Hiding Out!

I  had a dental appointment today to have one tooth filled, since I had swallowed one of the teeth from my upper plate yesterday, I thought I would see if he could put in a new tooth at the same appointment.I should have known better. People in the medical profession rarely ever do more than one task at a time.It is a sad state of affairs. Once you could go in for a doctor or dental visit, and they would check everything that you could possibly have need of checking.Those days are gone forever.Now you must make a separate appointment for each individual need. Today I needed a filling. The fifth of next month,I will be having a tooth cut out by a surgeon. Tomorrow,at noon,I will pick up my upper dentures,since they kept them after I had finished my dental appointment this morning.Yes, you heard right. I had to come home without my upper dentures.You cannot imagine the stress I have been under over that. I tried to Hide Out all day, so no one would see me without my teeth.I'd rather Pop didn't even see me,but it was inevitable that I would have to face him, sooner or later,toothless.He didn't tease me too much, since he saw I was quite upset over it already.Thankfully,I didn't have to avoid any company today. The coffee drinkers did not show up, and a couple of insurance salespeople rang the door bell,but were gone by the time I got up from my nap and got to the door.I thought if I slept more today, the numbness from the filling would have time to wear off ,since I was unable to eat or drink for awhile,and the time would pass more quickly that way,too.Tomorrow,noon, is a long way off, when you are waiting to get your teeth back.

I had planned to visit Mom after my dental appointment, and possibly go by the chiropractor for a quick adjustment,but then I had not planned on them keeping my teeth.I went as straight home as I could go. Thank goodness, I had sense enough to get my gas before the dental appointment.The few grocery items I needed would have to wait.It is very uncomfortable without my upper teeth for this long,but, no doubt, I'll live through it.I don't think anyone has ever died from embarrassment.

The above picture is a scene from another one of my bulletin boards.I had a little more time to browse through some more of the contents of my sheds while passing off the day in hiding.They are so many memories stashed away in those two sheds, it is a joy just browsing through them.The hard part is deciding what I will need to get rid of. That was my original plan for getting into the two sheds to start with. To thin down my collectibles.It will be a slow go, but hopefully I will have lots of time to work on it,when the growth of the yard slows down due to the super hot days of  summer we will be having soon.

Rest Your Mind!

As I was rummaging through one of my sheds yesterday, I ran across some of my past ideas and materials that I had once used for my bulletin boards at my job as cafeteria manager for the small local elementary school.This was one of my favorite things to do. I think now it was because it was so relaxing to my mind. I had a lot of paper work to do at that time,and that always stressed me out to no end.I could get away from the paperwork and work with my bulletin boards and the stress seemed to diminish immediately.That's the same way I feel now with mowing the grass. No matter how stressed I am, I can hop on my lawn mower and feel much better instantly. I believe it has something to do with seeing the end results quickly that are pleasing to the eye. I love to see my bulletin boards completed all neat and colorful, and the yard all neat and trimmed. That calms me so to sit back and see my beautiful creation and handy work.That may not be the reason why these things are so calming to me, but it seems like a possible explanation. No matter what the reason, I am so thankful I have found ways to release a bit of the stress in my life at any given moment.I intend to keep my little bulletin board ideas going in some way. If no other way, then just to use in my posts. I do love working with them. My sister, Vicki, gave me the letters some thirty years ago to use in appliques, but I never used them in that way, enough to mention,but this is the way I have used them, and I cherish the letters to this day. She gave me a set of both upper case and lower case letters, and I have never told her how much pleasure that one little gesture has brought me over the last thirty years. Thank you,Vicki, for thinking of me, those many years ago, and sending me the wonderful set of letters.

No Tooth Fairy Needed Here

Today I had something to happen to me, that was a first, and hopefully a last for me. I have always been very self conscious about letting anyone see me without me teeth. Well, I may have to stay in for a few days.  I fixed a big plate of corn on the cob today and took it to Pop's pouting room to enjoy it with him while we watched "The Virginian" together.(no coffee drinkers showed up today)We were eating our corn on the cob, and I remember having a quick thought as to whether or not one of my teeth would hold up.I had to glue one of them in a couple of times this past week with crazy glue. Dentist appointments are unreal.  I know because I had two last week.One office call with x-rays was $83. and one,not even seeing the dentist, was $75. So I figured I'd try to glue it back in myself. They frown on that, I know,but I am not exactly crazy about their prices either,so they'll have to deal with it.Nevertheless, as I was eating the corn, I noticed my tooth was gone,and I don't mean loose in my mouth, as it has been a few times in the past,I mean GONE. I'd swallowed it. The best I remember, the tooth had no sharp edges, so I don't suppose there is any danger of it puncturing anything on it's way through, but now I must deal with others seeing me without my tooth,at least until I can get it replaced. I have an appointment in the morning,Thank God, to have another real tooth filled.Hopefully he can replace my lost tooth, but knowing the way things go these days, he will probably make three more appointments out of the lost tooth ordeal, and I'll have to come back in a day or two, to have a new tooth put in.

Sorry,no pictures today.

Landscaping Around My Two Sheds

I work with the landscaping around my two sheds whenever I can get all of my ducks in a row. You know the ones. The weather, my resources, my energy level,a few spare minutes.Yes, those are the ones.It's hard to get everything together, all in the same time frame.At least that's usually the way it works for me.The yard was all mowed.That's usually my main concern. The weather has been a little rainy, but nothing major. We are getting just a quick shower here and there,although Church Hill Downs was hit with a pretty good wallop from the wind this past week.The rain has cooled things down just enough to where it's bearable to work outdoors,so I have been trying to get myself interested in working IN my sheds, but this is as close as I've come. I figure if I can make the landscaping around the sheds more appealing, that might entice me into going inside and getting something done with the contents.That job has been a major thorn in my side for years.One I cannot make myself tackle just yet.
I widened the bed around the sheds to where I could set a couple of comfortable chairs, should I ever get someone to sit and enjoy the view with me. Pop wants me to sit with him among his tools in his messy garage and pouting room.I think he knows it gets to me, and I'll jump up and do some cleaning,as I usually do,rather than sit and relax a few minutes with him.  I don't understand how he can entertain folks in his pouting room with everything so messy.I can't stand it. It is usually so bad when company drops in, I get up and  start cleaning immediately,while the company is present. I know that is rude, but I think I do that because I am so embarrassed about the mess.Most folks will feel as Pop does, that it is the responsibility of the woman to keep HIS pouting room clean. Like I don't have anything else to do all day everyday.


Nevertheless, back to my landscaping. I located several Hosta and Liriope plants around the property and transplanted them around the outer edge of the new bed.The morning rain could not have come at a better time. Now,hopefully, my transplants will all live.


The dreaded Creeping Charlie has taken over this area of the property, so there's not much hope for doing a lot with it,but we'll see if he moves into my heavily mulched beds. I put down several layers of wet newspaper then covered that with the wild tree trimmers mulch.Maybe I can keep Charlie at bay for awhile.I transplanted several plants around the newly revised area. Some of my prettiest store bought Day lilies,a few Lavender plants,Rose Moss,Red Bee Balm, and Blue Salvia, Verbena on a Stick,Black-eyed Susan and Coreopsis,to name a few.I already had a few things established  like a Forsythia,a Rose of Sharon bush,an Adam's Needle Yucca,Lamb's Ear,Purple Yarrow,English Ivy,Creeping Phlox,Columbine, Lemon Balm,Wild Sweet Potato,Morning Glories,and Passion Flower.


Pop was bush hogging the property today, and he called me on the cell phone,saying to come quick.He had found a beautiful, but the  strangest flower he had ever seen.I hung up immediately and ran to meet him on the four wheeler with my shovel in hand. He knows me well. I had a feeling that it was going to be a passion flower since they grow wild in our field, and sure enough it was. I explained to him that I have them popping up everywhere in the yard, almost like a weed,but he had never seen them in bloom.They are indeed a strange,but beautiful flower.So I added another Passion Flower to my collection of transplanted flowers in my newly revised bed.I'm sure I will be doing some tweaking as the season progresses, but I'll stop there for now and hope it all fills out the way I had envisioned it in my mind.


I forgot to mention that I had three reasons for building the bed around my sheds.
(1) to stop the rush of water going underneath the sheds,from the sloping yard around them.
(2) to keep the grass and weeds from growing up close to the buildings.
(3)to have a place to set my yard furniture beneath the shade trees.I don't do it often, but it is so nice to sit and enjoy my handy work around me.
Between the two of us, the entire property looks so nice today. I mowed the entire yard yesterday, and Pop bush hogged the remaining 4 acres today. If only it would remain that way. 

Why Must It Hurt So Bad?

We loose close friends and family, and maybe a special pet occasionally,and we feel pain that comes with those deaths.That is perfectly normal to feel pain with those kinds of losses.But why does it hurt so bad to loose other things? By other things, I am speaking of (1)the baby chick I lost after working with it's leg problem for two weeks,especially since I thought it was making such progress with the therapy I was giving it.(2)Then there was the first hatched baby chick from our last setting of eggs.I cared for it for three or four days before the second chick hatched, then the first chick drowned in the mother's drinking water.I was sick, and I mean literally sick, for a few days, since I thought about taking the larger bowl of water out of the coop,for that very reason. One of the chicks might fall in the bowl and drown,but I just never took the time to remove the bowl.(3)Then there was one of the twin goats I raised for two years. We sold our three goats,the Mother,Katlyn, and her twin babies,Maddie and Josie, to a friend, and we heard this morning, that Maddie,one of the twins, was found dead in the pasture, one morning this week. She had a baby or two this past few months and we had visited all of the goats a few times after selling them,so we could get adjusted to letting them go. Maddie was the most lovable of the twins.(4)Then this week, we lost the Mother Purple Martin that had built in the Bluebird box. We had watched the pair build their nest and make all the necessary preparations for their young ones. We saw them hatch out 5 babies. We watched the parents come and go at feeding time each day.Then,this morning, I thought the Mother was taking too long to appear.I was gone all day Wednesday, and I was tied up all day Thursday, so I had not had time to watch them as closely as I had been.This morning I got worried and checked out the nest.There were the 5 babies birds inside, dead.The Mother,most likely, had been eaten by the cats,a day or two ago.Now that was hard to accept after looking forward to the baby Martins for so long.It has been a really painful few weeks for me trying to get over all of this.I can't really say these are my pets, like the cats or the dogs,but it still hurts so bad to loose them, just the same. I keep myself busy, trying not to think about it, but a little twinge of pain keeps creeping back in.Why must it hurt so bad?Is it my age that makes these things hurt so bad?Pop says we can't worry about such things, but it is not that easy for me to get over the pain I feel with these losses. I love my cats, but I love watching the birds,too. If only the cats could catch birds out in the field or woods, and not the ones I am so attached to.But that's what cats do. Eat birds. I can't really blame them for doing what comes natural for them,but that doesn't make it hurt any less.

...and they said it would never happen.

We had the grandchildren over today, and while we were all gathering at Pop's pouting room,preparing to go to the Hart County Produce Auction,John, the grand son comes running in saying,"Meemaw,come quick I hear baby birds in the Bluebird box."Sure enough we investigated, and the Purple Martin's eggs had hatched.We have been watching them ever so closely, since everyone swore they wouldn't build in the Bluebird box in the first place. We knew better, because we watch them daily,going about their housekeeping chores,collecting whatever was necessary to make the nest as comfy as possible for their expected young ones. It has been such a delight watching them. Now if only they can get them grown enough to fly away without being eaten by the cats and dogs.I worry so about them being that low to the ground. I attached a section of hog wire fencing around the tree trunk to keep the cats from climbing, but then I noticed the male cat,Lucky, could jump as high as the birdhouse anyway. Who would have guessed, especially with him weighing right at 16-18 pounds. I moved the Bluebird box up on the tree about a foot more,in hopes that would help. Then I got worried the babies would have no place close by on which to perch and rest while they were first  learning to fly. I have noticed  the older Martin's hatching and raising their young, and their babies would practice flying in short flights, then fly back to their perch.Hence, I moved the hummingbird feeder frame closer to the tree,thus giving these babies something closer to light upon while learning.I have never seen a young Martin go to the ground while learning to fly. It seems they are always very careful, not to let that happen, but there is always that chance that they might.We will continue to watch this batch of young Martins for the next few days. I may have to keep the cats confined until the baby birds get their wings.We'll see what happens!

No Alarm Needed!

I've written about this before and I am sure it's hard for most folks to believe, but it works for me.I am 63 years of age, and have numerous aches and pains stemming from the many years of abuse I have inflicted upon my body throughout the years. I have tackled every job I've had,always in a hurry to get things done, and not always using the best judgment regarding the right way of going about it,thus I am paying the piper now. My back being the worst problem of all.But even with all of the common complaints of people my age,I only need to awaken each morning with a visual image of what I want to get into that day, and I am ready to jump right up and get to it.My aches and pains are history for the moment. I have read that your body produces substances called endorphins at times when you are happy and/or excited about something,and these substances soothes ones pain.I believe that is what happens when I begin thinking of a new project I want to get into.I have so many projects to work with at any given moment,but that doesn't keep me from thinking of another.Most of the projects I work with, are those that I have worked with previously, but I feel I have discovered a better way.

The project that came to my mind this morning, and got my endorphins going,involved my twin sheds.Years ago, when I first purchased the second shed,I had the two placed side by side,leaving a space between them,for a work area.Since then,as things go around here, I had to convert the space between the two sheds to a goat pen for a couple of years.Now that we no longer have the goats, I have turned my thoughts back to utilizing the space for something I wanted in the beginning.A work area between the two sheds for sorting and working with my collectibles from within the sheds. In the meanwhile, a tree or two have grown up in that area, and trees are so nice during those hot days of  summer, I am torn as to how to incorporate them into my plan.This is a project that I have been studying about alot here lately.During the growing season, the yard takes most of my time, and then there is the menagerie of pets I must attend to.Not to mention baby sitting the grandchildren on occasion,and tending to Mom's needs once a week, or whenever she calls.And, of course,there's housework and canning the produce from the garden.Not a lot of time to work out of my two sheds.And,too,the Summer is too hot, and the Winter is too cold, since I don't have heating and cooling out there.Not yet,anyway. That's another project,another day.

Nevertheless, I awoke this morning, thinking about the landscaping around the twin sheds. I have always used mulch in the past.Red mulch is my favorite. When we lived in our original house, I remember looking out the bay window at the two sheds, and envisioning a flowerbed encircling the area at their entrance,covered with red mulch.I wasted no time getting that done.It looked just as I had envisioned it as I looked out my bay window at my handy work. I loved the way it looked.Then everything blew up in our face when we had the house and garage fire in 2007. So many of my plans had to take a back seat to the more urgent tasks at hand,like getting another home set up.It's been four years this month, since the fire, and we have things, pretty much, back on track, but owning a home and a piece of property requires constant attention.The things I do to occupy my time is just play, and everyone knows,the work comes first.

Reclaiming Our Five Acres,One Flower Bed At A Time!.

It's been awhile, but Pop comments quite often,on how the work I do in our yard,is worthless.It's usually when he's upset about something else, and he can find no one else close by to vent his frustrations on,although he would never admit that.I only wish Pop was more interested in yard work and landscaping, then he could do a little research and see that what I am doing, is Reclaiming our five acres, one flower bed at a time.He doesn't grumble as much as he once did,at least not to me or to others when I am close enough to hear him.He says the landscaping that I do on our five acres is worthless and that I only do it because I enjoy it.The point he makes about me enjoying it is 110% right. I do enjoy it more than any other craft I participate in.But about his second point,I will argue any day of the week.I have read where the landscaping can add about 15% more to the value of a piece of property.Thankfully, I was able to find those very words in print. These words were copied from http://www.freshairdesigns.com/articles/landscaping.htm

 For all of us looking to extend our homes with “outdoor rooms” and to “decorate” them with attractive plants, outdoor furniture, and appealing features and ornaments, it is very reassuring to know that the time and money we invest will not only give us pleasure but also increase the value of our greatest personal asset. In fact, according to a Gallup poll, homeowners polled feel that landscaping “adds almost 15% to the value of their property and that landscaping as an investment is one with lasting value.” 

Whenever I build a new flower bed,it may get weedy at times, but at least it's not eroding away,going down into some sink hole somewhere and taking all of our precious top soil with it to Mammoth Cave.

On most any day of the Spring and Summer,you can find me,cleaning and expanding one bed or building another.When I'm expanding and building these beds, I am adding new soil and rich compost and manure to each, therefore improving that small piece of ground regardless of how small it is. It's like they say about the old lady who peed in the sea. Every little bit helps.Or Rome wasn't built in a day.Or crawl before you walk. I could recall so many sayings that apply . A little here and there soon amount to a lot.It may take me awhile to reclaim five acres, but it can be done,and I've only recently retired,well, five years ago, is fairly recent,so I've just begun working on this venture full time.

One bed that I worked with lately is a row of Forsythias and Burning Bushes that I planted along side of Pop's boat shed.  It is an open faced shed, but I figured the shrubs would block some of the sun from heating up the metal siding while enhancing it's appearance,too.The bushes have grown tremendously in the last 3 or 4 years and are shading the building nicely, but I have always wanted some colorful flowers in that bed,too. You can see this area as you come within the last half mile of our home,so I would like it to make a good impression on passersby.You know how I feel about passersby.I feel they sum up their opinion of me,based on the appearance of my yard and property.Foolish, I know,but I have always judged others that way, so I guess it's only natural that I should assume others judge me in the same way.Nevertheless, I cleaned under the existing bushes, and rearranged a few of the flowers that I had previously planted, and then I added some landscape timbers to contain the better soil I will be adding to the bed.I have several perennials  in the bed already, so now I must purchase some colorful annuals to place intermittently for color. Now,hopefully, when I mow, the wheel of the mower will not destroy the flowers growing beneath the bushes, and big areas of grass will not be left uncut where I had to pull away from the bed to avoid cutting  the flowers .Overall, the bed should make it easier to trim under the bushes,thus achieving another goal of mine,which is to simplify my job of mowing as much as possible.

It is a chore tending my never ending flower beds,at times, but, I truly do believe I am enhancing the beauty of our property a bit,plus enjoying every minute I spend doing it.A few of the beds are unruly and and out of control,quite often, but there is always tomorrow. I get frustrated at times, when another job comes up that I must stop and attend to,especially when the weather is just right for gardening and yard work.There are so few days when it is just right.It's either too hot or too wet.I live for those "just right" days,so when something holds me back from my desired task, beware,because it's all I can do to control my frustrations.

Beginning stages of the former loading dock flower bed
I'll update my progress as I go along.

The other bed I worked on was originally a loading dock,made of huge rocks, for Pop to load his big tractor onto the flat bed truck,when he was in the logging business.He has long since given up the logging business,so the rock was just sitting there,idle.When we built our little pond, we decided to put the huge boulders around the rim of the pond, in hopes of making a fountain someday.The spot where Pop had moved the rocks, was now an eye sore, and too rough to mow.Pop helped me mow yesterday, and he didn't even try to mow that area. I simply have to do something with that spot.I chopped the biggest weeds, and shifted a few remaining rocks around,and now I will be moving a few hosta and liriope plants to that area, and possibly a few annuals.That's how I usually fix an area that can't be mowed.He and I have hauled in a couple of load of mulch to kill back the Creeping Charlie. This is the section of yard where the dreadful flower(weed )has taken over.I pulled all of the extra tires up in the bed. Hopefully they will work into my plan. I use a lot of old tires.The will keep my good soil from washing away, and too, it makes it possible to tend to each plant better.I had Pop to bring me up a load or two of top soil from other places on the farm, so I can work on a few of the spots that are bare,while I'll at it. I hate bare spots in my yard, but in this area, it's a given. There is so much slab rock right below the surface, and these hot days tends to kill the grass quickly in those spots.

I still have a lot to do before I can say I have reclaimed the entire five acres, but as long as I am able, I will be working toward that goal.

My Motivation!

I'm still tweaking my Potting Place,but this is the latest view.

I've heard Pop tell folks how I can jump right out of bed, wide awake,and ready to go about my day, instantly.This is usually true on the mornings that I am thinking about a plan that I have for my day. That gets me motivated quicker than any cup of coffee.He will sit and smoke and mull over his first cup of coffee for an hour sometimes, trying to get himself going. Unless maybe, it is Wednesday, then he gets motivated a little quicker. That's Flea Market Day.He meets with his daughter for breakfast,while catching up on all the latest gossip,and then they spend some time browsing through the Flea Market, talking to folks they know and some they don't, then off to Walmart to pick up a few items. That's their big day together.

As for myself, I will take a day in my yard, in my garden, or with my crafts, any day, over the Flea Market. When I'm  thinking about a project I want to get into,I can jump right out of bed and get started.The mornings are usually cooler, therefore I can get a lot of work done, before it gets too hot. If only I didn't have to waste time cooking breakfast. Pop will cook,if I ask him to, but I feel like I am imposing,so I rarely ever ask. Today being Wednesday, he will eat out with Rhonda,the older of his two daughters,so the morning is mine,but I have already been hearing thunder. If the weather is not too bad,I will go ahead and work out in it,but if there is lightening and thunder,no way.I'll stay indoors and do some dreaded house work(if I must,)or work on my computer.


My main project lately has been constructing my Potting Place. I am so excited about the progress I have made on it already and I have so many other ideas for making it better.Who would have thought a dog pen could turn into such a fun place.I have not needed to buy any new materials to work on it,so far. We have had  just about everything I have needed,just lying around the property,although I did buy a five gallon bucket of white paint for general use anywhere needed on the property. I use a lot of white paint.Most of the projects I work with do not hold my attention this long, but this particular one has held me captive for a couple of weeks so far. I think this is the most exciting project I have worked with for awhile.I have so many of Pop's tools tied up,he is getting a bit testy over the matter.Whenever he needs anything, I usually have it,working on my project.

Well, a slight shower came and went.A little more thunder and distant lightening than I preferred, so I waited,for the most part, till it passed. I double checked my Potting Place to make sure the temporary overhead covering(a lightweight tarpaulin) would withstand the wind,should there be any. Thank goodness, there was no wind. I only hope I can get my permanent overhead covering up before too much longer, and for that part of the project, I may need to buy a few things.

I looks like we may get a few showers off and on throughout the day, so I will take a break,and go to the local greenhouse,and pick up a few summer drought resistant annuals. I need some color in the yard. That keeps me motivated as well, and I need all the motivation I can get,when those really hot days kill every living thing in the yard.

Orange Peels!Who Knew?



Picture from freefoto.com

I found this great tip on one of Martha Stewart's blogs (6-14-2011 Today's Five Must Do's.)She has so much great information. If you go there, you can easily get turned around and fail to find you way back. I did.I found these helpful tips and really wanted to share them for others to try. They sound like winners.She has so many helpful tips(even if you're not a big fan of hers.)



WHAT TO SAVE:ORANGE PEELS
While orange peels aren't all that great for eating, they still come in great use around the house. Here are three simple ways to use leftover orange peel:

• Because of its high content of flammable oil, dried peel makes a great fire starter.
• Cats don't like the smell of orange peel, so you can place it around plants where you don't want cats digging.
• Use dried orange peel to remove musty smells by placing it in a cloth bag and storing it in closets and cupboards.
• Orange zest can be dried overnight and then stored in airtight bottles for future use.

I must go call Mom,now. She has a really bad cat problem in her community.

Crippled Chick Update

My young Bantam chick that I have been caring died today. He lived a lot longer than anyone expected.To the best of my knowledge, it was hatched around May 10, and then we got all wrapped up in Pop's skin cancer and I  didn't take time to document exactly when the chicks were hatched. Regardless, it seems like forever, since this one little chick was helpless when it came to using his legs,anyway. I had to hold the feed and water up close for him to eat and drink,which he was doing quite well, or so I thought.That would definitely make it seem longer, but it had become so spoiled to me. I would keep him in a box in the house, and feed and water him several times a day. He would cheep loudly when he heard me enter the house, and become very calm when I held him in my warm hand and worked with his legs,which were improving greatly.Then I noticed yesterday, he had become listless.I am guessing now that it must have been the air conditioner in the house that gave him a cold,and he was too weak to fight it off. Chicks chill easy, and I had noticed him shivering some lately.I keep the thermostat in the house,set at 76-78, and I would have thought a chick could have withstood that,but I guess I was wrong.I sure did hate to loose him,and I was convinced that I could help him with his leg problem. He was trying to stand using both legs here lately. I would never let him stand that way only a few minutes each day, in hopes of gradually strengthening his legs. Just this morning,he stood up on both legs by himself,but now we'll never know for sure if I could have helped him walk again.

Cabbage!Who Knew!

This picture was taken from Picsearch.I have a picture of me holding the biggest babbage I've ever grown, but ,as usual, I couldn't put my hands on it when I needed it. Maybe someday when I least expect it, I'll stumble across it again.

Cole Slaw Can Save Your Life (Really)
Nowadays, coleslaw has migrated from the Eastern bloc to take its place on the American picnic table alongside hot dogs and apple pie. Del is ubiquitously serve the stuff in a little ramekin with sandwiches. We rarely give the cabbage concoction a second thought to its origins or nutritional benefits—but we should.

Cabbage has a long, hearty, and healthy history. For centuries, Russian peasants sustained themselves through some of the most bitter-cold winters on the planet by eating this leafy vegetable and not much else. That says something about the nutritional value, da? Cabbage (especially the red variety) is a surprisingly excellent source of vitamin C, which some experts believe may reduce the risk of getting diabetes. And because it’s a cruciferous vegetable like its cousins, broccoli and Brussels sprouts, it contains potent anti-cancer properties. One study found that women who ate the most cabbage had a 45 percent lower breast cancer risk than women who ate the least! Red cabbage offers another bonus: It’s rich in natural pigments that may help boost insulin production and lower blood-sug ar levels.

With all that nutritional value, you’d think there’d be a catch. There’s not. To boot, cabbage is very low in calories (only 16 calories per one-half cup cooked!) and is a good source of fiber at 1.7 grams per one-half cup. Together, these two attributes spell weight loss, which almost always benefits blood sugar. Add to that the fact that cabbage is way low on the glycemic index scale, and you’ve got true magic for a blood-sugar food. Those Russian peasants were living on a rich diet after all! The one caveat with coleslaw is the potential for glopping on too much mayonnaise. Small, mayonnaise-laden portions, like those served with the deli’s pastrami, are okay. Just halve that sandwich to keep your calories in check. Healthier coleslaw is made with a vinegar base, which helps lower the glycemic value of your whole meal. Try making no-mayonnaise coleslaw—the combination of the fiber and vinegar to lower your glycemic load, and the minimal calor ies of the cabbage means your portion size can be the sky’s limit.

Another serving suggestion: Sauté cabbage and onions, or braise red cabbage with chopped apples, along with red wine for two amazingly tasty and low-cal side dishes. Add sliced cabbage to soups and stews, and try thinly shredded cabbage for a delightfully crunchy bite anywhere you’d use shredded lettuce, like on burgers or tacos. 


(This article was taken from the Readers Digest Diabetes Newsletter.)


I'm headed to fix a bowl of Cole Slaw.See Ya!

Mondays!

It is Monday although it is not raining. One can only wish, but this is one of the many bulletin boards that I use to put up for the children and adults who might pass through my cafeteria when I was working. I only wish I had had the insight to save more pictures. This was one of my favorite part of my job. I was allowed to have as many bulletin boards as I wished, (I had eight small ones, at one time)and I could keep them all decorated with my artwork and some of my favorite quotations.I think often of making myself a bulletin board for my yard, to share my artwork and quotations with passersby,like some of the businesses do in town.I may add that to my "Want to do Someday" list.

Day Lilies, Day Lilies, Day Lilies!

Day lilies and Verbena on a Stick

Day lilies 

Day lilies

Day lilies and Wild Bee Balm

Butterfly Weed

Did I mention Day lilies? They are the only thing blooming nowadays. Well,almost the only thing.I do see an occasional Bee Balm,  Butterfly Weed, or Verbena on a Stick.

Is It Possible for a Chicken to Benefit From Therapy?

People can loose the use of an appendage for various reasons, but then they are able to get some of the movement back through therapy.Could it be possible for this to work with a chicken?

We have a pair of Bantam chickens, which Pop purchased at the Flea Market. He has always been fascinated by the small Bantams, so he collected several eggs from the pair, and when the mother decided she was ready to set,he put only their eggs under her.She hatched out only four chicks, and since we didn't really need any more chickens, we were satisfied with the four.Well, of course, when you only have a few, something inevitably, happens to one or two of them.If we had had 20, they would have all survived,but there would have been way too many roosters in the bunch.At least that's the way our luck runs with chickens.Well,we lost one earl;y on, never knowing what the problem was.I tried to save it to no avail.Then the second chick took a spell, but it had a totally different problem.It lost the use of one leg completely. W e figured, perhaps, it had gotten it's leg hung in the coop wire since they would run frantically whenever they were fed. I guess they we frightened them.Nevertheless,I did my best to work with the chick. I even tried to make it a splint, but it just wasn't working out.It would stretch that leg as far and straight out to the front of itself as possible. Then I thought perhaps, it was out of socket where the thigh joined to the body.I maneuvered it as gently as possible, but even that didn't seem to help.Well, low and behold, the other leg begin acting in a similar way. One leg would stretch out to the front as straight as a stick,and the other out to the back just as stiff and straight.Unreal behavior in a chicken.Not knowing what could possibly be wrong, I have continued to hand feed and water the chick for what seems like forever,but I do feel like it is getting some better.It has never lost it's appetite, so I feel that's a good thing.Maybe there's hope.Pop and I have questioned our efforts from day one,yet not having the heart to let it die,it seems so healthy in every other way. But how can a chicken survive without it's legs.Both of them anyway.Maybe one,possibly.Pop says he has seen one legged chickens,but how could one manage without the use of either leg?

I decided I would try a little therapy on it's legs. I noticed when it is extremely nervous, it's legs go crazy, but when it's calm,snuggled in my warm hand,it will let me put it's legs in a normal position.Cupped under it's body.It had lost, or so we thought,all use of it's toes. They would stay in a completely club position, no use to them at all. Lately, with me working with it's legs, it seems to be getting back some movement in it's toes,too.This has been the strangest case I have ever seen in a chicken. I don't know how long it will take to get the little thing raised,and if it will ever get any use at all, back in it's legs and toes, but I am giving it my best shot at helping it all I can.It does seem that the warmth from my hand has some type of comfort for the chicks legs.I have read that the electricity in ones body is healing. Maybe there's more to that than we know. We can only hope.

Well, they're back.

My Followers are back.I wonder when they will stop messing with our blogs,whoever they are?

Whoops!

Google Chrome has failed me after all the bragging I had been doing about it. My Followers are gone again.

Regrets!

Entrance to my Potting Place

Now that two thirds of my life has passed, I think more and more about the one main regret I have had in my life. I am in a little different place at the present, than most folks my age, so I know others may have a different point of view,but that's what makes the world go round. If everyone wanted the same things out of life, they would all be lined up,wanting Pop. He was a real "find". Many of the ladies of the world,at least in my area, feel that way about him.I just happen to be the lucky gal that caught him.(And no laughing,Connie.)Nevertheless,back to my one main regret. 


One never really knows what his or her passion will be until they have had the chance to experience many things in their life.In most cases, at least for my generation, one had to take a job, to sustain themselves and possibly their families,the minute they were out of school, and in many cases,before finishing school,or instead of school.We had no real opportunity to pick and choose a profession that we would really enjoy. And I mean enjoy to the point where we would jump out of bed each morning, tickled to death to get to spend another day working with your most favorite things in the world to do.That is the regret I have most. I ended up in a job at 30 years of age, that was close,but as the years went by and the government got involved, the fun went out of it. I was working with foods, with children, with people,with my art,with my research.All of which were my passions at that time, or so I thought. I guess one's passion can change,as do so many things during a lifetime.It depends on many circumstances as to what yours will be during any given time frame. I had no children of my own, and that gave me the freedom to do things that others,with children,did not have the luxury of doing,nor did I need to have three meals a day on the table at set times.Those two things alone can limit you as to how much time you can spend on your passion.Pop always worked away,during the first twenty years of our marriage, and I worked,too, so things were a little different then. We did have a routine which we needed to adhere to during those days.We had things that needed to be done on our little farm,whether we had the energy at the end of a long hard day,or not.That took a lot of the fun out of life itself. Knowing you had to do certain things,whether you felt like it or not.But now, we are both retired and our time,for the most part, is our own. To get up early,if we choose, or to sleep in, if that be your choice for the morning.We usually choose to get up early,especially during these long hot days of summer. It is so nice and cool,in the early mornings,and the wildlife are out stirring,since they,too, know that later in the day,it will be too hot to do much.We sit and enjoy watching all of their comings and goings for a few minutes,before starting our own day.Then we are both off,in different directions,spending the day,enjoying our passions.Pop's passion is mostly socializing.He loves to talk, so anywhere he can find a few folks gathered together to talk with,that's where he'll be.If not the local restaurant or gas station,then you'll find him at any of the neighbor's homes or the neighboring maintenance garage.Pop has done, and can do most anything,so he can jump in and help a little, with most jobs,whether it be working on a bulldozer, or setting or stripping tobacco.He doesn't mind pitching in on whatever job,folks have going on,when he stops by.Folks are always looking for free labor, and even if Pop doesn't do any real work while he's there, he can boost the moral of the work crew that is working,just with his never ending stories.As for myself,I can spend my days doing whatever strikes my fancy at any given moment. I mow the grass,not because it needs mowing most days,but because I love mowing. There is something about the feeling that I get when the yards all neat and trimmed. Now if I could only get my many flowerbeds looking as neat and orderly. I usually work on one bed at a time,trying to make it a little neater,but I will end up,jumping off to another project before that job is completed. I hate that in my self, but I never tire of any one job that way.When I am rested from using that part of my brain, I'll get back to my original job.At least,that's my explanation for why I jump from job to job.Although it shouldn't really matter, I hate for the neighbors and passersby to think that I am simply to lazy to clean the beds.So many times, I have passed the yards of others,that are in utter disarray,and I thought how lazy those folks must be.If your yard looks like that, you must be lazy. That has to be the reason for letting one's yard look the way it does. I never think about it being an elderly person who is no longer able, or a single young mother, trying to raise two or three young children,alone,with their worthless dad,Heaven only knows where.It's sad to say,but my only thought is how worthless that dweller must be.Therefore, I don't want others to think that of me.I have over loaded myself with multiple flower beds over the years, because i love flowers so. Now that I am older, it is really hard to keep up with them all. My goal nowadays, is to bed most of them down with mulch or something of that nature,so there won't be any need for cleaning the weeds and grass from between the flowers.That is one of my goals,but so many other things I want to do, keep popping up on my path to my intended task.I don't worry so much about that problem,since every thing that pops up, is something I love to do,just as well.Therefore my days are fulled to the max with everything related to my passion.


So to sum it all up, the one thing I regret the most in my life,is not having the insight and the opportunity to choose a profession in which I would do just what I have been speaking of. To possess the desire to jump out of bed and run to my job,thoroughly excited to be there,eagerly waiting to see what each new day would bring,and knowing that no matter what it would be,it would be something I truly enjoyed more than anything else in the world.

Torn!

It appears blogging has been put on the back burner for a few days.The heat has been unreal here lately,so I usually get out early to get things done around the property.First thing of a morning,though,we drink our morning cup or two, of coffee,usually in the porch swing.Today,I went out early,since Pop was running a little late on awakening.I sat for a spell and observed the pair of Purple Martins that have built in the Bluebird box.That has been our morning ritual for a couple of weeks now. I watched for quite a while,only seeing the male bird, perched up on the flagpole, and one of the cats,lying at the base of the tree,watching the Bluebird box ever so intently. Since I saw no activity in the birdhouse, I quickly assumed that Lucky had caught and eaten the Mother Martin. I immediately,got a sick feeling in my stomach, and began to cry incessantly. I haven't cried for quite some time. I hardly ever take my Sertraline unless things get really unbearable, thus I hadn't taken it for a few weeks.And yes,I do know,that that is not the recommended way to take an anxiety medication,but it works for me.Nevertheless, this was definitely an occasion that deserved a few tears.Pop awoke and joined me on the porch,trying to comfort me as best he could. We discussed putting an add in the paper to give the two cats away.That only made me cry more. I love my cats, but I love my little Martins,too. Especially this pair that has made their home in the Bluebird box. We had watched them prepare their home for many days.Spending time together. Courting. Lovemaking. Building their nest. Laying their eggs. I think they now have five tiny white eggs.The last few days, they have been collecting feathers to line their nest. Something I had not observed before.Truthfully, I had not observed the other Martins behaving at all like this pair.I guess that's why we watched them so intently.It has been fascinating to watch their every move.One day,the male had been collecting the feathers,and bringing them back to the nest for the Mother to arrange.Once we watched him make several passes at the birdhouse with the feather still in his beak,but never stopping to give her the feather. Suddenly, the Mother bird came out of the house to where he was perched on the flagpole.She yanked the feather from his beak, and flew back to her nest,as if to say,"If you want something done right,do it yourself."It was so funny to watch them. 
Shortly,after shedding several tears over the situation, and shooting several pellets in the general area of the cat, and chasing him away several times with the broom, a second bird appears, back on the scene. Both birds were acting very strange though. Circling the nest repeatedly,appearing very much, like this might not be the same pair.Very curious behavior.There has been another couple of Martins that have tried a few times to run this pair off,but the original pair stood their ground,and held tight to their little home.The longer we watched, the more we were convinced that this must be the original pair of Martins.I worried for quite some time,while I was crying. What would happen now, if the Mother had been killed? Don't they mate for life? Would he finish the job of hatching the eggs? Would he hunt another mate to finish the job?Would he pine away over her loss? Would the little eggs go unhatched? These are some of the questions that were running through my mind,before the Mother bird finally returned.Now that she's back, I am feeling so much better. I took the Bluebird box and moved it up higher on the tree, about another foot. I had wanted to do that days ago, but Pop thought it might scare them away completely,if I moved it, so I didn't,at that time.Today,I decided to take my chances. What did I have to loose? It appears the cat can only jump as high as the original height of the box.I am only hoping the birds are quick enough,not to get caught by Lucky,now that I have moved it up a bit.He appears to be the most determined to catch the birds.Minnie is usually close by,but not quite as aggressive.I have wrapped a piece of hog wire fencing around the base of the tree to deter the cats.They were climbing the tree easily before I did that,but not so much now.I only hope my nerves will hold up until the baby birds are hatched,if indeed,they make it that far.Next year,I will try moving the Bluebird box even higher,just in case this same pair decides to return.I hope to post an update as soon as the story of the young couple unfolds.  

Is Anyone There?

I stumbled across this blog yesterday, while trying to find a solution to one of my Blogging problems. My Followers have disappeared.Somewhere I read that I should try Chrome, and see if my Followers returned.I tried Chrome and,sure enough,they did return.But only while I was in the trial for Chrome. I went in and set my browser default as Chrome,but the followers are not appearing on my blog.So what is the deal now?Can anyone help me with this?


I hope this blog listed below is a legitimate blog,since I am reading it over and trying to learn how to correct things with my blog. Is anyone else following this blog?

http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/

To the dump,to the dump, to the dump dump dump......

Not this little jewel. I scavenged this old rack and an old bike frame from Pop's load of metal,which was headed to the Scrap Metal site up town. He fussed a bit. Said I'd never do anything with those two pieces of junk,so I might as well let them go with the rest of the scrap metal.Little did he know,You don' tell me I'm NOT going to do something.You'd think after 32 years, he would know that,and then again, maybe he was using reverse psychology on me. He probably knew that if he worded it that way,it was sure to get the job finished. Who knows what goes through the minds of men. Only they know, and they are not telling.
The frame was a combination cart/stand Pop had built years ago to hold his oxygen and acetylene tanks.That was many years ago, but the tanks had outgrown the rack,or for whatever reason, he no longer needed the rack,and off to the scrap pile it went,or so he thought.

My new cart will be great for pulling a 5 gallon bucket of soil across the yard, to save my back.After spending about an hour in the heat today,disassembling the bike and reassembling the cart,I nearly threw in the towel,but I was determined to get the job done.The bike must have been assembled by a tinkerer like myself, because there were no two nut and bolts alike. I kept having to raid Pop's tool cabinet.Well really,it' my tool cabinet. I inherited the original tool cabinet  from Dad's belongings after his death,but it was destroyed in the fire, and this one was given to us,by a friend,as a replacement.

I dabbed a little paint on the cart, after I got it all assembled this morning.That helped it tremendously.
The bike rims are not the greatest, but they'll do in a pinch.I'll keep my eyes peeled for a couple of larger,better wheels.That would make the cart push much easier, but for now,I have some heavy black plastic tubing.There is a piece of it lying by the cart in the picture. I think it was originally used in the well, but when we replaced it, the old has just been lying around with no use in mind(that I know of).But now I will be using it as tires on my cart. It is a bit stiff, but with a little heat, it should curl right around those empty rims. Then with a small piece of electric fence wire to secure it,Wallah.My cart has tires.I think it turned out to be quite a nifty little dolly/cart.Pop says he may want it back now.To that I say "Sorry about your luck,Pop. It's mine now.One man's trash is another man's (or woman's) treasure."

"Poor people have poor ways,but they usually work."

What's a girl to do?

I have had a terrible time with my computer yesterday and today. I had to call Hewlett Packard since I had a warranty with them, and they talked to me this morning for two hours, trying to resolve my problems. As it ended up, I had to do a System Recovery, and lost everything I had in my computer. I was able to find my blog, thank heavens.If not, someone would be calling the men with the baggie britches to come and get me.I have been sick to my stomach ever since I began working with this, trying to fix it my self. That doesn't work in my case, since I know nothing about the internal workings of a computer. I had to trust the company to be honest in what they were telling me the problem was.That is the worse part. Not many people are honest anymore,much less a foreign fellow from India,who could barely speak English,sometimes not so good, whom I've never seen,and will never see or hear from again.What's to say he was telling me the truth. I can only hope. I am at his mercy and he knows it. As luck would have it, my warranty had run out 90 days prior. And  what's worse, the virus controls I had on my computer were supposedly competing against each other.It does not make it any better to have more than one.It makes it worse.Never the less, he talked me into taking another virus protection, since I had a whole new system in my computer,and I did.Not only did I take the security protection for viruses, I got a plan where I can call anytime of the day or night, and get help on my computer for technical problems.Both plans together were $100. plus. but what is one to do if they know nothing about keeping things running properly. I guess for the pleasure I get from my computer, that is not a lot of money. That's only 3 cartons of cigarettes for Pop(just in case he questions me about it).
I was having trouble with Farmchick's site for one, so I have had to remove it from my followings until I can figure out how to fix the problem. Sorry Farmchick, I'll get it fixed as soon as possible, I hope.Hopefully, I won't run into anymore unforseen problems while I am trying to get things back on track.Later!

My Sister's Absence/Guest Blog



Isn't she a cutie?

My sister,Vicki, of "My Favorite Things" has been away from her computer for awhile due to illness and other circumstances at home. She has been staying with her eldest daughter,Becky, and her family for awhile now.During the time she has lived with Becky, Vicki has been struggling with some type of mysterious medicl issues. Only within the last year did she learn that her problem was Fibromyalga.It has been an up hill battle, trying to get relief since she has been out of work for awhile and has no insurance. She has been doing a lot of reading and trying all sorts of natural home remedies and experimenting with various diets in hopes of getting some releif.She had been working with her daughter and son-in-law in their store,but the job she was doing, required a bit of lifting, and it has become impossible for her to continue on with it,so while she was laid off from her job, she has been helping around her daughter's home, in whatever way she could. Becky and James have two boys, so Vicki has been helping to oversee them some, while their parents are working.Then,Becky became unable to work due to a miriad of strange symptoms. Becky  had been seeing doctors of all kinds trying to get to the root of the problem.Between the various doctors, they had her on several different medications, some of which seem to be going against her.Finally,one of the doctors discovered that she had some severe damage to her spine in the neck area,which he thought needed immediate medical attention. Surgery.The surgery would be a very delicate procedure where they would go through the front of her neck,behind the larynyx,etc.Our brother had the same surgery a few years ago, so they were communicating with him as to what all the procedure entailed.It sounded like a very scary thing to go through, but ,Thank God,she went through the surgery and is recuperating well at home. They were so blessed to have Vicki there to help when and where she could,as well as Vicki's younger daughter,Beverly, who has recently married and is living only a few hours away.Beverly came to tidy up things with the house while Vicki was staying in the hospital with Becky during her surgery and recovery time.With all the this going on, I am sure Blogging is one thing that had to be put on the back burner. Hopefully, Becky and Vicki will both be back on the top shelf soon.We can't wait to have her back blogging again.