Hmmmmm

i could have sworn I did some updates since May 11th. Weird.

We've had a productive weekend I guess. We've gone out to the farm twice. We've been clearing weeds and liberating raspberries. I've created a hosta garden along the shed. Our plan is to move out there once Christy graduates so we're trying to get some plantings established before we go. It's a huge struggle for me to NOT buy and put in plants here. I don't want to have to move a lot of stuff though. I've got enough perennials here already.

Yesterday we went to an outdoor learning center featuring wetlands, an oak savannah, and multitudes of trails. We saw tadpoles, toads, bullfrogs, spotted frogs, a snake, birds, and lots of wild flowers. There are also 11 Indian burial mounds. I chose not to hike up the huge hill to look at them but Kurt and the kids did. The mosquitoes were starting to bother me and I think maximum exertion had been achieved for this couch potato!

After restorative $1 sundaes we continued home and then went back to the farm to continue with our efforts.

I was dismayed to discover a TICK on myself when I went to shower. We're now on Lyme disease watch. I can only assume it will take effect next week when we are on our Westward Ho! family trip.

Made out like a Bandit

At the second meeting ever of Garden club last night we had a plant exchange. I got lots of perennial goodies! I need to figure out where to put them all! I got:

• 2 pinky/purple coneflower
• a sumac
• a bleeding heart
• hollyhock seeds
• blanket flower seeds
• some ground cover with pretty blue flowers in the spring
• castor beans ~ I have to check to see if these could kill Francis before I plant them
• creeping phlox
• iris
• tiger lillies
• day lillies

Pretty good doncha think?

Round 2 : Slugs

They did not get stuck in or drown in the beer batter.

I'm getting the chemicals now.

Quite A Day

It's been quite a day around here.

Kurt and I got up and went to the Farmer's Market and Fareway to get supplies for tonight's BBQ with our friends the Wake's. Before we left I put oven cleaner in the oven and let it work.

When we got back I started weeding and dividing my perennials while Kurt and Nick put together our new gas grill. It had MANY parts. Kurt was going to clean the oven for me, but since it took almost 3 hours to get the grill together I did it myself.

SO while I was scrubbing, I bumped the element and there was a flash of fire. Lovely. Kurt switched off the breaker, I finished cleaning it then got cleaned up for Chinese buffet with lunch with Mom, Dad, Marn, and Batman (aka my nephew Ryan)(cape and all)!

SO Kurt had to pull the stove out (disgusting omg). He then proceeded to rewire it. It works so I was able to make the brownies.

It seems like we've been working all day. Since the oven got pulled out then we had to sweep the floor. Since we're having company the bathrooms needed some TLC. Of course, there's vacuuming, straightening, and sorting etc etc etc.

Now we're just waiting for them to get here so I can fire up the grill and get the burgers, brats and wienies going. I've chopped the onions and the tomatoes from my garden. The radishes, cauliflower, carrots, dip and chips are ready to go. So is the jello fluff and the pasta salad.

Let's eat!

The Killing Beds

I'm currently waging war against slugs. They are in my hostas in the front. Evidently, I'm infested. I found a death to slugs website. I'm employing 2 methods. One is yeast, water, honey, and oil. The other is a beer batter (then I can fry them up afterwards!)(kidding!).

The beer batter seems to be working the best. It's only been a few hours and already there are all sizes of them oozing their way into the cups. Ick.

A Correction

Evidently, I've never been stung by a bee. My sister says it was her. I'm going to double check with my mother.

Not since I was a child

have I been stung by a bee. That ended today. A gigantic bumble bee got me on the thigh while I was transplanting my hydrangea at my grandpa's. Luckily, Rikki and I had a cold can of beer to use to reduce the swelling.

I remember when I was a little kid like 5 or 6, I got stung on the outside corner of my right eye. I remember sitting on the counter in our green kitchen in Knoxville with meat on my eye.

I can't think of any other time I've been stung.

He's Arrived

Kurt left for Manila yesterday at 9:20 am. He arrived there today at 9:10 am. There's a 13 hour time difference. I put a Manila clock over on the left of the blog. I just enabled layouts so now I might actually be able to put cool things on here! I do not understand or know anything about html code. I can't even paste it in correctly!

Japan Airlines had a cool Internet tracker thing so I could "see" where his plane was on its journey. He flew through Tokyo.

I'm just chilling. I watered plants. I'm trying to pay bills (now that we want them to arrive, they don't). I need to do some laundry and general clean up stuff. I'm also hauling what scrap stuff I can lift upstairs to the new room.

This afternoon I'm going to get the car serviced. Then Mom and I are going to a wake for my friend, Rick. He passed away on Sunday. He was only 39. He leaves behind 3 young children and his wife. Though we've mainly communicated via Christmas cards the last few years, we had a lot of fun times together. I photographed their wedding. He, too, was killed by cancer. It's ridiculous the amount of money being spent on this oil war when we could be trying to cure cancer!

Only 189 days of Bush left.

Done!

I finally got done weeding at my Mom's. She's been completely tied up trying to get my grandpa's estate settled. Between that, the monsoons, tornadoes, and humidity she hasn't been able to get to it.

She asked if there was anything I wanted.

"Huh?"

"Is there anything that you want that I can afford?" My face must have lit up because she then qualified the question, "anything within reason?"

So I've been weeding for a new gas grill. I really think I've been at it for 3 weeks or so. I think I've gone over there 4 or 5 times. Earlier this week was way too humid. I pulled lots and lots of grass as well as some noxious vine with leaves that looked like morning glories.

We are going to trade some of my yellow Asiatic lillies for some of her pink ones. I also marked some hot pink hollyhock to take seeds from this fall.

Next week is going to be a big week. Kurt is leaving for Manila on Monday and then I'm following him on Wednesday. Before we leave we need to get the room upstairs finished. The ceiling still needs touched up and the woodwork needs a 2nd coat of paint.

Why does it seem that going on a trip always leads to the need for new clothes?

It's A Dog's Life

At least around here it is. Kurt made this comment this morning as Francis was sleeping between us with all 4 in the air. He likes to be comfy. Our new pillow top mattress under the new ceiling fan is just fine.

He is spoiled. Worse than Lewis ever was. However, Francis is cuddle dog/lap dog where Lewis was not. Francis has doggie steps so he can get up on the bed. He got a new rope toy today as well as a car harness. He's gonna hate the harness, but it's just not safe with him sitting on my lap while I drive the monster truck.

Mom and I had lunch at the Chinese buffet today. It was good. The cashew chicken was especially good. Then I went to town for groceries. I had a tiny, tiny list. There was no meat on the list. I bought 2 things that weren't on the list - propel for 2.87 and Ben and Jerry's for $3. The bill was still $100.86. I only had 3 tote bags of stuff and 1 cheap lamp in a box. It's ridiculous. The food we have around here is going to change. They can eat apples instead of applesauce and peanut butter instead of sandwich meat and cheese. I've figured out what we are having for supper for the next 2 weeks. I won't have to cook lunch since I'm the only one here. That should help keep costs down, too.

I declined to buy a gorgeous purple butterfly bush. It was on sale for $9.98. If I bought a tote of .95 I could get 30% off of everything could fit in the tote. I may have to go back.

Hostas!

I ordered some hostas online. I am addicted to hostas! They are on the Fed-Ex truck on their way to me as we speak (read)(write). I got them from direct source hostas. They are great because it's one shipping price no matter how much you order. I got Blue Umbrella, Great Expectations, and Pilgrim.

I invested my inheritance this morning. At least I can't spend it now. Whew!

I'm going to weed at my mom's house today. And finish mulching at Grandpa's. I got the woodwork washed in the room we are painting. The ceiling looks like crap and needs another coat. Plus there are some serious touch up (missed) spots on the walls. I'll do that when I get home.

I took a paid for practice test for the NHA last night. I passed two sections (and failed three). Yikes! Needs to be more studying, too.

Bargains Galore!!

my sister recently posted that she has an addiction. She is addicted to buying plants. Well, so am I! Hardly anyone is having decent sales on perennials, but Wal-Mart in Waterloo is! I - actually the aunt - bought a cartload of stuff. We got hostas for 2.96 ea; a 3' hydrangea for $2; and 2 pink lilacs for $2 ea also. She also bought some hibiscus that were very cheap. I went back yesterday and bought 2 Colorado blue spruce trees for 50% off. Kurt is very excited about all the gardening we get to do this week. I bought mulch earlier in the week that we need to get put down, too. Oh, and I ordered some hostas online, too!

The painter boys have been here since Tuesday scraping and painting Big Blue. She's the same color (although I think the cream is a shade darker). It will be nice to have that over with. The only home improvements we have left are installation of 3 more ceiling fans, replacing 2 sections of drywall and painting nick's room - soon to be the office and craft room. Unfortunately, Kurt and I are planning on doing that ourselves. Hopefully, that will go better than our boudoir did.

I took my "test" malaria pill on Monday. Next Monday I'll be able to start the typhoid pills. They have to be refrigerated. I hope they aren't too large. The malaria pill was difficult to swallow. I have to take gummi vitamins cuz of the pill size. I'm such a delicate flower!

Sprucin' Up

We've had some home improvement happening here abouts! Yesterday we got our rubber membrane roof on the flat part of the house. Today, we're getting three new windows. Two in the dining room and one in the kitchen. I'm so excited to be able to open my kitchen window by myself!

We also have our handy hubby's son here installing insulation above our bedroom. Last night his dad (the handy hubby) fixed the roof soffit outside our bedroom, put drawer pulls on the vanity in the bathroom, and installed our 3rd new motion light/porch light. Next he's going to install ceiling fans in the bedrooms and dining room!

The outside of the house is scheduled to be painted in June.

Saturday we went to the Garden Club plant sale. We got probably $75 or more worth of plants for $13! It include a brownie and a 4 pk of chocolate cupcakes, too! All the plants were perennials. We got a blackberry, Siberian iris, blue iris, yellow yarrow, and a flowering crab apple tree. I see today that I have deep purple almost black iris blooming. My bleeding heart is huge and in full bloom.

Kurt and I got a lot done over the weekend. We got the lawn mowed, the flowers weeded, and the new plants (most of them) in. We are ready to mulch now. We also put little picket fence around maple seedlings in the yard. We're going to see if we can get some of them to turn into trees.

This weekend we are celebrating Kurt's birthday. We've got a free room at the Marriott and will be dining at his favorite sushi restaurant. We'll be attending the Marian Arts festival, too.