A Blogiversary! I'm Having A Give-A-Way

I never knew I could enjoy my computer as much as I do now having made so many friends on here. I still can't believe anyone finds anything really interesting on here to read but it makes me happy that ya'll do.

This is going to short and easy here.

Just leave a comment any time from now thru Wed night ON THIS POST and on Thursday Feb`11 there will be a drawing for 2 winners.

What are you going to receive?

Well let's see here - something I know that every gardener will want more of is seeds. Hometown is congratulating me by offering seeds to my winners. There will be 2 winners for seed packets. I am also giving away a bird feeder. Sorry no photos but it will be deco.

Good Luck.

PS Many thanks to all of my blogger friends sending a prayer my way. I am feeling much better. Been resting this weekend.

Last Night it Was The Hospital

Ya'll I am not a hypochondriac. I became so sick yesterday morning. I spent the day hugging the toilet. I hurt so bad all I could do was rock back and forth and moan and cry. When I lay down all I could do was squirm. I became dehydrated since I couldn't hold any liquids on my stomach. My man friend came to check on me and wouldn't take no for an aswer about the hospital. I have never had such pain that it caused me to be delireous but I was confused and could not think reasonable at all. The ER sent me home with an RX for pain and phenagren suppositories. They say I had 2 injections while at the hospital but I don't remember much of anything. I don't recall them telling me what was wrong. Probably a stomach bug.

I am feeling a little better today - no pain except lots of soreness and tender feeling in my abdomen. I am at work today. I wish I could have stayed home but since our hours have been cut already it is going to kill my pocket book to lose another days work.

I Saw the Doctor

Doctor put me back on Nexium to see if that makes a difference. He also gave me some phenagren but I won't take that except as a last resort. I took Nexium for a couple of years and then just quit. Hopefully it will do the trick. I go back in a month to see the doctor.

When the weather pretties up around here I feel the need to get in the gardens and play in the dirt for a while. We are having some lovely weather for a few days and Thur some heavy thunderstorms. So I have today and tomorrow afternoon to play. The weekend is looking beautiful though even if still on the cool side. I am planning on completing the front porch garden and enlarge the round garden in the front. I am going to name my gardens just as soon as I come up with something.

After thinning the lettuce and broccoli this weekend and fertilizing - wow there is already some new leaves on the babies. I hope to get these in the ground soon - even if I have to protect them. I can't wait to have some home grown lettuce - I've never grown lettuce before or broccili for that matter.

Ya'll lets hope that the groundhog was wrong today. Phil is calling for 6 more weeks of winter. I'm just gonna think positive here.

Hope you have a great day and stay warm.

Well I've got work to do so I must go - but I'll be around to visit you.

This and That Weekend

I had a good weekend. Since Friday was calling for rain I planned for a weekend indoors. I picked up some paint and painted my kitchen baseboards and wall splash board behind my sink cabinet. My choice of paint colors got a few people wandering what was I thinking. I painted a light lavender which matches a color in my wallpaper. I know lavender is a color for a bedroom or bathroom not really a kitchen. Well I finished and said to myself - what was I thinking. Oh well this is a girls kitchen and a girls house. I can do anything I want.

My mom was thinking of me while eating at the Cracker Barrell and picked me up a shirt. Isn't it cute. I love it.




Another project was to put this together. The shelving will allow me to do more seeds. I know it is not adequate for all of my needs but it certainly is going to help. The curtain really needs to be removed. I hate to have uncovered windows especially in the bedroom. I'll have to think about this a while.

I thinned the plants again this weekend but may need to do some further thinning. Fellow bloggers you tell me. There are about 3 sprigs in each hole. With the cold weather we are experiencing I think I should delay planting the lettuce and broccoli for another week or two.

I heavily thinned the lettuce but still has 3-5 in each hole. The plants may look a little off kilter here and that is because I had to add more seed starting mix to give them more room for roots.

I have been experiencing a lot of nausea in the mornings for many months. I am able to get up just a little bit of bile. It is getting worse everyday. I am afraid my gall bladder is going to burst if I don't get seen about. I am going to the doctors tomorrow. I do not have any insurance and our hours have been cut badly. I hope that something can be done before it bursts.

I've got to get back to work. Hope you all have a great day.

This and That and Seed Discount

Hometown seeds is offering all of my readers a discount on seeds of 10% on your total order. They are offering this due to the number of hits from my blog. I just want to say I think their prices are very reasonable. I am not receiving anything at all for posting this. I just think you would be very pleased. Use the coupon code: thanks




One of my recent yard sale finds. The set was originally a 50$ set and I picked it up for 6.00. The pump did not work so I filled it with artificial flowers. It looks OK sitting on my bathroom sink. (This is not a photo of my bathroom)

I have to say I am very proud of myself. I accomplished a lot this weekend. I finished raking and began to cut some unwanted annoying bushes out of some of my gardenia bush and I just kept on cutting all over the yard. I cleared enough on trees and unwanted bushes to amount to 3 waist high piles of limbs. After clearing so much from the yard I was tired but I had to keep going since it wasn't even dark yet. So I commenced to dig out a new garden along the front porch. When I moved into this place 3 years ago there were no gardens and I began to dig last year. So far I have put in 3 gardens and am adding 4-5 new gardens and garden areas.

I have been blessed with many seeds from fellow bloggers and I have also ordered more seeds from Hometown seeds. (I did not get a discount) I will have the best gardens I have ever had.

You can see that I had to go back to make it larger.

My heavy duty yard gloves. I use these for raking and shoveling and they are so fantastic. I hate to get blisters from raking and these gloves have prevented any problems on my hands except soreness and ooohhh the arthritis.

I won the gloves over at Ginger's blog, Law of the Land. Visit Ginger at: http://lawoftheland.blogspot.com. Ginger is such a sweetheart. And I love to read her blog. She has some beautiful gardens. I am so excited about these gloves. I have another pair just like them and they are the best gloves I have ever seen for gardening. The grip on the inside of them is tuff and aids in pulling weeds. Oh and she also sent me a bonus of yellow four o'clock seeds.

Look what my mom has passed on to me. This belonged to my grandmother and I am not sure just how old it is. Anyway I must get some fabric and stuff to try it out. I use to sew everything when my kids were small. So I'll be glad to pick it up again. I want to learn to quilt.

Sunday was a day of playoffs. Geaux Saints. I am so proud of the New Orleans Saints. We have longed for this day when our favorite team goes to the Super Bowl playoffs. I sure hope they beat the Colts. What a party that would bring. PS-I am not a partier.

Haiti - what a horrible disaster. It's hard to imagine living conditions such as what they experienced before and now after this devasting disaster. We all will continue to pray for them.

The Planning Stage

I have spent most of January perusing garden magazines and books and making a Garden Plan For 2010. I think I have it down now if I can just keep this up. This is the first time I have actually spent much time in planning and I think it will certainly pay off in the end.

The first things I did was to make many lists. I made list of what I wanted to do and things I could do on my own and things I will have to hire some one to help. I made lists of plants that I already have and seeds I will be sowing for spring. I made lists of my gardens and their particular conditions.

The following is the results and I will tell you what I did. First I had to have a list of what I would be working with and all the particulars. I don't think I did very well placing my photos but here it is.

This is the plan for the first 4 months "2010 Garden/Landscape Planner". I placed the weeks going down and month across. This way I can see exactly how I can fit the projects in and at a glance determine what I need to do next. This planner I will write on and change as time passes making note of the completed chores.


I had to have more room and more specific information for implementing these goals. Here I created a page that I write a lot of notes and additional plans. This is to help me to be accountable and reach my goals. "Monthly Goals/Things To Do"

I have photos from 2009 gardens and I printed the photo and jotted down info about that particular garden - the conditions such as amount of sun, site problems and maybe how to remedy a problem. I also write down goals for this particular garden.

I made me a calender off of Word and this is where I note plantings and weather conditions.

Here I determine a theme or whatever and determine which seeds to plant where based on sun requirements.

I have a list of seeds I will be working with. I went to specific blogs whom I received seeds from and looked at the plants in their garden or to plant websites to obtain plant specifics. Two columns for notes about a specific plant. Columns for plant color, sun, plant height and spacing.

The last thing I have done is to prepare a time line. This is a seed start schedule and planting schedule for the baby plants. Across the top are in weeks with the date. I started with the first week I plan to start seeds which is Feb 13 and worked my way out to the week of April 24.

I am a planner for sure. Implementing my plans are something else. I think I will be able to work this plan pretty easy. Now comes the labor hours and hard work.

I can't wait to see all these pretties blooming this year. I must be patient for those perennials that bloom on the second year.

I hope that this may help someone else devise a plan. If you already do this each year pass on your tips to everyone.

Gorgeous Sky

While driving yesterday I saw a beautiful cloud formation. I couldn't resist the clouds dancing across the sky like pieces of lace. Oh and the blue of the sky is for real. It was a beautiful day with temps around 55 degrees.

A new addition to my plants. A succulent. I am wanting some hens and chicks for my container garden this spring. I will place the succulents on the ground in with the stones I plan to add. I think it will add interesting texture and color to a container garden covered with rock or stone.

My seedlings are reaching for the window so hard. I thinned them out last night - but I was thinking and ya'll help me out here - if I leave a good number of lettuce seedlings that the clumps of lettuce would be better than thinning too much. I had to find something that would work for me till I could do better to get these seedlings to grow straight up - I used a file folder and covered it will foil facing the window. I'll be able to tell this evening if this is going to work.

You can see in this photo the seedlings reaching for the light in the window. And this is after I thinned them.

He hangs around very close when I have the camera in hand.

I'll catch you guys later today on your blogs. Have a great day and stay warm and think green. It'll be here soon.

This and That

It's thrilling this time of year to see something pop out of the dirt even if it is a controlled environment. As you can see they are coming up real good - germinated in 7 days. Again as you can see I stumped my toe when it came to dropping the seeds in the tiny holes. The seeds are so small you can't just drop 1 or 2 seeds.



I was reading last night about seed starting - and the article stated that when the seeds are so small - use a pencil eraser slightly moistened to place the seed.



The containers are in a south window and receive a good bit of direct sun but not really adequate since they require 8-10 hrs. Well I can't get that much. One way to enhance the amount of light they do receive by wrapping one side of a piece of cardboard with aluminum foil and place on the inside of the seedlings so that the light will reflect off of the foil. This is on my task of things this afternoon.



They need to be thinned badly. I was thinking I should do this ASAP to allow the better seedlings to grow efficiently.



This is the Lettuce Gourmet Mix and the other one is Broccoli Waltham.

I don't have but a couple of house plants. I use open gas heater - you know the kind, the old timey ones you light with a match - and this affects the growth and healthiness of the plant. So I grow all of my stuff inside my bedroom windows. Let's see - how many plants/seeds I can get in front of the twowindows? I don't know but I've got to move the bed and get some cheap shelving units to place in the windows.

I have to keep an aloe plant around. This is truly a miracle plant and has so many uses. Try rubbing all over your hands and wait 3 minutes and then wash them. Use it on cuts, abrasions, insect bites, mosquito bites and the most popular use is for burns. Anytime I burn my hands or arm in the kitchen quickly apply the plant juices and there is no blistering and relieves the pain. I haven't tried it on arthritis but I think I'll try that and see how good it works. This flower pot is one that Ben, my grandchild made for me 5-6 years ago. I love my little pot.

I bought me 50 daffodils - I know it's late and they may or may not make it but they only cost $5. so I have to try.

I put Buddy on the chain and went to get my gloves and digger and came back to find this. My white dog was black. There was a container that froze in the corner and sat in the rich black dirt and just like a kid he had to get down and dirty in the mud. Do you think he was trying to make mud pies. Anyhow - back the utility room went the gloves and out came the dog shampoo. I can't stand for Buddy to be dirty so I wasted no time in cleaning him up. (Can't believe how dismal this color photo appears - of course the grass is dead).

And now he looks much better. Aaahhh a white dog.

I am still in my garden books and notebook in hand planning my spring flair. I am having a good time putting my plans on paper and logging a timeline for completion of my projects.

Gardening is the best therapy. I can get out and begin digging and sometimes I feel like a kid or I am reminiscing(sp?) about when I was small playing in the mud. While I am gardening I hear the birds singing a peaceful tune and I know all is well. When I feel down - if I can muster up the gumption to get outside in my gardens I forget what had me feeling bad.

Hope you find therapy in the yard or gardens this week. If you can't get outside go get you some seeds and some dirt and go to town. It just feels good.

This and That

My garden Buddy. He loves digging as you can see.


I am so ready for some gardening. I started some seeds for lettuce and broccili. OK guys I know you aren't gonna believe me but I have never started seeds inside for planting outside before. This year there will be a lot of that considering I have an abundance of seeds this year thanks to blogging friends.

These are the seeds I will be working with this year:
From Tatyana at My Secret Garden I received Red Melon Poppy's and foxglove.

These are seeds I received from Catherine at A Gardner in Progress: Yellow Columbine, Verbena Bonariensis, Larkspur 'shades of blue' and Red Breadseed Poppies.

These are seeds I received from Raingardener at Gardening by Trial and Error:
Sweet William 'sooty', white columbine, malva zebrina, lupines, silver dollar/money plant, hardy geranium, snapdragons and columbine rose.

These are seeds I received from Hometown Seeds:
snapdragon, Alaska shasta daisy, wildflower mix and four o'clocks-Marvel of Peru.
Plus some veggies: broccoli, cilantro,tomato,lettuce,carrot and melons. There will be more veggies as they become available this year.

So this weekend I was ready for something to plant so I planted my lettuce and broccoli seeds. I used this starter mix.



I purchased these foil pans with lids and poked holes in the plastic cover for drainage. The clear cover will hold the seeds and foil pan is for excess water to drain.

The starter mix was purchased last year and each pan soaked up 3 cups of water before planting. I added water and mixed and let it sit for a half hour before checking it for moisture and added more water so that the soil is good moist all over and is the perfect consistency for planting seeds. I did 12 holes for each pan. I am planning on planting these at the end of Jan in the flower beds since they are so dismal right now.

I found a little color in the yard this weekend. This volunteer flower just showed up. Don't know what it is but there were 3 flowers.

You see the briars in my flower bed. This is the hardest thing to get rid of. It is such a pest and so hard to get out of the ground and still you never get the roots. I have some plans for those thorny weeds - I'll get em.

Can't believe this azalea is still holding on and producing new flowers. I wonder if it is going to keep blooming into spring.

I visited my favorite gift shop that I mentioned was going out of business. Another hit by the economy. Just before the final closing of the doors I scraped up these pots and iron bird feeder. I stole the pots for $10 for the pair and believe me they are heavy and thick. I picked up the heavy iron bird feeder for $7. I so love a bargain.

Well that's about all I've got for today. I have been writing and planning and more writing and more planning for spring and summer. I know it's a ways off but I'm dreaming of pretty colors and warmer temperatures.

I am starting something new for me on my sidebar. I needed to make a plan for the year ahead - something I failed to do last year. I put up my goals for Jan which are certainly slim considering how cold it is and is going to be. I have been journaling and making lists and lists of lists. Are you a list maker too? Anyway I'll be sharing some of my gardening goals for 2010.

I know you all are just as excited as I am.

I Made A Wreath and Looking Forward

This is how Buddy spent his Christmas morning. Buddy had the couch and I in my jammies all day - had the lounge chair and there were plenty of movies to watch on Christmas day.

After looking at so many beautiful wreaths other bloggers had made I had to try my hand at this. I used red, gold and pewter colored balls. The small pine cones were tree ornaments. I had so much fun putting this together and was proud of how it turned out. Total cost was around $15.

I don't know about you but when my decorations come down I don't fill those spots back up like it was before taking it all down. First the furniture has to be rearranged and cleaned. This is when I begin to pick up items for a new look. This time of year I am looking for something bright and cheery. I am also looking for items to enhance the outdoors too as I plan for the spring gardens.

Speaking of spring gardens - this is also the time of year when I am looking for new gardening ideas - expanding existing gardens and creating new ones. Perusing gardening magazines from last year and gardening books to inspire me to create a pleasant place to sit while enjoying the beauty of the flowers and enjoy a cup of coffee outdoors.

Spring is my favorite time of year.

Hometown Seeds

I know you are like me when it comes to seeds in the mail. I was flabbergasted when I opened this envelope from Hometown Seeds. I was expecting a single pack of wildflower seeds. What I received was 10 packs of seeds. Four packs of flower seeds - four o'clocks, snapdragons, shasta daisy and the wildflower seeds. I also received 8 vegetable seed packs. I am so thrilled especially because just yesterday I was filling my cart with these same selections but didn't place the order yet. Thank you Hometown Seeds.

Maybe you might check them out. I think their prices are very reasonable. You will find a link to their website through the Hometown Seeds logo at the top of my sidebar. They are not paying me to write this - all I expected was a single pack.

On To The New

WoooHooo WooHoo That part is over. Just wanted to say I'm glad the Christmas holiday is behind me and I'm ready for the new year. Counting down to spring. I'll be visiting and catching up on everyone's blogs today so I'll make another post later today or tomorrow. I have work to do in the meantime too after being off for a long holiday. Our hours have been cut last week and this week also. Times will be hard for a month or so but at least I have a job.

Merry Christmas

I just want to wish everyone in blogland a very Merry Christmas. I'll be taking a break till Mon the 28th. Can't wait to see all your family pictures and lovelies.

A Charlie Brown Tree

I did some more decorating this weekend just because I had stuff left I hadn't used. I saw this idea for this sort of Charlie Brown tree. I picked up a couple of the 100's of sticks laying on the ground. I spray painted the sticks white, cut some fresh red berries ( i forget their proper name), cut up some Walmart bags being careful not to cut the parts with writing. This made my snowflakes. This was so easy to put together - just minutes actually. Of course it is placed in one of my Mikasa pieces.

I'll be catching up with you today on your blogs. Have a great day and stay warm.

A Couple of My Favorites

Just a few of my favorites. This is something my daughter did with the 3 grands. These will be treasured for many years to come. I use them each year and place them very carefully so they don't fall. Maybe this is something simple that your grandma would appreciate and is very inexpensive.



My new Mikasa bargain. I so love cut glass and Mikasa is one of my favorites. Purchased this at a store that is going out of business and was marked down to $14.

I only have a couple of santa's and am looking forward to adding new ones. The one on the right I just purchased for $8 at Ross stores. I love Ross - my favorite store. The santa in the center is a Christoper Radko I purchased at least 15 years ago on QVC. I love the detail that goes into a Christopher Radko. The santa on the left was a gift from the Family Dollar store some 20 years ago.

And look what I found under the tree. (I hate the red eye - couldn't figure out how to remove it) He hasn't eaten an ornament since I moved them up.

I am so looking forward to spring now. Can't wait to get those gardens looking all pretty again.

Hope you all have a great day and stay warm.

Buddy's Happy

Buddy got a haircut. He knows he is cute and SPOILED.

The ex husband is doing much better. Thank you for your prayers.

Buddy

My Little Buddy needs a grooming. That pearly white hair is getting matted.




Buddy gets a new toy. Whenever I walk into the house with something for Buddy - I tell him "Hey Buddy - momma got you something in this bag". He gets so excited and starts to dance around. I give him his toy and he starts chewing and tossing into the air and chasing it wherever it lands. He is so fun to watch.

He's like "I gotta get this tag here - it is so chewy" "I love paper"

Still this bad boy is chewing ornaments. He took down 2 glass balls and a ceramic piece. The glass ball is all over the carpet. And an ornament like this one all glittery. Yeh his poop sparkled in the street light last night. This morning I took all ornaments and lights from the bottom branches and moved them up. I scolded him last night and again this morning before leaving for work. It's a wonder I haven't had to carry him to the vet with some emergency over something he swallowed.

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend and STAY WARM. Today it is in the mid to upper 40's and by Sunday it is suppose to be around 74. We have crazy weather here with the extreme differences. I intend to stay warm in my jammies and maybe some baking this weekend.

25 Things You Did Not Know About Me

I have been tagged by Beautiful Wreck "Ms K" for a meme about me. I am suppose to write 25 things about me that you do not know. Check out this blog. I love to check her blog just to see what she is up to with all of those kids and Mr K.



1. Name someone with the same birthday as me. Jaimy Neidhardt



2. Where was your first kiss? At home in the yard when I was about 7



3. Have you ever seriously vandalized someone else's property? NO



4. Have you ever hit someone of the opposite sex? Yes



5. Have ever sung in front of a large number of people? Yes in a church choir



6. What's the first thing you notice about your preferred sex? Eyes and mustache



7. What really turns you off? Bragging



8. What do you order at Starbucks? Cafe Mocha with topping



9. What is your biggest mistake? Marrying so young



10. Have you ever hurt yourself on purpose? Yes and that is another story



11. Say something totally random about yourself. I am an accountant who wanted to be a nurse and changed my mind after 3 years of nursing school.



12. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity? Yes - Elizabeth Taylor



13. Do you still watch kiddie movies or TV shows? Yes - movies



14. Did you have braces? NO



15. Are you comfortable with your height? YES - I am 5'4



16. What is the most romantic thing someone of the preferred sex has done for you? Sent me flowers



17. When do you know it's love? When I can't think of anything else



18. Do you speak any other languages? When in Kindergarten and first grade in CA - spanish is taught at an early age. I have forgotten most of it.



19. Have you ever been to tanning salon? Yes - but only 2 sessions - I got sun poison



20. Have you ever ridden in a Limo? NO



21. What's something that really annoys you? People who take advantage of me



22. What's something you really like? shopping when I have money to spend



23. Can you dance? Yes - I can still shake the booty - girls, it is getting harder to shake it too much - I might throw myself on the floor or the sofa



24. Have you ever been rushed by an ambulance into the emergency room? Yes - more than once and that is another story.



25. Now I am suppose to tag five other bloggers for this meme. Don't be mad at me and if you have already done this just disregard your tag.



Blue Creek Home

Chicken Boys

Raingardener at Gardening by Trial and Error

Darla at More Family and Flowers

Tatyana at My Secret Garden



Hope everyone has a fabulous day. Here is cooling down. By morning we will have dropped 35 degrees for a low 35. This am it is 70 - too warm for this time of year. Thus spurring on some of those terrible snow and blizzard conditions that is blanketing much of the north and east. Be safe and stay warm.

This and That Updates and a Prayer Request

My ex husband, the father of my children, is in the hospital undergoing treatment for 'necrotising fascitis'. What this is is a bacterial infection also know as a 'flesh eating bacteria'. He is in serious condition and has undergone 3 surgeries so far with the doctors trying to remove infected flesh down to the muscle. This sounds gross and believe me it is very gross. I went to the hospital on Thur when he was admitted. I have never seen anything like it in my years of patient care. I am proud of my children when they came into town both went to the hospital and have stayed all day every day looking after their father. The complications he is encountering are heart rythm, blood pressure and kidneys not wanting to function properly. Please keep them in your prayers.



My tea set - I have checked out the website suggested and have googled antique chinese tea sets and haven't found anything in particular. I am understanding a little more about their symbols as in the different dynasty's. I am going to research my tea set. Any other suggestions?

Buddy has started eating the ornaments. Yesterday he crushed a glass ball and ate a glittered ornament made of twine. I guess his poop will sparkle now. My dog will chew on anything and I mean anything. He has plenty of toys and chewey snacks. I have to keep everything picked up when I leave home and the bedrooms closed off. I have tried to break him but so far no success.

Today is my special day in which I claim victory. There are victory's all through the year but today is special. Six years ago today I was attacked in the middle of the night by a man who broke into my bedroom window to rob and rape me. It is hard not to remember that terrible night but I have to choose to remember it another way. It is a day of victory in that I lived. It could have turned out so much worse and I realize that so today is a day to shout Thank You Jesus I am a Survivor not a victim.

Antique Tea Set

Check out this antique tea set Mom purchased for me from a yard sale. Can you believe it - a yard sale. She picked up 2 tea sets and this one is mine. The box is very old and is from China. Does anyone know anything about this tea set or the insignia on the bottom?

I love the silk lined box.

The insignia on the bottom is in Chinese.

There is so much detail.

Please help me out here if you know anything about this china.

We are expecting some possibly severe weather this afternoon and tonight. Possibly 4-6" of rain and flooding and wind with gale warnings. No tornadoes please Lord.

Hope everyone has a good day and stay warm. Looks like bad weather almost everywhere.