-1.29/11oz
Oyster Crackers.
Pancake syrup-$1.49/24oz
All Purpose Flour- 1.79/5#
Sugar 5#/ 2.19

Baking Soda.49/1#
Peanut butter--Creamy & Crunchy-$1.39/18oz=.
Sweet Baby Ray BBQ Sauce-
Angel Hair Pasta .59/#/16oz
Vegetable Oil- $2.39/48oz= .051/oz
Dry Cereal (like fruit loop) $1.79/ 15oz
Spices:
Dry minced onion $1.09/3.75oz
Garlic powder $1.09/5.5 oz

Aisle 2:
Chicken Stuffing Mix-.89/6oz box, =.148/oz (no change)
Instant Mashed Potatoes- .99/13 oz (down .10)
Tea Bags-$1.69/100 bags=.016 per cup of tea-- I like the flavor, mild.
White Vinegar-.79/32 oz=.024/oz
Flour tortilla- 10pk/.99 (same)
Corn Tortilla-
Spaghetti -1.59/2# (down .10)=.795/#
Lasagna Noodles--1.29/#
Egg Noodles--.99 ea(#?)
White rice--
1.49/3#; .596 per pound (Mahatma on sale @ HT-.0625/# 4/14/09
Pepperoni-1.99 for 8 oz - .2487 per oz same
Spaghetti Sauce- 1.09/26oz
Canned Veggies
Canned Whole Kernel Corn- .49/15.25=.032/oz
Canned Baked Beans-like Bush’s-.59/15oz
Canned Kidney Beans- .59/15.5oz= .035/oz
Canned Black Beans -.59/15.5oz (no change)
Canned Spinach-.49/13.5oz= .036/oz
Canned mushrooms-4 oz/.49 =.137/oz

Canned Stewed Tomato.55/14.5oz(up .06 per can)
Canned Diced Tomato-.49/14.5oz-.033/oz
Italian Canned Diced Tomato- .49/14.5oz= .033oz
Tomato Sauce--.25/ 8oz= .031/oz
Canned Diced Tomato & Chilis .55/14.5oz(up .06)
Canned Tomato soup- .49/10.5oz=.047.oz
Fruit Rounds Cereal-- similar to fruit loops--$1.79 ? Size?
Wide egg noodles- .99 /12oz

Aisle 3:
Fab softner liq 2.99 /51oz=.058/oz
Fab softener sheets 2.99
Zip freezer bags- 1 gal 1.09--up to 1.99/30 bags
Zip close bags- 2 ga
Zip close bags- freezer-1.99--30 gall/ 40 qt.
Saran style wrap- 1.09 per 200ft 1.29
Drawstring trash bags- $6.29/56 bags= .112/1 bag
Bleach- $1.29/96 oz=.215/oz
Cotton Swabs .79 for 200--
Iuprofenb--50ct .99 none in store in 12/08
Acetaminophen-50ct/500mg- 1.99
Antacid Tablets--96ct-1.99
Laundry Detergent - 100oz/ 6.99-55 loads (?)= .06/oz
Toilet Paper- 1ply- lg rolls, ‘vaguely similar to Scott’ 2.49 for 4 rolls. .62/roll
Paper Towels-- choose a size- 2 rolls- 2.89
Plastic Cups- similar to Hefty red/blue party cups--.99/20 cups
Maxi pads--1.79
36 ct black trash bags-6.29
Oven Turkey Roasting Bags
2/1.49
3 Blade Razors--2.99 for 4=.74 ea(need to recheck amt.)
Tooth brushes 4/1.69=.422ea
Fresh Produce:
Potatoes-Russet/white-2.49/10#=.249/#
Bell Pepper--1.29/3 =.43 per ea(down .7 ea)
Celery bunch 1.29--lg bunch
Pepper assortment ?
Jalapeno peppers- about a dozen large fresh-$1.29
Roma tomato 8 for $1.49 (down. 20 cts)
Head of lettuce-1.19ea
Tomatoes:4/1.69
Sweet corn- 4 ears-1.99
Cauliflower Head-1.89
Zuchini- pack of 5 or 6 small, 1.69
Cuke, -1 /.59

Refrigerated Foods:
Eggs--1.25 doz.
Cottage cheese 1.89/24 oz. (same)
Milk 2.29/gal
Buttermilk- 2.29/½ gal. carton
Bacon $1.99/16oz.
Butter 1.99/#(same)
Spinach, flat leaf in bag-$1.99/9oz
Cheddar/mozzarella blocks 1.99 for 8 oz=3.98/#
Shred mozarella-2.89
Shred cheddar 2.99-- poor taste noted this trip.
Frozen Foods:
New (to me) items: Asian Teriyaki Stir fry w/veggies/noodles- was good-$2.99
Frz Chicken breast-skinless/boneless 3#/ 6.29 =$2.09/#(up .10/#)
Frz chicken legqs.?
Ground Beef 3# Chub- 75%-4.99=1.66/#
Sausage for breakfast Brown N Serve type
.89/10 links (same price)
Hot Italian Sausages-2.49/
5 links
Oj--$1.19/can makes 2 qts. (down .6)
Whole Frying Chickens--.79/#
Popsicles- junior pops w/ sugar-24-split able doubles. 1.99

Sausage Casings and other adventures..

2010-02-15T04:30:00.000-08:00

Saturday we finally located a store that sold casings for sausage making! It was a pretty neat place too. Hubby and I had an outing there. It was a ways away, but Daughter called and needed a ride home from work, and it was along our route so we did that as well. We got our sausage casings at The Peach Stand in Fort Mill SC. 'Sal' who is a butcher there and I think must be from someplace in New York, gave us lots of tips and help and sold us some small portions of both lamb and hog casings to use. We ogled some of the meat in the glass case in the butcher shop there--it looked really really good--but also pretty spendy. Not in our budget right now, but if I ever want to make a really special meal I'll remember where to go.

I've been sick as I mentioned last time I posted. I didn't actually end up making my sausage. Hubby and #2 Son took that over for me. I still have a little left to freeze today and some will be cooked in spaghetti for dinner, but its all been ground up and spiced.

They used the hog casings up but had trouble with the thinner lamb casings. Our grinder apparently doesn't have a part that fits with the lamb casings. They would not go over it. Thus we have a great deal of bulk sausage that is not cased, which I'm freezing in one cup portions so it can be used for meals.

Hubby did it all backwards, I was napping so I didn't supervise. He made his maple breakfast sausages with the hog casings and ended up with bulk Italian sausage. I'd have gone the other way. No matter, it worked. He also used too much onion in the breakfast links, but decided he liked it. Next time its onion powder only. You learn things as you do them. I always said I had a big learning curve in life, why shouldn't he too?

I'm going to try to find a funnel of some sort that I can use to attach in some way to the grinder so we can use the lamb casings we bought. There is no appropriate part I can order for our machine. Luckily we only have a small amount and it was very inexpensive. Also--they keep up to a year or two in salt in the fridge so I don't have to worry about them.

I'm feeling a little better. Hubby is telecommuting today so I will have his nice heated jeep to do my errands. My car has a problem with the heat that we haven't been able to fix yet,its a vacuum thing and just requires more time and investigating than he has had time for. The AC works though--and living here that is the priority. Usually if I just wait til afternoon to drive it its fine. Other times I use a car blanket and bundle up. Old cars are such fun! But --no car payment--ever. Pretty good trade off.

I got a little more painting done over the weekend. The front hall is done now--except for the trim. I've picked out the last color I want to buy of paint before that rebate deals ends. Today is the last day so I am getting two more gallons of paint when I go out later this morning. I just love the living room color! It looks so warm and inviting and fresh--and it makes our poor old furniture look nicer as well--which is great because its got to make it a while longer yet. ;)

Hubby and I talked about Daughter's wedding and have decided we want to stretch this until May and possibly then have the outside wedding she wanted. We'll have more cash on hand then which will help. Hopefully it will work out fine. Its nice to have more time, I feel so much less stressed by that. I don't think her mind is all on a wedding right now anyhow, she's very preoccupied with baby thinking and also with her job. I was feeling a little too stretched by this, also I think with getting sick and the lovely issues of being an aging female.

I'm thinking more and more of my garden. I'm starting more flower seeds now than I was thinking originally. I will have a great deal of outside work to do once the weather warms up here-lots and lots of planting! I told Hubby yesterday that I already have about $300 worth of plants on my light stand, and I'm not done planting--and that doesn't account for what those plants will be worth at harvest time. Amazing the value of a seed!

My big expenses in the garden this year will be compost and mulch, other than our grapes and filberts which I still haven't ordered. I'm planning to spend time on my garden every day. The doctor wants me outside in the sun every day anyhow to keep up my D level, and I know the work will be good for me in so many ways besides being useful for my pantry and to beautify the yard. I had my vitamin D level re-checked last week and also calcium, no news yet-so I'm thinking it may have improved. They generally contact you if things need to be worked on. My fingers are feeling much better than they were--so now I don't know if it was the vitamins or the glucosamine chondroitin supplements I've been using. Whatever it was is worth it! There's nothing quite so annoying and busy hands that hurt.

I did NOTHING on my Etsy shop this weekend. I wonder if it is just not the time to do that right now.. I guess I don't have to rush. Right now I am concentrating on starting seeds and organizing more and more here and also on getting all our walls painted. Some still need the texture on them. My sons are doing that. I can paint walls--but not ceilings, they will help with all that too. I do all the trim painting so far. I also need to figure out how to cover windows--right now we just have sheets and some old blinds that I am removing as they fall apart. The blinds came with the place and I think must have been recycled. I'm recycling them further by cutting up the slats, bleaching them white again and using them for plant markers. They're very good for that.The dusty old blinds were OK temporarily for a construction zone but I'm pretty sick of looking at them. We have so many windows though! I have to be careful not to bust the bank on covering them. Eventually I'd like to have bamboo blinds in our living room and dining room but I'm not sure when that will be yet.

Soon there will be things to do for the wedding. I'm going to make Daughter a hair piece and I'm doing her flowers and decorating and probably the cooking. Always something! I also want to decorate an arch for them to be married under. I'm thinking I'll use wild green briar and silk flowers for that. We have green briar vines all over the trees down hill from here just on the other side of the stream. I need to tear them out anyhow, why not use them?

I always seem to have too much to do, but its good, I want to be useful and I think I am. The night comes when no [wo]man can work, as the Good Book says, so while we can, why not do so?

Well off I go to have breakfast and plot out my day. Have a Pokeberry Day!

Planting, Pork Sausage and Painting Progress

2010-02-13T03:28:00.000-08:00

Above is a photo of my light stand which now has 145 nicely growing seedlings on it. I've got more seeds to plant yet, and one light shelf isn't being used yet! Some of the cool season veggies, herbs and perennials will go out to the cold frame in the next week or so. I'd do it today but I have an awful sore throat and fever and we did get several inches of snow last night--so I think I'm just staying in today. I 'might' start more plants today..dunno.

I've got 2 big pork butts in the fridge that need to be ground up and mixed with sausage spices so they can set overnight before being made into sausage patties or bulk mix and then frozen. I still don't have any casings but no matter, we'll just freeze it in small bulk packages or patties. I may freeze some plain ground pork as well.

The thing I am most excited about is painting the walls in our house finally! This morning I came downstairs and was greeted with a lovely warm view of my newly painted living room. Not-so-Plump-Ernie and I painted the living room yesterday. We didn't get the dining room done because I didn't feel well and it was snowing so I really wanted him to get on home with Daughter before the roads got too bad. He will come back when he has a free afternoon and we'll finish the dining room. I did the trimming and he did the rolling. The color is Florentine Clay and I love it!

Another pretty fresh painted spot is my pantry wall by the kitchen. I painted it earlier this week. The wall is Moontide Green and I painted the shelves Sun hat yellow. Very pretty! I've been working on getting my root cellar pantry down off the basement in better order too, no pics of that yet, but it is coming along nicely. I just have to keep reminding my family that just because there is some floor space in there does not mean they can fill it up. Its MY rootcellar.... mine, mine, mine.
I've been cleaning out the old jars the former owner left us, there turned out to be dozens. I wash them and put them upside down in clean fresh cardboard grocery store trays that I've been picking up at Aldi or Sam's Club. Then I wrap the trays and jars with a couple of recycled plastic grocery bags. This way they'll stay nice in the dusty root cellar. I didn't find any spiders in jars but I did find some little crickets--and they were alive! I let them outside.

Lowes has got that awesome rebate thing going on the Valspar paint and I made out great this week. I got all the paint for our ceilings and the living room and dining room and hallways and laundry room. I'll get money back on all of it. The biggest deal though was 2 gallons of a paint that matches my son's comforter very nicely. These were 'mistake' gallons so they had been marked down to $5 each. Well my gosh-- I couldn't believe it--the cash register printed out rebate forms for those too! I'm getting them free. I also picked up several very nice quarts of pretty fresh colors that I will use for various things that were mis-tints. I used one already to paint one of my plant pots.

I have 8 or 9 pretty fiberglass pots that I got once at Walmart. They were throwing them away because the geraniums that they used to have in them were dead. They gave me those pots free. last night I painted one yellow with mistint paint and it looks brand new. Its in the living room photo holding the mother-in-law's tongue plant.

Oh my! I'm looking out my window at the moment. I may need to get more photos. The morning is beginning to break and I am starting to see the woods and garden with all the snow. We've never had this much snow in the Carolinas since I moved here. It is truly lovely. I think it will melt mostly this afternoon, but I heard we would get more Monday. We shall see..

I guess I do need to venture out for one thing--I must fill my bird feeders and suet cages, the little feathery folk will be needing those cold weather calories won't they?

The snow in the pines and over the garden is truly lovely. We won't see anything like this again for a while most likely.

Starting the Pea Patch, Picking Paint Colors and Planning a Low Budget Wedding... Just Another Day..

2010-02-11T04:20:00.000-08:00

This morning there is a blue jay hanging around beneath the feeder on the hillside. The doves aren't very pleased with him. They seem to be meek and mild birds by reputation but I have seen them chase other birds away now and then. It looks so pretty outside! I can hear the muffled sound of birds singing in the bright sunny morning, but its far too cold to open a window. Currently its 21 degrees here in Pokeberry and I am getting ready to plant peas outside and wondering if this cold will let up soon. We had quite a lot of wind yesterday, it was another pretty sunshiny day and would have been warmer if it weren't for the wind.

I was out running errands all day yesterday, I started with an 8:20 am appointment in Indian Land--a town about 20 minutes away usually. I thought they had begun to take down the old bridges over the Catawba river that I use to get there--so I went the lonnnggggg way and it took me more than twice the time. Then I found out they haven't done it yet! The bridges I need to use are still up for the time being and they've taken down another smaller one that I don't need to use. Well.. at least my ride home would be shorter. I don't know when they will start on the big bridges because I missed the town meeting on that, but perhaps it will be up on a website or something by the time I need to go there again-so I will know. All I know is at some time in the near future they will begin to replace the bridges.

Indian Land is about half way to the library where I used to work and so I had planned to go visit my old co-workers and run errands along the way and back. I went to the Sams' Club near the library and picked up some pork to make sausage out of and a few other things we needed. I also picked up a copy of "The Coupon Mom's Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half by Stephanie Nelson, aka Coupon Mom--it was on sale at Sam's for $8.88. I'll write more about it later. I'm sure it will have something in it that is worth the price. I'm reading it through in the evenings and jotting down anything I learn that I want to try, then I want to give it to my daughter. She has to pinch her pennys til they scream with this new baby on the way. Maybe something in the book will hit her as a good idea to try.

I had a very nice visit with my old co-workers/friends at the library and then went to the little old fashioned hardware store that is nearby. I needed some legume inoculant. I haven't seen it any place I normally shop and I had a hunch they'd have it--they did. Actually I should have asked if they had sausage casings--they just might, I've been trying to find those for about a month now.

Renfrow's Hardware is one of those old time hardware stores that maybe is a little overpriced but where you'll find all that stuff that Lowes and Home Depot don't have, as well as things like live baby chickens and feed and garden seeds and canning supplies, etc.. I love going there whenever I'm near the library. I got my legume inoculant and also some seeds for the garden and a few red and kennebeck seed potatoes. I should have picked up some seed peanunts while I was there. I think I see another trip that way coming soon. Either that or next time I go near my daughter's home I'll stop by at the Farmer's Exchange They are an old time feed store as well. I love those places. You never know what you might find that you've needed forever. That would be a closer place to drive to for me usually.

So I have more seeds. It is time here to be planting herbs and perenials in the house and soon time to plant out the cool season veggies again. Peas and spinach can be seeded outside now. I have a little spinach already started in the house. I want to do the peas possibly this weekend.We're supposed to have snow tomorrow afternoon and I see no point rushing to plant with that in mind--Saturday or Sunday will work fine.
I'll soak them overnight first and then dust them a little bit with the powdery legume inoculant that I bought. It is a sort of rhizomous bacteria that helps legumes 'fix nitrogen' in the soil. I really don't know the science of this terribly well but I will say that it is reccomended that if you have soil where legumes haven't been growing it is a good idea to inoculate the seed or the soil in order that they will grow better. If you have been growing legumes (peas, beans, peanuts) in the area frequently you probably already have this stuff in your soil so you needn't spend the money. It is pricey! I was pretty taken back by the price. Actually I'm often a bit stunned by prices at Renfrow's but then again--they do have everything there--so I'm not complaining--'just saying'.

I bought 1.5 ounces of Guard-n Seed Inoculant. It should be enough to treat 8 pounds of seed. Well-- I doubt I'll plant 8 pounds so I'll have some left. I'll have to think on how I want to deal with that. It was $6.99!! I'm talking about what looks like about 2 tablespoons of very fine dirt or pepper--smells like dirt. Wowsers! Those better be some real fine peas cuz this stuff seems like its close to gold in value.

~~~Had to pause a moment to gaze at a gorgeous bluebird out on the red feeder! I better refill that suet again, the birds have eaten almost all my homemade peanut butter/bacon fat cornmeal and sunflower seed suet from back when we had that ice storm.~~

We've begun to paint the inside walls finally! YEAH! I did the pantry wall in my kitchen first. The rest of the rooms I am still deciding on paint. Lowes has another one of those paint rebates going on the Valspar. Yesterday I picked up 10 gallons of ceiling white. I'm going to use it throughout the house for economy's sake. I'll get back $40 on it. When I got our exterior paint it was during one of those rebate sales too, so we got back nearly $100 on it. The kitchen is 'moontide' green with 'sunhat' yellow for my open shelves, I'm not sure yet about the cupboards themselves--which I'll be painting. I was going to do them in 'seasalt' a pale green, but I'm not sure I like the look of it right now.

There are big splotches of color on various walls throughout the house as I test colors. I have settled on a color for the upstairs hall and laundry room its a reddish color called 'florentine clay'. I like it. The color I tried on the living room and dining room didn't work out. I'll be rethinking it. One wall is shared with the kitchen and will be moontide green, but all the other walls we were thinking something similar to terracotta--what I got looks like a pumpkin or squash-- too bright and too orange. Makes it look like the florida orange juice house next the green. I was thinking more that I wanted something to complement the scenery outdoors in very season. We have lots of trees and some bare clay earth in view, pines and oaks mainly. I buy the little tiny sample cans at Lowes for about $3 and then try the colors near windows. This way I will know what it looks like before I spend on a gallon. It takes about 1/4 of one of those cans to really get an idea I think, that leaves me 3/4 of a can to use on some other project. :) I also like to look at the 'mistakes' clearance section at Lowe's paint department when I'm there. As an artsy type I can always find use for discounted paint.

Well all that aside, I don't have too much to do. LOL..
I'm trying to find an inexpensive meeting or banquet room to do a wedding with about 20 guests. Our big outside wedding in the fall for Daughter and not-so-plump Ernie is going to be moved indoors, up on the calendar, and down in price. Since we want to get it done before her pretty dress is too tight we're hoping for sometime near the end of March. My Mom in Law and I have been calling around to check on possible locations. I found out that in South Carolina you can hire a Notary Public to perform a wedding. Since we're not affiliated with a church that seems the way to go. They are very inexpensive and some are 'mobile' and will come to your event.

I suppose its no wonder I haven't gotten very far on the Etsy shop. I'm just always hopping about doing other things. Funny, by the end of the day I am so tired and still thinking of things I haven't finished yet--even when I know my 'I did' list is a respectable size, it seems like the 'To Do' list won't be reduced.

Well off I go, half a day's gone by since I began this post. I've written it in little increments which seems to be the way lately. Nice thing about computers is you can save your work and pick it up again, just like knitting.

Etsy Schmetsy! Opening My Shop, A Work Still in Progress

2010-02-08T04:48:00.000-08:00

Well, although I did Ebay some years back and got used to how to do that, Etsy is not quite the same. There's more to learn than I had realized and it is taking me longer than I expected. Its fine.. I'm just not getting there as fast as I thought I would--but I will get there.

Right now I am boning up on postal rates and deciding how to set up shipping rate options for my shop. I'm also learning more about the photo aspect--how to size my photos and how to get better lighting and more professional looking pictures. It does matter I think. It is not my strong point and its all things I had wanted to learn anyhow, so if I take my time and absorb into my not so young brain slowly I think it will 'take' and be useful information.

I'm also working on a felted wool fox. I think I'd like him to have a jazz instrument as did Jasper the Jazz Bear who plays saxophone. It is easier to come up with new ideas for critters than it is to actually craft them. I 'see' the shapes of critters all over the place.

That's a funny thing actually, it has a long history for me. I can recall back when I was a little girl looking at the patterns in clouds or floor tiles or carpeting even and 'seeing' things. I could see the faces or bodies of imaginary creatures almost anyplace. Now I often see critters in the shadows of the pine or cedar trees outside, in the swipes of joint compound that my sons have covered dry wall screws with, in the swirls of our bathroom tile. Ideas come to me very easily they always have. Getting the work done is different.

Actually making a project means deciding first of all which idea to use. Then it requires the discipline of working on it and not straying off to another in the middle. It means I need to sometimes start over when it isn't looking the way I want it to. Today I just took my scissors and completely removed my fox's eyes and nose. Poor dear! Well no matter, he'll have new ones and they will look the way I want them to.

I have to admit of all those critters I made for Christmas this year--the jug band animals--only a few really made me feel happy. I liked my fox and my bear best I think--which is probably why I'm beginning now with a new bear and fox. I really disliked the way the pig worked out. His face didn't appeal to me much and his suit was not at all what I wanted. I felt pressed for time and its funny--when you are creating things you usually will find that other people like your work better than you do! Most of the family liked the flapper chicken best. Hubby liked the goat. I seem to always see things the way I want them in my mind and then they don't quite always work out that way--so I improvise and edit until I feel I can't do better or I like them as is.

One thing I like much more about trying this venture now is that I don't have to rely on my income as much as I did back when I last tried this with ebay. At that time Hubby was not providing enough for us on a regular basis and I HAD to make my art sell as quickly as possible. Thus I found a niche that I knew would sell and I produced as fast as I could. I painted yorkie dogs. Yorkies were sort of the rage then with quite a few women who would buy just about anything someone put a yorkie on. While I liked some of my work then--most of it I felt was a little silly. It was a matter of food on the table though--so that's how it was. Eventually I came to the point where I started to look for a real job instead and was hired full time in artist's supply store. I didn't sell anymore on ebay after that because I was too pooped to do much that was artsy after spending all day on my feet selling supplies to other people.

Anyhow-- I am blogging when I should be working on my fox or my photos. For shame, for shame.

I'll have to write again when there's more to report. Right now I have a faceless fox staring at me and I don't think its pleased.

How to Pick a Chicken Clean and Why

2010-02-06T05:44:00.000-08:00

I ran across a good sale this week so I added 8 whole chickens, weighing between 4 and 5 lbs each to my freezer. Yesterday three of them went into the oven for roasting. When I want to cook more than two chickens I use the lid of my big enamel roaster as if it were another pan, I just flip it over and put the birds in it. I wash the chickens out in a clean sink, inside and out. I use cooking oil (usually olive or peanut) to coat the pans and rub some on all the chickens too. I put a little kosher salt and some thyme and pepper inside the cleaned cavity and over the top of the birds to. If I want a special flavor I just use different herb combinations or maybe even some citrus.

I like to roast my chickens hot first to develop a crusty skin and then turn it down. I start with an oven preheated to 425-450 for the first 15 to 20 minutes and then I like to put about a tablespoon of butter in each pan when I turn the temperature down to 350 for the rest of cooking. I check my chickens at about 30 minute intervals and baste them a little with the buttery pan drippings.

When it comes time to pull the birds out, you can use a meat thermometer but ts always been my habit to check for done-ness by wiggling the legs and also cutting into a thigh. If the legs will freely wiggle and don't feel tight they are probably done. If you cut into the thigh and clear liquid comes out that's a 2ND test, no juice at all--its a little too done, cloudy or red juice--you should let it cook a little longer. Works for me.

When I take my chickens out of the oven I like to put them in recycled rotisserie chicken containers that I wash out and save. Every now and then I buy a rotisserie chicken. Usually its when I'm at Sam's club and its been one of those days when I haven't got much done. Their rotisserie chickens are delicious and I think they are just a little bigger than at some stores in my area. Also the containers they use are good quality an large. They hold up to quite a few washing and re-usings. In my opinion they're great. I know-- 'they had poultry in them!!! YUCKY!' OK-- ** Lawyer free zone disclaimer** YOU probably shouldn't re-use containers that have had chicken in them--although these have only held COOKED chicken. I wash mine in hot soapy water and I do re-use them--but that's at my own risk and same goes for you. I think they make this job easier and when they get worn out I throw them out and have no qualms about it.

I'm a morning person. I get lots and lots done in the morning usually. By evening though, I'm pooped. I just don't want to deal with another thing after dinner. I like the ease of clean up after dinner when I pop my rotisserie containers of roasted chicken leftovers into the fridge for the night. Sometimes the boys (my adult at home kids) will pick a little off in the night, no matter. The next morning I do my 'picking' when I'm feeling at my best. I can clean a carcass in the time it takes my coffee maker to brew a pot. When I sit down to have my coffee I just feel 'good' like I deserved this treat.

I sorted what I picked off the birds into the lids of the containers and into stock pots. I had next to me two stock pots which each got an equal amount of bones and bits of skin or meat that wasn't deemed suitable for meals. I sorted the rest of the meat into 'people' or 'dog' or 'Premium'. I think of the scraps that Mojo (our German Shepherd) gets as payment in full for his alarm system duties. He not only alerts us to anything real or imagined that moves in the dark woods or comes near our house, he also wakes us up in the morning--and he has a snooze feature as well. ;) There's a very satisfying feeling I want to add, when I am busy in my kitchen picking bits off bones and Mojo is lying at my feet with his full attention focused on my work.

I like that I'm not wasting a bird. I also think sometimes about the tremendous amount of nutrition in these birds that those who eat only the boneless skinless liquid injected flash frozen over-piced breast meat are missing. No matter what 'they' the experts say--I just can't help having a suspicious feeling that there is something wrong with eating that way. I'm betting that some day, in my lifetime they are going to tell us we need dark meat or at least a little animal fat. Wait and see!

When I was done picking my chickens this morning I had 1/2 a pound of kinda yucky meat for Mojo, 12 ounces of premium juicy white meat for Hubby--cuz he's making teriyaki stir fry later and he's a bit picky about leftover meat--so the best of the best went in a bag marked for him. What was left was 2 and a half pounds of 'people' chicken. The boys and I will use this stuff up for the most part by Monday. Sunday I'll probably pick through whatever is left and make the decision to use it or freeze it. Today some of it will go into my big pot of soup--which I'll make when the broth is done brewing. Some will be eaten with other leftovers or on salads or as part of quesadillas by my sons. Maybe I'll make up a chicken salad? We'll see. In any case its a good deal of use able delicious meat.

When I was done picking my chickens I cut up a couple of onions very coarsely--just some rough chops--and tossed them into my stock pots with the bones. I did the same with some carrots and celery. I added a bay leaf to each pot and a handful of pepper corns and smaller handfuls of kosher salt. I also sprinkled in some thyme. (cuz its my favorite cooking herb) I filled the pots almost to the top with cold water and set them on my biggest burners turned to hi. Once they reach a boil they get turned down to simmer for a few hours. When they are done I strain out all the bones and veggies and then put the broth pots in a big bus tub I keep in my kitchen filled with cold water and ice. In a short while the fat rises to the top and I scoop it off with a spoon.

I'm nursing a sore throat and slight fever right now so one ne pot of this morning's broth is is strictly for Medicinal Chicken Soup. I took the time while cutting up the carrots, onion and celery earlier to also chop and peel some of the same a little more finely. It is in the fridge in a bag right now waiting for my stock pot to be de-fatted and then it will become soup. The other pot will partly be used tomorrow I think, to cook some beans. Whatever I don't need for that I will either use for cooking something else tomorrow or I will freeze it in ice cube trays or a recycled container so I'll have some chicken stock on hand.

I have to say I'm amazed at the economy of a chicken. You buy this whole chicken--or raise your own--which is something I'm still looking into--and you get all kinds of value from one bird. You get flavoring and nutrition for several meals and snacks and also stock or broth for soups or sauces out each bird. You can also get eggs if you own the chickens.

Chicken has vitamins, immune boosting properties, cold medicine, protein, fat that helps metabolize vitamins. Its good for you and so inexpensive if you buy the whole bird and use it. I always feel good about my chicken picking habit and I guess that's why I write about it now and then. Just can't stress enough how much more economical and nourishing a whole chicken is than those boneless, skinless things they charge so much for are.

Food for thought.

A Rose of Sharon, Irish Eyes and My Little Lentil... Little Late Seedlings

2010-02-04T04:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday when we went to the doctor they were checking to see if there was anything on my daughter's ultrasound. They had told her that based on her blood work she was far enough into her pregnancy that a little heartbeat should be visible. Well.. since they'd only seen an empty yolk sac the first time they tested her a few days ago in ER, they had prepared us to accept the idea that there was a 70% chance she was about to miscarry.

I did some praying of course this week, and although I had no idea which way it would go I knew it was God's 'say' if there would be a child or not and I would be there to help my daughter through it whatever He decided.

It didn't take long to find out. I thought this would be a very long process, things have changed so much since I had my last baby 21 years ago. Within 15 minutes or so they were showing her the screen where here baby's little heart was beating away. A baby they say is the size now of a lentil! Amazing!

I took her and Not-so-plump Ernie out for a celebratory dinner at Applebees and then we parted ways. It was a happy day. The days ahead will be a mix of joy and struggle--such is life.

When I got home I was going about my evening chores and realized I'd forgotten to turn off my lights over my seedlings. On the bottom shelf there are two plastic bins that I have moved all the 'no show' seeds to. These are cups and other containers that I planted with older seeds not knowing if they would take or not. Anything that sprouted got moved up a level or two on the shelves and is growing. Anything that has taken an inordinate time to germinate has been moved to the these two bottom bins. I planned that soon I would dump them and start new seeds in their places. They're mostly going to be compost.

Well on a whim, I decided to peek and see if there'd been any new sprouts in those two bins. I saw a bit of green and pulled out a cup-- Rose of Sharon. I planted several cups of Rose of Sharon from different years that I had saved it. This cup had not sprouted though another one has nearly outgrown my indoor shelves. Rose of Sharon made me smile. It is one of those names for the Lord that show he is precious and to me it also indicates his all sufficiency. If you know this plant, it is a beautiful plant that is easy to grow, tolerates nearly any abuse, can be allowed to grow to a pretty tree, espaliered, grown into a hedge-tall or short and some folks even use them as a sort of ground cover. It blooms all summer long even in our awful heat, attracts humming birds and bees and then produces tons of seeds. Amazingly useful plant. I've put a couple of pictures up on this post of Rose of Sharon--but I may take them down--I don't remember where I got them and I know at least one of them is not my own--I may have just saved it to remind that I liked how it looked and wanted to try espaliering Rose of Sharon some day.

Anyhow I found this little tiny very late to sprout Rose of Sharon in one cup and moved it up to the a new bin. When I went back to look and see if there were any more seedlings I found an even smaller sprout in one cup. Everything else around it remained just plain dirt.

I read the cup label and found it is a baby Irish Eyes Rubekia. I bought these pretty seeds back when we first moved to Charlotte and I planted some at our first rental home where I imagine it still grows as the landlord there asked me to leave the garden, he thought it might help attract a new tenant. Anyhow it is like black eyed susan sort of except it has green eyes or centers.

As I read 'Irish Eyes' I thought immediately and in my mind I could see 'not-so-plump Ernie's laughing eyes beneath his red hair as he celebrated with my daughter that their little babe is indeed coming along just fine.

All along I've known this guy is 'the one' for Daughter. I've known him now for sometime and found him to be intelligent and have a good sense of humor. He's also kind natured and gentle, understanding, tolerant--he'll eat anything and has no problem with Daughter's quick changing moods and difficult days. He's been just the picture of loving toward her from the day they met.

I just felt it was a moment of 'reassurance' from the Lord--silly maybe--but just one of those little reflecting moments when impossible things seem more than believable. A blessed little bit of faith rewarded. The Rose of Sharon is here and Irish Eyes and my Lentil is on his or her little way to a pair of folks that I know will treasure their babe no matter how hard things may get.

Life seems to be getting much better for my oldest boy and his wife and little Ruby, I believe it will for these two as well.

We're not alone in this world after all, we have that all sufficient help in the Lord.

We Have a Beating Heart!

2010-02-03T15:24:00.001-08:00

Short but sweet. I went with Daughter to the Dr. today. They did a 2nd ultrasound and everything is fine. There's a teeny tiny heart beating!

Thanks for your prayers!

Dusk on Pokeberry Hill

2010-02-02T04:01:00.000-08:00

Hubby knows some of my frustrations with things I try to do. One of them is getting better photos. I'm always trying to improve my photos and also to learn more about software that can be used to work with photos or graphics. One difficulty I've had is in focusing my new camera. I tend to have a very difficult time for some reason holding the camera still enough! I get all these blurry photos because of it--especially when I want to photograph a landscape. Last night Hubby brought home a borrowed tripod for me to try. I got the landscape of our hillside at dusk with it. I'm going to borrow it for about a week and hopefully in that time I'll get some interesting photos. Then I guess we'll see about finding a tripod for me to buy. I still haven't learned all the settings on my camera so often I am a little surprised at my outcomes when I do certain things. The one above I thought was pretty, I know its not 'great' but I liked it. This is part of what I see out my window when I am sitting here at my table with my laptop. That view is part of why we chose to buy this crazy do it yourself house.

Well its just about 7 am. I slept a little later than usual--but not much. I have a couple of big stock pots going on the stove this morning. My giant pot has a collection of chicken carcasses in it and veggie scraps--for the most part celery, onion and carrot. The smaller stock pot is full of shrimp skins and a mix of veggie scraps that includes the onions, celery and carrots but also tomato and pepper scraps--both hot and sweet peppers.

Yesterday I shopped at Sam's club and brought home some chickens that were marked down and some big blocks of cheese and a few other thing we use. I had all those stock ingredients in my little chest freezer so they had to come out and be turned into stock or broth in order to make room for a little higher quality of food. I am thinking I would like to can some of this stock and keep it in my root cellar pantry, This would keep it from cluttering up freezer space. I'm using more and more homemade stock and it seems like the more I do from scratch the more I think of doing from scratch. Also the more I venture out to the stores the more I think of my garden.

EGADS! The prices seem to be going up every week--not on each item--but I notice something every time I shop. The past 2 weeks I'm noticing a big rise in canned vegetables. This seems to be in every store. Aldi is currently the least expensive, although they too have raised prices--but are still about 20cents a can less than 'normal stores' The chain stores like Food Lion or Harris Teeter have gotten to where the sale prices are higher than the normal prices were in December. Yesterday I noted that the canned veggies are also much higher at Sam's Club now.

Back in November I know I was paying less than 50 cents a can for veggies at Aldi--they are now 53 or 55-- I lost my receipt last time I was there so I couldn't update my list--but I have to stop there today so I will do so soon. I believe Sams was about what Aldi is now--but is now in the 70cents plus range for the same size cans as are Food Lion and Harris Teeter--although they call these sale prices.

Anyhow I guess I want to get some practice in with my pressure canner--make it a part of my habits and the pattern of my day. If I use it more often it won't seem like such a big deal when the garden starts to produce this summer. It is familiarity with a process that makes it easier. Same thing with my camera and computer and eventually listing things on Etsy.

I figured a good way to start using that canner more is to start canning stock and broth and chicken rather than loading up my freezer quite so much with those things.
I have a side by side fridge~freezer and I have a fairly small chest freezer. With the garden I intend to do this year I will either need to increase freezer space or do much more canning. I think canning makes more sense. Its cheaper and you don't have to worry if the electric goes out. I also want to get very good at canning chicken and broth/stock before I purchase any chickens. Another plus to doing the canning is that I can share food with Daughter more easily.

My new chicken keeping book is at the post office waiting to be picked up. I have to go there anyhow because I've been riding around with my grand-daughter's box in my car for about a week. The book arrived during our icy days and the mail lady couldn't fit it in our box. Our hill was treacherous so she didn't attempt to drive up it--nor did we attempt to drive down. Its all good. Gives me a good reason to MAKE MYSELF go to the post office as I should have last week.

Later today I also am planning to stop in at my daughter's and I will stop at Aldi on the way there. I'm so intrigued by the price rises lately I guess I just want to keep an eye on that--although there are also a few things there I need, and I want to pick up some things for her as well. I know she and not-so-plump Ernie are broke right now. She was also told to stay home from work a few days, and he stayed with her yesterday. Nothing has happened however, except that she has tried to adjust to the idea that she doesn't know what is going to happen with the pregnancy. She has an appointment with a specialist tomorrow afternoon, if nothing changes, we'll know more after we see him. He will see what her blood levels are and do another ultrasound to see if there is anything new. I'm still hoping this is all going to be OK. There is a 30% chance it will--that's the positive view of it. The odds could be worse couldn't they?

In any case God knows what He is doing and what His purposes aren't. I'll trust in His will, as I've had to do in so many other inexplicable things in life.

What else can one do?

We are having rain but at least it is not freezing. My goodness what a sloppy ugly fall and winter it has been! Just not at all like what we would have normally. My son's guest arrived from Wisconsin to a sunny warm day on Thursday and ended up housebound with us most of the frozen weekend before he flew back to Milwaukee. He must wonder how he managed to plan his mini-vacation for an ice storm in South Carolina. Well, he was good natured about it, so that's good.

While at Sam's yesterday I picked up some fresh cardboard box bottoms--or trays. The sort they keep in the big bins for customers to take free. I plan to wash some of the jars in my root cellar and swap out the cardboard trays or boxes they've been in. Some of them are very old and yucky as the former owner here left me quite a few boxes of jars. The jars need to be cleaned and then I will wrap them several times with recycled plastic grocery bags to keep them clean. I'll still have sterilize them whenever I want to do any canning but at least I won't have to scrub off year's of dust and worry about spiders as well. I figure I can do a couple boxes a week or so and check each jar for cracks as well.

Most of the jars are old recycled mayonnaise jars. I've asked around and researched and I've been told by someone I truly trust on this topic--Jackie Clay of Backwoods Home Magazine-- that you can use these for canning not only in a boiling water bath canner but also in a pressure canner. she has done so repeatedly and says she has not had any more breakage with them than with normal canning jars. Since this is a woman who has canned hundreds of jars of things every year for longer than I've been married and written a book on the topic as well--I figure she knows what she's talking about.

Now watch... I'll bust a whole pot full of them on my first try! ~smile~

Seriously, I think I have about 7 dozen or more of these jars, they must be good for something.

Well.. off I go to get the day moving. I think since Hubby couldn't take time to help me with gimp last night and I need to just get this done--I will go ahead and do my first listings on Etsy with photos that I'm not 100% thrilled with. There comes a point where you just need to 'get it done' and worry about details later.

One last thing on my To-Do list today is to get my mind made up and order whatever seeds and plants I want for spring. I'm going to get those Ernie's plump tomato seeds and also some grapes, and a few smaller fruit and nut plants this spring. Its time to order! I think also I will order peanuts--although I can probably buy those at the little hardware store near my old library, I'm hoping to go there tomorrow--we'll see-- the day could be a bit too full since I have blood work in a town to our east in the morning and want to accompany Daughter to her appointment to our west in the late afternoon. Sigh.. a push me pull you day! Maybe I need to scale something down there? I had planned part of the day to be an outing with my friend. We shall see..

Looks like a full day~or days ahead of me. Please continue to keep Daughter in your prayers as she waits to find out what's happening & Have a Pokeberry Day!

Jasper Jazz Bear & Stuff

2010-02-01T09:39:00.000-08:00

Jasper's ready to go up on Etsy. I just want to use Gimp to clean up his photos. I'm going to wait for Hubby to do that with me because I'm a little uncertain about how it works still. I also need his guidance to make my avatar for etsy. I did miss my goal--but well.. I'll try to make up for it soon.

My daughter was told that it is about 70% certain that she is about to miscarry. There's still that 30% chance that things will be fine. There's absolutely nothing to do but wait. She and I had long chat this morning and I think that was a good thing. She's had a good cry, I've done some praying and a little bit of singing to lift it all up to the Lord. I felt so bad for her when she described herself as feeling just old and tired. She's 21! I know that feeling so well however. It is a sad but too tired to care feeling--it is an overwhelming of emotion. I shared with her that I really do understand her feelings. I am so glad she has 'not-so-plump' Ernie. He truly is the sort of guy who is kind and patient and I know will be careful of her in the days ahead. He's young but he is a good choice for a life partner.

Well time will tell. I am hoping things are fine and the baby is just a bit slow growing. Of course this was a really inconvenient time for a baby-- but honestly--when is a baby ever convenient? God's will be done, and I pray he gives us grace to handle it all no matter which challenge we are faced with--either way is a challenge.

I am so glad though that she and I had that talk. It was something we both needed.

Sad News...

2010-02-01T03:43:00.000-08:00

I was called late last night. My daughter was at the hospital and they aren't 100% sure but think she miscarrying. It is a very difficult thing, I don't think they can be certain yet and she must bear this. I'm going to see her later today and see if I can be of any use, maybe just for hugs?

Keep us in your prayers. Thanks.

The Moon in its Place...

2010-01-31T02:52:00.000-08:00

I've just made my coffee and done my weekly chore of sorting out my pills for daily use. I used to have a little 7 day pill holder but I've added quite a few vitamins and supplements lately for my joints and bones mainly, so I decided to make use of old pill bottles. I'm also using them to save garden seeds. They're a handy little size. This morning I doled out doses of my morning regiment into 7 recycled bottles labeled with the days of the week. I have one big dark bottle labeled PM into which I put 7 doses of the things I have to take before bedtime. Gosh its fun getting old. I take more vitamins than a pregnant woman--or at least it seems that way. On the bright side--something in that mix seems to have helped my hands a little--YEAH!

I'm now relaxing here with my coffee cup and looking out at a very dark sky. It is not dawn yet, almost 6 am. There is a moon behind the tallest bare branched tree in the garden. Its either a full moon or just a little bit less than full, I'm not sure really. I should learn to keep track of that, its interesting, as most nature study is. I cannot see anything else out there the sky is completely black. This tells me that all the clouds must have wandered away sometime in the night. The storm seems to have left.

We didn't get as bad of weather as we could have. We thought it was going to sleet for 12 hours and then snow. I don't know if it snowed much in the night- too dark to tell right now. I do know my lights never went out nor did my water. Hubby may chuckle at my preparations! I think though, if I had not filled all those buckets of water--perhaps the electric would have gone out. I don't like to be giving in to that sort of 'magical thinking' but by golly--it sure seems that way sometimes. You let go one of your balls when juggling and everything falls down! Anyone else ever get that feeling in life?

Yesterday I cooked up a pot full of black beans, this morning I'm doing white beans. I used the black beans in a sort of 'cuban' rice, beans and shrimp dish that used up all our spanish rice and salsa from taco night. I also made a couple of chickens later in the day. The guys had rice and beans for breakfast, polished off the leftover taco meat at lunch and then ate most of the two chickens for dinner! Good heavens they can pack away the calories!

Speaking of calories--when its as cold as it is the birds outside need extra ones. We had feathered guests all day long yesterday. It looked like a little buffalo migration on the ground except the herd was made up of juncos, doves and towhees. Up in the trees and sitting at the feeder were finches, cardinals, titmice, Carolina wrens, and woodpeckers among others. I felt bad for the wood peckers and the wrens so I made up a batch of peanut butter and bacon fat suet with seeds and cornmeal. Its not the best recipe. I found it online and it was said to be proven--but when I made it was way too dry and crumby. I ended up adding some peanut oil on top and patting it into a pan and reheating in a warm oven to try to get it to stick together better. I ended up with a 9 x 12 pan of semi-acceptable suet. I filled three suet feeders with it and am going to freeze the rest. I will not use this recipe again but I'm sure the birds will appreciate it for now. Beggars can't be choosers eh?

Watching the birds in the garden and on the hill side is the most relaxing entertainment it gives me so much pleasure that I continue to adjust our budget to allow for the cost of sunflower seeds no matter how much the price goes up. I think I am feeding every little 'sky rat' in town on cold days, as there are so many here now. It makes me think how dead the place seemed when we first bought this place and there wasn't a bird in sight. I'll always remember that. It was the same feeling I had when we moved out of our own home in Wisconsin and rented that old farmhouse and all there were there was the drab little sparrows all winter, and then in Fargo sparrows again for the most part. Now I have more birds to watch than ever and I feel as if it is a nice reward for my vigilance and generosity toward them.

As the old man in Fargo told me, "If you feed them, they will come." So true--works with birds as well as lost dogs and cats, and stray people as well.

I seem to find that its best to have a pattern to my days. I get up and do the same things and if I need to add some new habit I find it a spot in my 'pattern' and just do it. I've added turning on the lights for my seedlings every morning. I do that at just about 7 am, so I can turn them off at 7 pm. Usually I will also turn them off awhile in the day time when the sun is shining best through the windows. The seedlings are coming along very nicely. It hardly seems as if planting time is anyplace near. Yesterday I was out in the garden and it was treacherous! The ground beneath me was coated with ice as were our cars and the road here. I stepped very carefully. As I was refilling the bird feeders I looked at the big containers standing ready to be planted with peas soon and I wondered at the idea of planting anything in such hard frozen soil. February is the beginning of pea planting though and I will be doing that! I may wait a week or two though--we'll see.

Today I have a goal. My new Etsy shop will open and 2 items will be listed. Perhaps a nice needlework book and Jasper the Jazz Bear. I'll post a link to the Etsy shop on the sidebar for folks to look at when I've got it done. I think I let myself fall of track with it because I was a bit jolted by my daughter's recent news.

I must say this has certainly been an eventful season in my life. I always thought somehow that things got a little easier as you got older. Now it makes me chuckle to even write that statement!

Well, Daughter has her life and challenges and while I do intend to help her somewhat, I don't intend to give up my own interests in order to do so! I need to make that distinction. I need to just take things in stride--fit those things I choose to do for her into my pattern and yet not lose sight of it. My days are still in a way, my own--even though they are tugged at around the edges--the core of them belongs to Hubby and I and our vision for our own lives. I think that's true anyhow.

I know as a Christian we die to self and we take up our cross and follow, but I think also maintain our priorities as we see them. Christ too did that. He didn't drop everything to run every time someone needed him, he got there when it fit his priorities. The story of Lazarus comes to mind. Certainly he could have come sooner and prevented his friend from dying--but so many lessons were taught when he did it the way he chose. Heavens! He didn't even sweat life and death situations. How can we be his followers and behave like jumping beans whenever someone has a need? I was thinking about that because-- well-- helping others should come FROM something. From a settled choice. I'm no good to anyone if I am teetering on the brink myself. Jesus took the time he needed. Often he'd be someplace the disciples would have to look for him. He'd gone ahead, lagged behind, strayed off to the garden. He is the prime example of a sacrificial lamb--One who gave his life for us--and yet there are these many examples to show us he was in no hurry for anyone, He did not give up his moments in a distracted manner.

And so I think, as I'm looking up at that moon which has moved a bit since I started to write this-- it is in its place, in its pattern. I may not understand its pattern fully since I really haven't studied it that well--I could study it--but haven't. I may not understand its 'track' in the night sky, but I do know it has one.

I too, have my days, my pattern, my ways about me. Even if I must fit things into my days that I wasn't planning on, I don't really have to give up my orbit all together in order to respond to sudden changes. There is something positive to be said about being a bit 'set in one's ways'. For one thing, you know where you are better, and don't feel as overwhelmed.

Everything in its place, seasons of all sorts, and the moon and me.

Weather Worse Than I Thought.. A Little Emergency Prepping..

2010-01-30T05:34:00.000-08:00

Well I posted earlier this morning and at the time the only thing I was concerned about was being out of Diet Coke.

Now I'm a bit more alert to possible problems.

I've started to fill up some of those 6 gallon buckets I've been keeping for the garden. I'm filling them with water--just in case our electric should go out or our well pump freeze. We did put more insulation on the well pump last time it went out and I guess since its in a little shed thing-y it is not too likely to freeze. Most of the electric near us is underground except some high tension wires that are the main source. If the icy rain continues long enough--my worst fear is build up on wires. I'm not sure though if those big ones are likely to freeze or not. In any case it doesn't hurt to take some time and get candles and lights handy and extra water.

Eventually I'd like to have a source for water and heat here that doesn't depend on electricity. I don't think this weather event will lead to an emergency this time--but there's always that 'one time' when something happens and you truly are stuck.

I knew folks who lived about as far out as we do back in North Dakota and they once went 6 weeks without electric after a major ice storm--and that is in a place where they are very accustomed to floods and ice. Rural areas are not the first to get the lights back on--duh.

Well there are just dozens of birds at the feeders today. Whenever it is especially cold Pokeberry Hill is quite popular with the feathered crowd. They need extra calories and I stock sunflower seeds. We're buds.

Happy Icy Day!

Winter Storm in Pokeberry..

2010-01-30T03:08:00.000-08:00

We woke at about 5 am to the sound of little ice pellets tapping steadily against our window. We generally get up just about that time anyhow so up we are--even though its Saturday. Hubby had planned to go into work today to get extra time in on a project but that appears to be out of the question. There's no working today. I'm glad Daughter has the weekend off, as I would worry about that, she works very early. There's no driving here this morning, maybe all day. What are getting now is icy rain and it is supposed to continue for the next 12 hours and be followed by snow. This is South Carolina, so there's no such thing as a snow plow. They do salt the roads, but I'm pretty sure that won't be enough to do the job in these conditions.

I've got some beans cooking and a couple of chickens thawing for later today. The first thing I usually do every morning is think about dinner. I can thaw a couple of chickens in a big bus tray filled with cold water and have them ready for roasting by noon or later usually. If not chicken, perhaps something else. Lately we've been using some London Broils I got for $1.99 a pound to make anything that calls for ground beef. They didn't turn out to be great quality for broiling, but they make great ground beef. I have several in the freezer. Yesterday I used two to make a big batch of tacos. We have some leftovers for that and some leftover spanish rice and salsa. If I add my beans--which I plan to make 'Black Bean Chili' with, and a couple of chickens--which I will roast and then store in some big rotisserie chicken containers I washed out and re-use. We'll have enough good food to make it through the weekend and then some. This weekend I'm feeding 4 men. I have Hubby, #2 and #3 Son's and their buddy from Wisconsin who is visiting until Monday. Perhaps if the roads improve we'll have Daughter and Not-so-Plump Ernie here tomorrow. (Ernie's plump is an heirloom tomato)

Last time I was near the little country library in a town called Indian Land, not too far from me, I picked up a copy of Emeril's New New Orleans Cooking by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. I've been dabbling with his recipes all week. There's some really good stuff in this book! One thing I made the other day and have been keeping in a little jar in the fridge and adding to various dishes is a cilantro oil mix. This is just wonderful and gives a fresh delicious taste to everything I've tried it in so far. I used it for a dip for some seared shrimp, and I have since added it to taco meat, salsa, and spanish rice. I still have some left and its good in the fridge for a few more days, I think I'll be adding some to the black bean chili today. #3 Son is always interested in what's cooking and he has approved this recipe as well.

Emeril's Cilantro Oil:
1/2 cup (packed) cilantro leaves, 1 teaspoon minced shallots, 1 teaspoon minced garlic *, 1/2 teaspoon salt**, 3 turns freshly ground black pepper, 3/4 cup olive oil.

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree about 1 minute. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

* I used less garlic because the garlic I have on hand currently is very potent.
**I used less salt and I used kosher salt because I have to keep my sodium on the low side.

This is only one of the recipes I found that I've tried so far. There are quite a few I want to make before I have to return this book and I think I could see myself buying a copy--its got a lot of good stuff in it.

Well, today I think I need to concentrate on the Etsy store. I'm a little bleary eyed this morning and maybe not quite in the mood to do that right now, but once my bones and eyes warm up it should be a good Etsy day. I need to start a new account first. My original one finally got closed yesterday after waiting nearly a week for customer service to do that. They were very nice, but I was surprised it took that long. I had a common problem--starting an account with a name that wouldn't be good for a store. You cannot change your account name at Etsy you have start all over.

I will try to do some photo shots of things and list them as well as open the new account. Jasper the Jazz Bear is still getting some last minute tweaking, but should be ready to list today. Then I can start making a new critter. The nice thing about Etsy is you can leave your items up for sale for a long time if they don't sell right away, so slowly I can stock my shelves and learn the ropes on how to do it all at the same time.

Its nice having Hubby home today, though I know he wanted to go to the office, it will be a cozy day for all of us. One problem though-- there's no diet coke here for the 'diet coke heads' I hope they'll be able to make it. I'm so glad I'm a coffee gal. Nor store runs today.

Icy Good Day to y'all from Pokeberry!