Right now I am absolutely grateful to have this group. I don't think any other would quite understand .....

Six years ago I divorced a guy who had a huge extended family. Among them are two nieces I had very special relationships with, Kelly and her younger sister Michelle. For eight years the three of us planted and maintained a fairy garden at my old place.

Since the divorce my former SIL basically forbade them to have any contact with me at all. It was heartbreaking, but she is who she is ...... I kept in touch with cards here and there, always unanswered, and in fact sent one of them a card last week to celebrate her 18th birthday.

While out in the gardens this morning, in drives an unknown car with a beautiful young woman inside. It was Kelly!!!! She had told her mom that since she was now a legal adult, she wanted contact with her now-unofficial-Auntie and was going to find me. She did.

We hugged and cried and just stared at each other. What was her very first question????? "Auntie, where's your fairy garden in this yard?"

Whenever you think that something may get lost in kids' lives, think of this.

Martie, still sobbing and pulling out graph paper for a new and improved Kelly and Auntie fairy garden next year.

Martie, I'm touched by your story. I know a few people that don't get to see children anymore due to divorce and it is so sad. I'm glad your story is taking a happy turn.

Mary, great news about Ruth and family. You'll have a fun place to visit within driving distance.

Be back later-just in for a quick read after 1/2 price plant and tag sale shopping at one of my favorite nurseries-I actually have to plant a few containers-good thing it is 70 degrees outside.

Monique

Ahhhhh , Martie ! That makes chills run all over me ! Or should I say 'thrills' ? What a wonderful story . It just goes to show ... where there is life , there is hope !

Marian

Martie - I'm seconding Marian - your story really did send chills - of the good kind! It shows how special gardens are, especially when made with love. How wonderful to enjoy time with Kelly - hopefully her sister can soon join you.

Marian - what a lovely post fom you - I hope you are still enjoy the show of Autumn colors. Washington DC will be a new experience for both my sister and BIL. I know they are anxious about the cost of living, especially having lost so much. However, the job is a great opportunity, and they will be reunited as a family.

Cynthia (or other Idyllers) - any advice about DC would be greatly appreciated. Good luck at your garage sale!

Music lessons are over and its time to garden.

Mary

What a beautiful fall day today - Sunny November at its best! I've been cutting back old stuff and watering new transplants today, in now for a lunch break. DS has been a great helper, doing a lot of my "fetch and carry" for me. My foot is greatly improved, but still not 100% yet and it does get sore after a while.

Janie, are you in bed? I hope so! "Ammonia" is not anything to be taken lightly, rest up and get better soon.

Marian, sorry to hear about your brother. Hopefully he'll respond well to treatment, many people survive cancer these days. Please don't apologize for having different opinions and values, the diversity of this group is what keeps it interesting and fun. Your woodsy stroll with Nolon sounds wonderful. Too bad about your stove though; at least you were home to realize that it was still heating and cut the power. I have to share your link about groups of animals with DS, he loves animals. "A shrewdness of apes" made me giggle, apes never struck me as being shrewd.

Taryn, I hope everything works out for you. Sending you good thoughts...hopefully you'll get that offer soon.

Chelone, you commented above how good books make disappointing movies - I agree totally. The richness of language and detail found in books does not shine through on the big screen, and the characters are never the way we "see" them while we are reading. I often don't even enjoy the movie after I've read the book, because I'm noticing all the gaps.

Mary, glad to hear that your BIL got that job, and that they'll live closer now. Must be such a relief for him and for all of the family. Now they can move forward an begin making plans.

Cynthia, good luck with your yard sale!

Lastly, Martie, your story about Kelly showing up at your door was wonderful. How happy you must be, to know she was thinking of you all this time. Enjoy planning your new fairy garden!

Enjoy the rest of the day everyone!

-Wendy

What a lovely turn of events for you, Martie! You obviously made a very great impression on the young lady you mentioned. Could there be a nicer "pat on the back"? I certainly can't think of one.

We go through our days, performing our day to day duties, and interacting routinely. We don't usually give it much thought. In late summer a very dear friend of our's (much younger) was married. She toasted her parents and then she toasted the helpmeet and me... we were dumbstruck. Never, in our minds, did we think the way we live our lives and make our marriage "work" would prove an inspiration for anyone else... but evidently it was so.

Martie, that's the nicest story I've heard in a very long time. It will keep you warm for many years to come. You gave freely of yourself to children and it made an impression. A lasting one. "You done good, kid!". Happy for you...

I've done 4 loads of laundry, picked up the things required to effect the work n the chimney and I have to get the dog out for a walk... looks like tomorrow for the skimcoating project. But that's OK.

Cooler, cloudy and a bit damp out there today..... not like the great weather of the past few days. DH was up on the roof this morning with the leafblower, cleaning vast quantities of leaves out of the eavestroughs. It always makes me nervous when he goes up there so I follow him around on the ground, keeping watch so I could at least call for help quickly if he fell! I breathe a big sigh of relief when he's back on the ground again.

The oak tree is in flaming color this morning. I tried to take pictures of what it looks like from the office and livingroom windows but they didn't turn out well. The oak is like a brightly glowing beacon out there against the dark pines.

Martie - that was a lovely incident with your niece!

Mary - and Marty - I won't harvest the Angel rose hips for another few weeks but I should have some to spare. They are great little roses. In addition to the hips at the moment, the top branches are still flowering like crazy and will continue to do so until a hard freeze. I give them no winter protection at all. The top 3-4" usually die back but, in spring, I just cut off the blackened bits and away they go! They bloom from some time in May, non-stop until very late fall. They never get black spot or mildew for me. They did get a few leaves chewed by something this year but it hasn't slowed them down much. The seeds germinate quickly and start blooming by the time they're 3" tall or so! I've never seen them sold as plants in a nursery. I bought them a few years ago as seeds from Vessey's (I don't think they ship to the US...) All my seedlings have been singles but they're supposed to produce doubles too. I've got mine planted with things like lavender, blue fescue and blue oatgrass, calamintha and nepeta. The roses do have very sharp thorns so you have to be a bit careful working around them. Vessey's gives the botanical name as Rose chinensis minima. I may order some from them again this year to see if I get differnt ones that the ones I grow now. I have promised seed to a nursery in the Bruce Penninsula where we vacationed this year but I should still have lots of hips by the looks of things so, if either of you want seeds, e-mail me your address in a few weeks when I harvest the hips and I'll send you some.

GB - ferns are definitely on the list for the north alley - although I'm still deciding on which types... I have quite a few hostas that need dividing or moving so a few of those will probably end up there although not too many as there will be a big hosta bed off the patio at the end of the alley and that's enough hostas for me! Rodgersias are a big favorite of mine and I'm definitey planning on lots of those. Also bugbanes of various types/bloom times. Eupatorium 'Chocolate' is also on the list. I think it will look nice on the house side where I plan to grow Beacon Silver lamium under the roof overhang where it is so dry (Soaker hoses will be the first thing to go in in the spring!) Solomon's Seal - particularly the giant form if I can find it - is also on the list. The area is over 50 feet long, narrow on the fence side but 3-4' wide on the house side so there's lots of room. The fence/gate will get honeysuckle vines (probably Graham Thomas) with maybe morning glories if I can get them to grow there. Basically I'm aiming for a green and white color scheme with a variety of interesting leaf shapes and colors. Next fall I'll plant lots of small blue bulbs like muscari, scilla and others. I hope winter goes by fast - I'm already itching to get out there and plant!

Digitalis purpurea seeds (what else????) are on order.

Thanks for the good feelings, everyone!!

Woody -- I *know* this rose! First found it at Logee's, lost it in a move, and have been looking for it ever since. Did you know that Rosa chinensis is an ancient parent to most modern miniature roses???

Your offer to share what's spare is truly appreciated. Need some foxglove?? If the nursery ends up with what you have, it's good to know I can get it from Vessey's. Today's my lucky day!

Martie

Martie, I really enjoyed the story about your niece and happy that you shared it here. The sad thing is that this no doubt affected your niece's relationship with her mother. I'm close to my nieces and can't imagine not sharing their lives and adventures. Congratulations on getting her back in your life :)

Woody, your alley is looking lovely. I can see liriope edging a good part of that length.

Wendy, for some reason my feet were sore today. Being reminded of your foot situation gives me perspective. I'll have a soak tonight and they'll be normal in the morning, so I need to get a grip.

Mary, DC is expensive and there are lovely areas but extremely expensive for those nicer sections. Maryland is the way to go. Suspect there will be cost of living shock for your sister's family compared to New Orleans area. Still a great area to live in. The cultural opportunities and history can't be beat. And all of the public attractions are free! When I moved here I had to pay double what I would have paid for a comparable house in NH, and wonder if I could afford to move here now.

OK, the worst part of a yard sale is staying in the front yard for 4 hours. I kept thinking of things I wanted to do out back! Got 100 Allium Sphaerocephalon (sp)in the front bed, these bloom later than most allium, and I had a note that I needed them to take over when campanualas died down. They should do the trick. I had wrapped orange tape around the stems of the orange asiatic lilies that were supposed to be pink/red this spring. So it was easy to find those and dig them up to replace with pink shades for next spring. Also got the lawn mown, cleaned out the window boxes and cleaned the outside sills and front entrance with chlorox clean-up. The dead leaves from pot plants seem to stick to the white trim and stain it. Trimmed back all of the ivy along the front walk and hacked the azaleas to clear the walkway a little. There will still be plenty of blooms on what remains of them. My hands hurt.

So! While I was doing all this, I made $203 on my yard sale. But to look at what was left, you'd think I hadn't sold a thing. The reamins are all boxed and in the basement for either a spring sale or the next pick up charity that calls depending on my energy level:)

It was a beatiful day here too! In the 70s. I reverted to tank top and sandals. We're finally starting to get foliage color here. It's never as impressive as in the north, but better than nothing. I can remember being blown away by the intensity of color in New England - something you never get tired of. Down here I wait for peak and then realize it's already happened :)

The oven timer just went off and 3 dogs charged down the stairs! Cynthia

Martie - I have no intention of sending all my rose hips/seeds to the nursery so I'll have some your you and Mary if you want them. I was just looking at the Vessey's site because they didn't use to ship to the US but it appears they now do and even have a version of their site priced in US dollars (see link below...) so it looks like you have at least two options to get these roses. I wonder if other seed catalogs carry them? I didn't see them in Thompson & Morgan. I generally find Vessey's a bit pricey on common things but they sometimes have just what I want. They've been in business a long time - it a company my family ordered seed from when I was a kid so I'm also sentimentally attached to them :-)

Just a short post to say Ei I am thinking of you and your family on the loss of your dad. Hugs

Mary, good to hear the good news for your BIL & sister.

More I wanted to comment on to others, but we are under a tornado watch here, so I'm going to shut the pc down for the night.
Norma

PS, Martie ,your story about Kelly gave me good chills too.
Our daughters name is Kelly too.

Martie what a fantastic heartwarming story! Oh, and welcome! Don't think I even did that officially--sorry...

Re the former church, it has little architecturally redeeming features so I don't think that would work.

Mary, so happy about BIL getting the job! Hope the cost of living isn't prohibitive.

Thanks all for the support. Another open house tomorrow...

T

Woody, I have TONS of Great Solomon's Seal. It evidently likes where it lives! I prefer it to the smaller, varigated variety, personally. It's not a "show stopper", but there is a elegance and sophistication to to it.

Foliage in our area was crummy this year. So much driving, wind-driven rain that the poor leaves were snatched off the trees early on. Now it's just... grey; and it's been overcast and is clammy again today.

We went out for dinner with friends last night. Good fun and I indulged in filet mignon... I try to order something we never have at home. The helpmeet is a great cook and he cooks fish to absolute perfection, so I rarely order that.

Looks like the canopy remains over the deck for another few days; at least until Old Sol makes a reappearance.

I have to begin addressing the clutter in the house. It's one of those things that seems to creep up on me over the nicer months and when it's time to remain indoors more it's overwhelming. I am going to tackle the desk today and see if I can't improve the overall "feel". :) I'm thinking putting the gas grill back on the deck might be a good start toward controlling the chaos in the living room... you think?

How'd the yard sale go, Cynthia? are you rollin' in dough, right now? I blanch at the thought of the yardsale that will follow Mum's death... YIKES.

Grant, Ellie, and Malcom have seen the laboratory and the nursery area of Jurassic Park now. They're waiting to tour the computer controlled security room, and have been told to go out and see the Velociraptors in a "holding area". They're not yet part of the exhibits, and Ed Regis is nervous when questioned about that... A double electrified chainlink fence, 12' high with razor wire atop it encloses them... and they've stalked and attacked the group, hitting the fence retreating, but trying repeatedly... The plot is taking shape.

I need some breakfast... I think "toad in a hole" would be just right. Mmmm.

Two gigantic thunderbolts were my alarm clock this morning! Charlotte, who never responds to these things, began pawing at me in bed and needed a bit of comfort. Restarted the computers, the clocks, etc after that. The kitties thought food was a solution to the problem. My email is not working, so I guess the university needs some more repairs...Hope tomorrow I can get through because I hate the spam building up.

Off to begin the day. I have baking to do for company so hope the power stays on! Chelone, inviting company over is a great way to get the house back in order: the tidiness under pressure approach!

'bug

It's a very blustery, gloomy day here today. We are supposed to have high winds later, gusting to 60 mph. Not much to report going on here. I too have been attacking clutter, seems no matter how much I get rid of there's always more. I'm getting stricter with myself, if I haven't used something in a while or there's something about it that bugs me, out it goes, like a lamp I threw out yesterday because the shade never looks straight on it despite many attempts to correct the problem. Things definitely come into this house at a faster rate than they leave it. My goal is to have empty space, not an easy feat in a house as small as mine, but I'm getting there. I've also found that the more you get rid of the easier it gets to let go of more stuff. Well, that's my observations on clutter, something I've been working on for quite a while now.

Mary, I'm so happy to hear the good news about the new job for your bil. I can see both of your children being great babysitters too.

Marian, I loved hearing about your walk with Nolan. Also about your research on the animals. It's so important I think that we keep learning about new things all through our lives.

Martie, what a heartwarming story about your neice finding you. I love fairy gardens too and plan on creating one with Bella when she's a little older. I already have lots of miniature plants tucked in here and there in my garden.

Taryn, thanks for checking in. I've been wondering about how things are going. Have you thought about maybe listing your house with a real estate company as a last resort?

Woody, I think I have that same rose. I started it from seed a few years ago. It's a very hardy plant.

Cynthia, that's a pretty good profit for a days garden work in the front yard. No wonder your feet were hurting.

I think Brad has the coffee done. About time, I've been up since 4:30. The time change still has my sleep schedule messed up. I hope lots of Idylls check in today. I'll be home and since Bella's not here I'll have more time for this.

Eden

Chelone.. good to read that you are having some fun. How do you make 'toad in a hole' . Please put instructions on the 'recipes' thread so I'll be sure not to miss it. We have been trying to keep up with everyone but also sharing with some cyberpals in the Ozark/Oklahoma forums. Posted some pictures on Oklahoma Gallery this morning to reinforce a post on 'discussions'. Taryn, hang in there, bzoombuddy. When we are 'down' the only way is 'up' so go for it. Too bad about the challenges in your neighborhood. We have been thru that too, in our previous life. The hills are full of glorious color. I have been trying to get good shots to post later but have had disappointing results this year with the old autofocus. Thinking of investing in something new, eventually. We'll see what next year brings.. we've been thru 'the mom thing'. Now I 'AM THE MOM' but hope to enjoy 'being me' as long as I 'am me'. Thinking of all. EP

Good morning!

It has been stormy, rainy & blustery for a few days. Great weather if you are a duck. :o)

Elk season began yesterday and we had about 8 or 10 elk walking on our driveway, munching grass in the pasture and tearing up the new grass on the back hillside. One was a 3 point buck (a pretty nice sized boy with a nice set of antlers) and there was a spike also (younger male with just a set of horns going straight up without extra branching of the horns). In the herd was the smallest elk I've seen so far. It was about the size of a deer, so pretty little compared to the rest of the herd. It was having some difficulty jumping over some of the fences. The rest of the herd was smart enough to find a lower spot so the little one could get over the fence. When our shepherd saw the elk and tried to run them off, they circled the little one and one cow (female) charged at the shepherd. He (the shepherd) decided they could stay and graze if they wanted to. ;o)

Clearing clutter must be catchy.....I've been pulling out some of the excess stored in our attic to take to a thrift shop in town. I've been meaning to do it for years, but hearing about Cynthia's 30 minute attic breaks got me motivated to begin. I've only gotten two big garbage sacks of stuffed animals so far, but it is a start.

Taryn I was glad to read that the new home's owners extended the offer. I hope all works out for you & your family.

Woody, I loved the finished fence. I ordered some of the rose seeds from the link you sent yesterday along with some other seeds. I've never tried seed starting before, other than annuals a bazillion years ago....so I'm not sure how successful I will be. No lights, no greenhouse and not much of a green thumb......but I'm eager & willing so hopefully it will work out. :o)

I need more coffee.....
Later,
T.

I have finished stage 1 of the preparations for the meal for our company. DH is off playing hockey. The house is somewhat tidy, but don't look too carefully please!

Last night I stood around with DH as he decided on things to throw away from the basement. It is so nice to get rid of stuff!!!! Eden, I have one of those lamps in the basement and you have motivated me to carry it OUT THE DOOR!

I am hoping that out friends will help DH put our dock away in the barn today, that the weather will allow it. It is NOT a one person job, and several of us have bad backs. Our friends are musical, so I imagine there will be violin, banjo and guitar playing this afternoon. The teenage girl we have watched grow up from day one and I am curious what stage she is at this year! I hope she does not feel "dragged along", but teens are unpredictable. She loves all our pets, so that should be fine. Her brother is 15 years older than she is, and is away in South America working on building medical clinics and social work with his wife. I'm sure Amanda really misses them!

'bug

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The elk this morning. I need a new digital camera with a better zoom. I *need* a new one!!! :oD

T.

Marian, I forgot that I wanted to mention to you that the only way I've ever had a Thanksgiving turkey is cooked in a roaster. My mom always did it that way and my sister who hosts these days does also. It frees up the regular oven for all the other baking. How have you been fairing cooking without your oven? Also, wanted to tell you that I'm trying bladdernut seeds again this year. I ordered Staphylea pinnata from Chilterns: "An attractive, large and vigorous shrub with beautiful, drooping panicles of white flowers in May and June followed by curious and decorative, inflated seed capsules. 10-15 ft.." I tried wintersowing them last year with no luck so this year I'll do them indoors and keep a better eye on things. Looks like they may need some cold stratification though. More research to be done. Have you started any from seed in the past?

T, that's so neat that you ordered some seeds. Are you trying perennials? Just a suggestion, but if you hang a fluorescent light or two over a table for the seedlings it makes seed starting a much more gratifying experience, IMO. There's lots of experienced seed starters here, Cynthia, Mary, Taryn, Marie, among others, to go to for advice too.

Marie, have fun with your company. The music sounds like it will be wonderful.

It's so windy here, it's scary to venture outside today.

Later, Eden

T, just refreshed and saw your pictures. You have a whole herd there! I don't see the baby...is he in the pictures? I hope they all stay there where they are safe!

Eden, the light colored elk in the center of the first picture is the 3 pt. buck. The baby is standing behind it and all you can see of it is what looks like a hump on the buck's shoulders. :o( I couldn't get a picture of the buck's antlers nor of the baby clearly.

This photo shows the baby, and two fence posts in line with it, but it is blurry. The buck's antler tips can just be seen behind the little elk's rump. I need a new camera with a better zoom and with image stabilization. ;o) Or, since a new camera isn't in the budget, perhaps the elk could come closer, stand very still and allow me to get the photos I'd like to have. I'd be happy with that also.

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Guess what??? We just had a couple come through (only one on this extremely windy day) and they are going to put in an offer when their agent returns from out of town on Tuesday!! Glenn had overheard him saying "We're going to buy it" when they were upstairs and they just confirmed before they left!

I am SO glad we went on MLS as that is how they found us, and they were very relieved we're offering a 2.5% commission as their agent has done a lot of work for them. We are still saving 2.5% (nearly $7,000) representing ourselves so it is the best of both worlds I think.

In a funny twist of fate, he used to work for the man who once owned this house and did the major additions in '91-92. They both work at Toyota so financing definitely won't be an issue, but I don't want to count our chickens before they hatch and the deal is firm. But I think it's going to work out!

Funny thing, last weekend a lady who's bought books from me on Ebay contacted me to say hello and ask how our summer went. She is having shoulder pain so I put her in touch with my acupuncturist who is referring her to someone closer in Toronto. When I told her about our house-selling woes she said she is pychic and would do a reading for me with the two addresses and my birthday. Told me we would sell this house, the other one is perfect for us and we'll be very happy there, and there are lots of kids around for the boys. Said it would be resolved by December or latest January, today looked promising and she see's the initial "A" with the buyer. I didn't get their names, but as long as everything else is right, it doesn't matter! Fingers and toes crossed this works out, and my energy returns quickly for packing!

Taryn :)

P.S. T great elk pics, will show the boys later...

Wow, great pictures, T.. It's such fun to see and hear about haow different things are in different parts of the country. Is elk good eatin'?

I skimcoated the face of the chimney this morning. Not much fun, but I did a decent job and once it's thoroughly dried I'll be able to get it primed and painted. My goal is the get the decorative brackets mounted a small mantel up by... that day in late December. I'm thinking about a piece of polishe granite or maybe marble. It doesn't have to be very big; only about 12" x 34". I know nothing about buying stone, so maybe it could be had at "remnant" prices? dunno.

"Toad in the hole" is basically a fried egg, EP. You take a generous slice of any hearty bread and using a glass you or a cookie cutter you remove a section of the center on it. Melt some butter in a pan, put the bread in and crack the egg into the hole. Butter one side of "cut out" and place that in the pan, buttered side UP. Turn the bread when you're confident the egg is cooked to your liking. Serve with the cutout on top of the egg. I'm especially partial to this when served with a cup of bouillion, for a savory sip or dunking. I have been told my preference makes for a very WASP-y breakfast... ;)

I cleaned the clutter off the desk top today. Now I am preparing to pay bills. It's not so overwhelming when you don't feel as though you're losing things in the clutter...

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T, teach those Elks 'stay.' Love your photos with mist over the mountains, lots of evergreens and fall foliage and the curvey driveway with grass down the middle. Makes me exhale!

I was enjoying the road full of leaves on afternoon walk today. It will be a month before trees are nekked and this is the prettiest time, especially with the crunch of leaves underfoot. Warm again, 76F right now, but not too hot. I'm comfortable in long sleeves.

Rippie may has some interest from people in Georgetown with a female grey that looks just like him only she's tiny to his slightly obese (he's serious about diet and excercise now. This couple adopted 3 years ago, so they need to approved again before we can schedule a visit. They appeared at the open house today and had come specifically to see him.

Taryn, that's super that you're starting to get some real interest in your house after all of the work you've put in. I'm psychic too and predict you will put in gardens at your new house :)

Ok, a few moments of daylight left so I think I'll put the lawnmower away and get the case of printer paper out of the driveway....

Later, Best to All! Cynthia

Very windy here today! We dumped soil from the driveway pots on the north alley beds against the house so that's the last thing we're doing in the north alley until next spring.

One of the garden tour organizers came by this afternoon with a copy of their insurance coverage that appears to indicate they have either 4 or 5 million liability coverage, depending on what the categories mean. I'll be talking to our agent tomorrow I think to discuss it with her and see what she thinks is adequate coverage.

T - good luck with she seed starting. I find those roses very easy to grow from seed. They germinate quickly and start blooming when they're are still tiny plants so it's quite rewarding. The foliage on the seedlings is quite purple. I do have fluorescent lights for growing seedlings so if you can set up a 'shop light' somewhere, it should really help. BTW - great elk pictures!

Chelone - I have one nice patch of the large Solomon's Seal and some of the smaller ones and the false solomon's seal too. The large ones are, by far, my favorites. I got them from a neighbour who, unfortunately, is going blind and has just sold their house. I was selfishly hoping they'd not sell until the spring and that they'd have one last plant sale before they left! Apparently the buyers bought because of the garden so it looks like the new people will fit into the neighbourhood easily :-) Your desk looks very tidy in that second picture. Mine looks more like the first picture!

Taryn - that sounds good! I'll keep my fingers crossed that the offer comes through and the deal gets done!

Yes, the wind is here too. We lost one of our 80 year old spruce trees from our windbreak. :-( We could lose more since the wind is still going strong.

So glad to hear good news from you Taryn! I'll be looking forward to Wednesday's report.

Our company managed to finish off the goodies I'd prepared quickly! I was convinced that DH, the absent minded professor, had the wrong date when the friends had not arrived by 12:30 and had said they were arriving at 10AM! It turns out that the cats had knocked the phone off the hook and that no one could contact us. In any case we spent a lovely afternoon together with wonderful live music! I wish Eden and Brad could have joined us along with Deanne and Doug. What a music fest that would be!
I was particularly surprised that little Amanda was the one who drove up the driveway! How could that little girl be old enough to drive now? And also, she is exactly the same height as I am now too. Things change...
Oh! Everyone helped remove the very slimey dock from the pond for winter storage. Thank goodness that is done.
Chelone, your desk is way too tidy. You'll have to work somewhere else now so it stays that way. ;-)
Temperatures for the next two days are expected to be in the low 50sF...which is just fine with me! Maybe some clean-up progress can be made outdoors while DH is off to Pittsburg. ALL the leaves are on the ground today after the winds blew them down. Yesterday the silver maples were a golden glow- but no more.

'bug

Whoo Hooo Taryn! :-)

Just wanted to peek in and tell Taryn I'll be keeping my fingers crossed...I'm *so* excited for you! :-)

And to everyone else...Thank you so much for all the comforting words.

Thinking of you all...TTYL! Ei

P.S. Martie...that was a lovely story...

Did we just have a weekend? Where did it go?

I've been enjoying all the pictures and stories but just don't really have much to add right now. Sorry to anyone I've promised cuttings or seeds. Since I made the decision to add more balance to my activities (ie not spend every waking available hour in the garden) I seem to be behind in garden work. Eventually it will all get done.

Martie, great story.

Taryn I've got my fingers and toes crossed for you.

Chelone you've inspired me to spend some time cleaning up my desk. Maybe tonight.

Sue

Yesterday was Kenzie's birthday party. I made her a little pink frosted cake. She had a lot of fun tasting and destroying.
Fabulous day here so Jaden (who is completely recovered) and I took a walk. She likes taking the pills because they are in a little piece of hotdog.
I have been busy priming the paneling in my office. I plan to paint it. This is the only room in the house that still has the old plaster and the walls are very bad. I really didn't feel like the mess of tearing out plaster and putting up sheet rock, so for now I will paint the paneling.

Taryn, I hope all goes well with the house.

Mary, I'm happy for your BIL.

Martie, what a sweet story.

T, I enjoyed your pictures.

Kenzie's birthday is actually Tuesday. Don't you think the haircut makes her look so grown up.

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Nite
Michelle

We lost power around noon due to the WIND...and it just came back on. Amazing how much you appreciate electricity those first few moments right after you get it back. It's been a long day so off to bed with me.

Eden

Taryn, great news that you've got a live one, finally. :o) I hope your psychic is right on about everything. I'm sending positive thoughts and crossing everything.

Michelle, Kenzie is such a cutey, and does look so grown up with her spiffy new do. I need a haircut so bad. My hair is way too long, it's now below my waist and takes quite a while to detangle. Where did Kenzie get her's done? ;) Happy Happy Birthday to sweet Kenzie! on Tuesday BTW. So nice to hear that Jaden is all mended and got to take a constitutional with you today, and that you can get her meds into her. My one cat, Romeo, is never fooled by the meds in the food gambit. He always leaves the pill, and licks up everything else.

Eden, glad the power came back on. I hate when that happens! I'm way too dependent on modern comforts. I even hate when the TV cable goes out, even though I hardly watch, and when I do I record and watch skipping the commercials, which annoy me too much.

Chelone the desk looks very neat. I wish I could clear the clutter, but I'm afraid to move anything right now, when I'm doing books. Maybe later.

GB glad the food was enjoyed and the dock was removed. That sounds like a successful visit, even with the surprise arrival.

Mary add my congrats on your BIL's Washington job. What a relief that must be to him and his family. It's great that they can drive it. Flying seems almost too much of a chore these days.

Marian the Turkey in the roaster sounds great. I'd come and eat it with you.

Sue I perpetually have the problem of not having anything to say. And yet when I read of your and other's lives, like about T's elk, Jane's long awaited garage, your gardening, or even break from the garden, I gobble up every moment. It's comforting to know you and everyone else is out there leading a life, just like me, and that I'm not as alone as I feel on this journey.

Hi everyone else. I'm thinking of all of you, even if I've run out steam. It is the time when both the little and big hands on the clock are together for a moment. I'm missing spending time here, and seeing many of you more regularly when I have time to read. DA where are you?

Take care,

Yeona

Michelle, is the (soon to be) birthday girl sporting new finery? I am certain you will post one of those precious "cake all over her person" shots, so we can all smile? Good to hear the dog is better, too; sick pets are a worry, probably right up there with sick kids.

Years ago, a friend of mine came for a visit with her 18 month old daughter. We were having spaghetti; she put her in the high chair and the kid fussed and fussed. Finally, the helpmeet said, "get rid of the damn tray and pull up to the table, she wants to party". And party she did! there was spaghetti all over the place and NO MORE FUSSING. The mongrel horde did most of the clean up. :)

I paid all the bills last night and actually ENJOYED doing it. 'bug will appreciate this aspect of it, most of the clutter in the top shot was stuff relating to Mum; Medicare, AARP, urostomy supply paperwork, IRA transfers, blah, blah, blah. I spent the better part of 3 hrs. going through it all and organizing it. The old gal is most assuredly a "high maintenance babe". :)

I DON'T want to work today. I am "on a roll" and would really like to tackle another corner of blight before the spirit wanes. Alas.

I did not mention to Taryn my wishes for success with the buyers... wouldn't that be a load off your mind? And you're dealing with a bar going in to your new neighborhood? I'm not so sure I'd be all over that, either... though at one time it may have held more cache... (there are several gay bars nearby; and they're a blast, but they aren't "a few doors down"). Hope all that works out, too.

Eden, we lost the power on Saturday night, too. I'm not really sure why, seemed to be a localized outage. I simply lit the Aladdin oil lamp, plugged in the old rotary 'phone and reported it. It can be a pain in the neck, but I sort of get a kick out of the "reminder"... . We're actually in a pretty enviable position. We have a woodstove, and cook with gas, so that covers two biggies. Water is dependent on juice, though (2 pees/flush or go outdoors ;)!). I am reminded to make sure to buy some lamp oil this week, though. I suspect your gusty wind and chilly temps will move over to my neck of the woods this week; won't be sorry to see the dull, dreary overcast go away.

I have to get rolling here, even though I don't wanna.

Morning all,

I taught class Friday, Saturday and Sunday this weekend and things went pretty well. The gals seemed pretty happy with their class. One of my students passed over a trip to Hawaii with her DH to take the class and I told her she was out of her mind! ~~ So Dougs new job where he wasnt supposed to travel out of New England has had a big surprise looks like he is going to go to Amsterdam for a few weeks. Jeesh! Neither of us is particularly thrilled with it but so it goes. I just wish this had come along after Thanksgiving. We have such a crowd here that its pretty difficult to get things ready without help. Oh well, I did it all with DD the year Doug broke his leg so I imagine we can do that again.~~ We had one heck of a thunder storm last night and it is supposed to snow this week. Is it just me or is this weather as crazy as it gets this year?

Mary, great news about your BIL! So glad to hear he got that job and they can start looking forward and building a new life. Sounds like youve gotten a lot more done in your gardens than I have. Today is going to be the big cleanup day after I get home from the gym.

Michelle, I just love the photo of Kenzie and DD! Your family has the most amazing blue eyes Ive ever seen. Gorgeous. It is hard to believe our "Idyll babies" are celebrating birthdays. Time is zooming. Im so glad to hear that Jaden is all better. ~~ Im going to try to dig that Golden Tiara and get that in the mail this week.

Yeona, how great to hear from you. My hair is pretty long right now too and Ive got to go and have eight inches or so cut off. I always keep it in a braid so it doesnt get too tangled up.

Sue, you arent the only one. Im further behind with garden chores than Ive been for a long while now. After that frost I just dont seem to have the oomph to get out there and get stuff done. Im hoping I can get a handle on things today. Im actually thinking of zipping over to Mixed Border to see what is on sale though. Im still wanting that Picea orientalis Skylands. Maybe that will be on sale? I hope. The good news is that Doug is going to be a willing participant to losing more of the front lawn. I want to lasagna it before the snow hits.

Bug, I wish we could have joined you for your music fest! That would have been so wonderful. Ive not done any music seriously since my 50th BDay when my musical friends came over from England. I keep telling myself that Im going to get back to practicing my guitar and I dont ever seem to do it.

Woody, you are really making some progress on your alley project. I cant wait to see it next summer.

Cynthia, LOL about Rippies waistline and your getting him interested in a healthy lifestyle. Best of luck with finding him a permanent home.

Chelone, You need to come here and give Doug some lessons. He ALWAYS keeps his workspaces cluttered and I dont know how he keeps track of anything.

Taryn, that is great, great news! I sure hope it all works out for you. Hope you are feeling more energetic very soon. Let me know how you make out with the thyroid testing.

T what great photographs of the Elk. I cant imagine waking up in the morning and finding a herd of anything in my yard. LOL

Eden, Ive been waking up at 4:00AM every morning myself but it is because Luke (you remember the cover cat?) has decided that 4 is a good time to go outside in the morning. Five mornings in a row now hes come in the bedroom and meowed his head off. Ive got to get up, put him out of the room, close and latch the door then I cant get back to sleep. Jeesh This morning Rahjii was curled up with me sleeping and when Luke did his morning thing Rahjii leapt out of bed and chased him out of the room. I LOL at the antics of the kitties and then I still couldnt get back to sleep.

Martie, that is a WONDERFUL story. It is amazing how we can touch the lives of others with our gardens.

Wendy, did you get your gardens all cleaned out this weekend?

Jane, I hope you are on the mend and feeling better.

Mary, Im lifting all my dahlias today so if there is anything you want please drop me a line and Ill zip it off to you.

OK, time to get myself to the gym.

Have a great day everyone.
Deanne

Good morning all!

I've been reading everyone's doings and am in awe of the elk, the entertaining, the building, the gardening, and the house selling! Not to mention the clutter cleanup, cooking and truly adorable children.

Thanks, again, for your thoughts about the Kelly story. Turns out my former-DH and DS, at her 18th birthday party, talked to her about hooking up with me. When she decided she wanted to renew contact, these two guys ran interference for her with her mom. There are no hard feelings from any angle, which makes it even better. Second order? Alpine strawberry seeds.

Everyone have a great day!!!!

Martie

Ei- Im so sorry to hear about your father from your mention of him here he sounded a most special person and Im sorry for your loss.

Martie that is wonderful to know that you made such an impression on your niece by marriage that she as an adult sought you out how wonderful and touching.

Okay Cynthia I had to laugh re the comments on Virginia v. Maryland living I imagine we could get booted off here getting into a geo-political commentary I cant believe you dont think you have traffic problems in Maryland, however, -- gee, wonder what those cars in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, I-270, etc. are? Having a car swap or something? Seriously, Mary, there are definitely pros and cons to each area No. Virginia cannot be beat for its fantastic public school system (& relatively cheap public colleges) & I think Cynthia would agree with me that unfortunately that cannot be said of D.C. public schools. There are areas in both states that are "iffy" with more problems than others. There is bound to be "sticker shock" for your relatives transferring here but Im sure if they look in both areas theyll find whichever is most comfortable feeling for them in terms of housing, schools, and transportation systems,etc., whatever else is important to their family life quality. The good news is that the Metrorail system is really good expensive but good (again in comparison to other city systems). There are bound to be sacrifices of some sort (i.e., not much land but good school system) but overall this is a very vibrant, strong economic area with a lot of cultural and fantastic public infrastructures (i.e., libraries, fire and police departments, etc.). Tell them to take their time because there is certainly a lot to choose from.

T- what wonderful shots of the elk (nope, we dont see those in the Virginia suburbs here deer yes, but not elk at least not yet).!

Taryn that is such wonderful news well all cross our fingers for you that the offer comes and is good and goes through.

We had absolutely fantastic weather here both days sunny and 70s not a rain drop in sight I managed to get most of the bulbs planted and mulched and am a hurting puppy today. Vitamin I (ibuprophen) is a must today.

Hope everyone has a peaceful Monday.
Cindy

DH was up at 6am today to prepare for a drive to a Pittsburg conference with other guys from the university. At least he got a ride with a neighbour so that I have the car this week.

First thing after he was out the door, I left a message with my tree man about the fallen tree that needs cutting up. Then I began mulching leaves with the mower, it began rattling, and a part flew far across the yard. Oh great! So I phoned to have it picked up and analized. Last time it was over $700 and I still haven'r repaid DH entirely. I can't believe it. Last week I dropped the phone in the dog's water bowl, this week the mower. I hate to guess what next week will bring.

Potted up a few rooted coleus stems this morning too and stuck them under lights in the basement. Sue, I'm wondering about your salvia leucantha. I see so many gorgeous photos of it but never have found it here. I wonder if it is an annual for me. Does it survive your winters? I'm going to keep searching.

Mary, in terms of living in DC, I'd certainly check out the school angle first thing. I know things have changed since the 60s when I taught there, but schools within DC were not adequate at all then. Anyone with a choice lived in the places Cynthia mentioned. You couldn't even vote if you lived in DC. I hope that has changed!

9am. Time to start some work without destroying anything.

'bug

I predict that everyone will have enchanting futures and live happily ever after. Be 'seeing' you later. EP

Morning all,

Yeona, funny thing about big dogs is that if they smell meat, they gobble it up. Wow, your hair is below your waist! I didnt picture you with long hair.

Deanne, thats the pits that Doug has to go away and for so long also.
Rick also has an extremely cluttered desk and he cant keep track of anything and is always asking me where is this or that. That drives me crazy.

Wishes to all for a fantastic day
Michelle

We have officially been inoculated against the flu ! I drove us to the health dept. ,in our county seat town ( Jasper) , this morning and told them we came to be shot . ;o)
In about 5 minutes it was all over !
Then I went to the revenue office and renewed my driver's license for another 4 years . The picture on this one is even homelier than the last one .....:o(
The views of the wooded hills was gorgeous . The fall colors are at their peak . It made for a very enjoyable trip .

Too many things to comment on , but in answer to Eden' questions ...... I am not doing too well without an oven . I did heat it to the required temp with the top burner ,and cooked a pan of pre-cooked hot wings for our pot luck yesterday . I felt like they weren't as nicely done as with the entire oven working . Perhaps if I had put the pan closer to the top burner ? I am cooking our biscuits in the toaster oven . I have to cover them with a foil for the first half of the cooking , to prevent them from getting too browned , and I don't like the texture as well .
I believe I started my original bladdernut from seeds , but that was too many years ago to remember . ( I may have dug a young sprout from the woods .) They do reseed a little too much .

LOL EP , if only that were true ! I am afraid I am too realistic to even dream that !

Marian

I'm back indoors after weeding 1 1/2 rows of the vegetable garden. 3 more to go.

Deanne, my DH goes to Amsterdam quite often. I have never been. Perhaps you can do better than me? I think you should join him and cancel the thanksgiving hoopla at your house. Well, just an idea. Actually I'd rather do that trip in warmer weather, but with your camera and the wonderful buildings to photograph, I think you'd have a ball.

OK, now for a bit of painting. It is fun to do odd jobs and not have to keep to a schedule!

'bug (who spelled 'analyze' wrong in her other post today.)

When mom went up to the attic for pendaflex folders I went too because that sounded yummy.

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She still has messy piles up there and it was interesting to poke around. I think I smelled sushi mice. Problem is the stairs are too steep, and I was afraid I was going to fall down.

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Oh, what's this, cookie?
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More Cookie?

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Oh no, the stupid cat thing can do this and I can't?

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Oh no again, the stupid foster can do this and I can't?

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It's ok, I really like it up here in the attic.

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It's very uh, cozy. Love, Katie

When cold enough, hungry enough, and lonely enough they can do anything... trouble is, Cynthia... can you wait that long? :) It never crossed my mind before, but for all their worldly sophistication Greyhounds probably DON'T know about stairs and it must be pretty daunting for them... I know every puppy we've had has looked long and hard a staircase before attempting it. How long did it take her? Rex goes up the stairs in 3 bounds, and can go down in 3, too, but ONLY if he's really excited about getting there.

The wind has arrived from the mid-west! YOWZA, gusts to 50mph predicted for today. There were serious white caps on the briney and on the river.

I just sanded the chimney. What a thoroughly odious chore that is! I have a few places that need a little more attention and then I have to add some silicone caulk up by the transition to moulding and down where the drywall transitions to tile. Then I can prime. Then I can give it two coats of base color. Then I can glaze and drag. And then I can give it a protective top coat I figure another week of fussin' around and it should at least be painted and we can hook up the stove again. It's gettin' on to time!

Work is really boring these days. I finished a "curtain job" for motel; the clear roll down curtains that keep out wind and rain... a lot of handling (they're biggish), but basically "from the neck down" and not very creative. I'm in definite need of something creative these days (I actually miss HGTV)!

Grant has discovered that the Velociraptors are breeding, in spite of Wu's declaration that they're all female and therefore CAN'T breed. What's he overlooked, though, was the insertion of amphibian DNA in the fragmented strands of dinosaur DNA he was able to extract from the insect fossils embedded in amber... . The storm has knocked out the electricity and with nightvision goggles, the kid, Tim, has seen the mature T.Rex HOLDING the top of the electric fence. Nedry has filched the embryos, but lost on his way to the pier, he made the mistake of getting out of the Jeep. He's met a poisoned and grisly end... and no else is fully up to speed on how to start the computers he shut down to cover his tracks... . The full horror of recreating that which we know NOTHING about, but presume we can control, is just starting.

A great read! Spencer and I have been enjoying it immensely; I now refer to him as my "Feliciraptor"... Has anyone read the "Girl with the Pearl Earring"? love Vermeer, is the book worth reading?

Well, I have to hunt up some heavy duty lighting so I may "mud" the areas requiring attention. Can't wait!

I am delighted to announce that the Attorney General's Office in New York has commenced an investigation against the Surrogate's Court in Buffalo. Apparently we are not the only ones that have been given the run-around. The allegation is that they are deliberately refusing legitimate petitions for probate to try to funnel additional cases to the new Public Administrator (appointed by none other than our esteemed Surrogate judge!)

The little riding mower was picked up by a huge truck and taken for servicing. It looked so sad and small on the monster vehicle!

Marie , your riding lawn mower on the big truck sounded like mine a couple of years ago . Nolon was shocked that it set us back about $250 !? In fact he made such a snide remark about the cost , (in connection with my hitting an obstacle last year ), that I decided I would either use the push mower , or hire the job done if it ever needs repairs again !

I would be thrilled if it cost us $250. I fear it will be way more. As for snide remarks, I am a duck and they drip off my back! DH believes anything over $1 means we are being cheated. He has no idea what things cost. He lives in his ivory tower. I have to laugh when he guesses the cost of things. :-) To be fair, he is the one who plans best for our retirement years.

Did someone say my name?

~da

Many did Da! I want to see your Halloween costume this year! Have you been crocheting - among other things?

Hurray da's here. I've seen your name here so many times without a reply. I'm so glad you have time to pop in now. I was wanting to see you. I miss your input. I'd love to revisit your miniatures and your costume for Halloween too. Been missing you.

Yup the hair's very unfashionably long on my roundness. I hate going under the scissors though even though it tangles no matter what I do at the back. Even braids don't work.

Cynthia lovely to see Katie even with some minor stair fears.

Now awaiting news from others. Bruce, Blackie, dare I say Saucy... and anyone else having a Idylling moment. Come sit a spell and share.

Yeona

Tuesday morning.... here's hoping poor Katie is not still stuck in the attic? perhaps her desire for her nice warm bed overcame her desire for sushi mice?

Fantastic news for you, Marie -- we will hope justice will prevail after all for you (& not take eternal time to determine the graft, etc., going on in w/ that judge!).

Yes, da - pls. show us the Halloween costume of this year!

--Cindy