Green Thumb Sunday

It's Green Thumb Sunday, hosted by Tricia at As the Garden Grows. If you'd like to participate, just click on the link to find out how.

Last Tuesday, the boys and I headed out to the local garden center to buy a few flowers for my planters. I let the boys chose the plants they like. It gives them a chance to learn about gardening and they enjoy it.

It was too late to plant the flowers by the time we got back, so we decided we would plant them later in the week. Jordan said he was going on his school trip so Brandon could plant the flowers when he spent the day with me on Thursday.

First we planted the balloon flower that I bought a couple of weeks ago. It needed to be planted badly and Brandon thought it would be nice to put it beside the solar light and close to Desmerelda, my garden fairy. We gave it some fertilizer in hopes that it would have a growth spurt. It should look nice here.

Then we planted the flowers that Brandon chose for the planter he painted last year. He had never painted before and he did quite a good job. It is showing a bit of wear and we will need to give it a fresh coat of paint next year. Brandon had chosen ivy and these pretty purple flowers to go in this planter.

Above is a resin planter that the boys bought me last year. It is a boot with a bluebird and a nest with babies. Jordan chose this pretty blue flower for it.

And finally, the boot with the rabbits that I bought about four years ago. Brandon chose a mauve flower for this one because he thought it would look nice if both boots had the same kind of flowers but just a different color.

We enjoyed our time and later that evening I snapped these photos with today in mind. I hope you enjoyed seeing some of my garden ornaments. I will try to get photos of others for another time.

Enjoy your Sunday. Relax and pamper yourself a little or take a hike along a nature trail. The beauty of nature is good for the soul. ~Blessings, Mary~

Good morning! We have been having cool, rainy weather. Yesterday we had to wear sweaters because of the chill and it rained off and on all day.

Brandon spent the day with me and we did some gardening and planted some flowers in the some of the planters that I hadn't filled. We noticed some different flowers blooming in the front garden and Brandon commented that they were just like the ones in their front flower bed. It then dawned on me that Michelle gave me these last year. I do like them but need to move them. They are too near the center of the bed. So that is another project that needs doing.

The tomato plants that the boys and I planted a couple of weeks ago are about a foot high. They are doing well. My strawberries are ripening and I picked a handful for Brandon to enjoy. The rest aren't ripe yet, but there will be more. The contractor who came last winter to clear the pipes had to dig up that garden and many strawberry plants were lost. However, they will continue to spread and next year we will have more. In the meantime we will be able to go to the U-pick farm and get all that we want. Picking them is much more economical than buying them ready-picked.

My porch is a mess and needs cleaning badly, but I find myself needing to be at least two places at once. Since cloning hasn't been perfected yet, I have all of these things to do and not enough time to get at them all. So the porch will have to remain a mess for at least another day. I've learned to go with the flow and be thankful for what I can do.

Not much news from here other than that. Hubby worked upstairs a little. We are almost ready to put the sub floor down and so our next shopping trip will be for plywood.

Take care and have a great weekend. ~Blessings, Mary~

Green Thumb Sunday

It's Green Thumb Sunday, hosted by Tricia at As the Garden Grows. If you'd like to participate, just click on the link to find out how.

I made a comment on someone's post the other day about the Balloon Flower I bought. I had never seen these before and thought they were lovely. When I bought it, it had three purple flowers. It seems they don't last very long, but there are more blooms coming.

The reason they are called Balloon Flowers is because the buds puff up before the flowers blossom. Here it is basking in the sunlight.
Later, I moved it to my porch to sit beside my little bluebird. Once the weather warms up, I will plant it. It is a perennial and will propagate itself.

The hanging basket above is a scarveola. Pronounced scar-v-oh-la. The first time I ever saw these was about eight years ago when I received one for Mother's Day from the boys. At that time the lady at the garden center told me they were a new type of plant.

Last year they were very scarce and that was the first time I hadn't had one hanging on my porch since that first one. Michelle tried to find one this year, but no luck. So, when I saw this at a little out-of-the-way store, I snapped it up. They only had two and I wanted to be certain I'd have one this year. I wish they were perennials, but alas, they are annuals. It is one flower that I want to have every year.

In other news, Brandon came for a sleepover Friday night. It is his birthday on Tuesday and the boys are always invited for a birthday sleepover. Brandon got to choose where we ate and he chose McDonald's. He hasn't eaten there in months because we don't encourage it but birthdays are special. I was surprised as Brandon is not a McDonald's fan. I think he wanted to try their cherry milkshake.

Once we had eaten we came home and dropped Grandpa off and then took Jordan the DVDs he had forgotten to take with him to his other Grandma's. Then we headed to Zeller's, which is a department store and we looked around a bit there. We didn't buy anything but had fun looking at things. After that, we came home, had a game of crib and by that time Brandon was ready for bed. He's an early to bed, early to rise kind of kid.

This morning we had breakfast and all he really wanted to do was lounge around in his pajamas and watch TV. I did a few chores and then at noon Jordan was dropped off by his parents and we got ready and headed to Apps Mills Nature Center. On the way, we stopped for gas and I couldn't believe that $30.00 only gave me a little over a half tank. The gas price was $1.27 per liter. Multiply that by 4.5 and you get $5.72 per gallon. I almost died when I got back into the car and saw I only had a half tank. I used to fill my car up for $30 not that long ago.

It was a beautiful day here today. The sun was shining and there was a light breeze. It was a glorious day to be out and about in the woods. One day this week I will tell you all about our trip.

Take care and if you are in the US, enjoy your Memorial Day weekend. ~Blessings, Mary

New Yard Decor or a Crazy Whim?

About a month ago the city came along and cut an old tree that was two doors up the street. The tree was hollow and in danger of falling down. They piled the wood on my next door neighbor's lawn and told her that they would be coming to get it in a week or two and if she knew anyone that wanted any of it, to let them know.

Without my knowledge, the neighbor took five pieces of the hollow tree into her yard before the city came back. I had my eye on a couple pieces, but it was frozen to the ground. I figured I'd wait until the weather warmed up a little and grab a piece. Before I could get it brought home, the city came and picked up the wood.

Yesterday it was pouring rain and I was talking to my neighbor. I happened to mention that I would have liked a piece of stump from that old tree. She directed me to her side porch and told me to help myself. There was a huge piece there with a hollow in it.

So today, I coecered hubby into going with me to get it. He looked at me like I was crazy, but did my bidding and we lugged it home. I see potential in this stump and want to plant flowers, maybe a creeping vine, in the hollow part. On the flat end I think a sitting gnome or fairy would be nice. Watcha think?
Above, Meeko is sniffing around the piece of stump and examining it. At first he wasn't thrilled with it being in his part of the yard. Meeko is very fussy about what enters his kingdom, but Mama is the boss and I said the stump was going there and that was it.
After sniffing around it for a while, Meeko finally accepted the fact that it was staying and decided to go with the flow. Ha! Mama is the boss! Hubby had warned me that Meeko would christen it but he was wrong. Meeko minded his manners, just as I've taught him.
Here Meeko is laying and relaxing. It looks as if he is saying, "Well, if it must be here, I may as well get used to it."

Now, I've told you all this in fun, but also because I want your opinion. Is the stump an eyesore or is there potential in it? What kind of flowers should be planted in it? I value any suggestions here. Should I get rid of it or can it be made into something natural and beautiful? Your honest opinion will be very much appreciated.

In other news, things are really quiet around here. Tenant got his notice and he was a little bit upset. He has signed an agreement to be out by May 31, 2008.

Nothing else much going on around here. I have yard work that needs to be done. It rained Friday and Saturday and was chilly out today, so hopefully I can get more of it done this week.

Have a great week and remember to do a random act of kindness for someone. Being kind is good for the soul. ~Blessings, Mary~

Gardening

I finally got out into the garden for a bit today. Because of my hip and spinal injury, I can't do a lot at one time, but did get some of the debris out of my side garden. I knew it had to be done when I saw the tulips had bloomed. Yesterday they just had buds on them and today they are alive with color. I tried to take a photo, but my camera batteries had died once again. I recharged them and am hoping they keep their charge long enough for me to take photos tomorrow. I will then post them for Green Thumb Sunday.

My one lonely hyacinth bloom is spent. It was a lovely purple one. I had others, but suspect the squirrels feasted on them during our harsh winter. I don't have as many tulips as I did either and suspect they went the same way.

So, in honor of my tulip blooms, I found the graphic above on a public domain site and added the phrase to it so I could give it out to all my blogging friends. If you are reading this, please feel free to take a copy. You can share it with others if you wish. My blogging friends are certainly the blooms in the garden of life and I appreciate each one of you.

Please keep my hubby in your prayers. He has to see a specialist tomorrow morning. I do not have much confidence in this particular doctor and would like you to pray that he uses wisdom. If I am not happy with his diagnosis and treatment of hubby's condition, I am going back to the family doctor and asking him to refer him to the doctor that hubby saw two years ago for a similar but slightly different problem. I'm not sure why doctors refer you to someone different each time, but I like to see doctors in whom I have confidence. I don't hesitate to ask for a referral for a second opinion.
We were to have rain today, but it passed us by. We could have used an April Shower. The water levels have pretty much returned to normal and the gardens are begging for a drink. I thought first thing this morning that we would have rain. The sky was overcast until about noon and then the sun began to shine. It was a lovely day but this evening it turned much cooler. We are to have nice temperatures for a few days and then next week it is to get cool again. I'm hoping for some spring weather instead of it going directly from winter to summer. We just got rid of the heat bills and if it continues being so warm, I will have to turn on the air conditioner. I'd rather have a month or so without those bills. We need a break!

Not much other news from here. Brandon is back to school and his migraine is gone. Jordan is going back tomorrow. They will have some catching up to do.

Remember to pamper yourself a little. Spring is the time to get a little exercise and enjoy a walk in the park or forest where you can witness all of the rebirth that's taking place. ~Blessings, Mary~

A Bit of This and That

Girly Comments & Graphics



Yesterday I wrote about my appointment with the eye specialist. My eye pressure in my left eye was high and he was a little concerned. He phoned me Friday afternoon and told me that he would like me to have laser treatment. As I said yesterday, I really don't want to do that because of all the problems I had with my last laser, but he told me that there is a new laser treatment that is much easier on the eye. It doesn't cause the same inflammation and he says it doesn't get as hot.

This is what we agreed to do. I am going to put a sticky note on my bathroom mirror to remind me to put my eyedrops in each night before going to bed. I am going to put them in faithfully for two months and then I'm going to have the pressures checked again. If the left eye still has high pressure, I told him I will seriously consider the laser treatment. So that is the update on my eye situation. I'm would not want to be blind, but see very well and am not worried about it. I just have to be more consistent about using the eye drops.

I was out in the garden today to see what was growing. The tulips are in bud, but are not near blooming yet. It was a beautiful day and I enjoyed taking some time to witness the rebirth of my garden. My poppies are coming up and I am so glad that they are. Last year I was afraid I would lose them. Many of my tulips are not growing nor is my hyacinths. I only have one left and I suspect those little gray squirrels that race across our yard. I suspect they had a tulip and hyacinth buffet during the winter. They know exactly where to cross the yard out of Meeko's reach. He used to try to catch them but now he just ignores them. They are smart and know exactly how far he can go on his leash.

Once some of my flowers bloom I will post photos. The boys are coming over to stay tomorrow night and I'm hoping to put them to work in the garden. It needs to be worked up and all of the dead debris taken out from last year. The boys love gardening, so hopefully they will get a chance to give me a hand. The weatherman was calling for rain for the weekend but the forecast has changed and it's to be nice tomorrow and Sunday. The rain is now scheduled on Wednesday. We shall see.

Hubby came in from the mailbox today with an envelope addressed to me. Inside was the journal that Mama Bear from Bear's in Exile is circulating between a few blog friends. She did the first entries and it was so nice getting to know her better. I have already made a couple of entries of my own. When I've had the journal for two weeks and made enteries in it, I will pass it along to the next person on the list. Once all the people have made their enteries, I believe Mama Bear is planning on circulating the journal again so each one can see what the others have done. Thank you, Mama Bear. I really enjoyed reading all you had journaled and look forward to making my own enteries and passing it along.

Today hubby and I tackled the bathroom. Our bathroom is very small and we have a large vanity where we store our towels. We took everything out of it, sorted the good from the bad and tore old towels up for rags. Then we washed every towel in the house. Once that was done we put everything back and it is nice and organized now. Next we need to wash down the walls and get everything clean as a whistle. The bathroom also needs a fresh coat of paint, but really want to paint and paper the kitchen first. We shall see.

That's about all the news for now. Since blogger would not upload any photos last night, I didn't get a chance to participate in either Show and Tell or Flea Market Fridays. I was quite disappointed but there's always next week.

Have a wonderful Saturday and please remember to take some time for yourself. Today's society requires that we have such a busy lifestyle and we all need some down time. ~Blessings, Mary~

Green Thumb Sunday

It's time for Green Thumb Sunday. This is the day of the week when we share photos of our garden or house plants with our readers. Thanks to Tricia at As the Garden Grows for hosting Green Thumb Sunday. If you'd like to join in, just click HERE.

Today I would like to show and tell you about the red poppies that grow in my garden each spring. These poppies came to me quite by accident and I consider them a blessing. I love the deep, rich red color and the contrasting black centers. One spring about sevean years ago, a fern like leaf came up in my flower bed early in the spring. My husband was going to uproot it but I asked him to wait until we found out what it was. Lo and behold, this was what appeared a few weeks later. Beautiful, red poppies. I imagine the gift was bestowed on us from a bird's droppings or maybe the wind. I'm thankful for these beautiful flowers that bloom each spring in my garden. They are magnificient! One year there were 30 blooms on the plant. Since then, it hasn't done near as well, but is hanging on and this year produced ten blooms. Last year there were only four.

I can't believe that I still have flowers blooming in my garden. We've had a few hard frosts and also a bit of snow. It snowed today and as I write this, there is snow on the roofs of the cars, but little accumulated elsewhere. This is what my snapdragons and mums look like. I may have showed you this photo before, but things haven't changed.

Well, that is it for Green Thumb Sunday for this week. Join me here again next week for another episode.

Today's Thanks and Give Post

Today I'm thankful for the love of family, my online friends and the people in this blogging community. I blogged with another community where people were rude and mean. This community means a lot to me. The people here are loving and giving and so welcoming to all new bloggers. Thanks to each of you for your love, support and friendship.

Now for the giving. Did I ever tell you that I love to give? Giving brings me a lot of joy and I would like to share this lovely graphic with all of you. It is one of the postcards from my collection. Since taking this photo, I framed this postcard and gave it to a friend. I hope it brings you as much enjoyment as it has me.