Hi Patti, I'm currently glued to the TV watching your elections on CNN! :-)

My life has been in a turmoil as of late. I went back to work full time as a freelance translator in October. This coincided in time with some major works we are doing to the outside of the house, by adding three porches. I will spare you the details of the mess, builder rubble and noise this means... Suffice to say that translating technical texts at the sound of power sledgehammers are not my idea of a time well spent...

My poor garden was sorely neglected this past year as well, due to my absence for work, and is now being further worked on by the masons. After this mess is over I will have a lot of pruning and cleaning to do, that's all I can say.

In the midst of all this chaos, my dog Timmy is giving us some health concerns as well. And I'm still trying to keep some of my hobbies going - am I nae or what? I took knitting again and I'm trying to knit a decorative throw in time for Christmas.

Let's hear from the others as well.
Eduarda

Patti--Great to hear from you! The work you do for others is so needed. I hope you can continue to compartmentalize things to keep balance.

Eduarda--So sorry to hear about your dog. I do hope he returns to good health. You're another busy person!

----
As for my life, it's going well. My husband retired the end of June, but he's adjusted quite well to my schedule! LOL

Being healthy is our #1 priority and we've both done great with exercising our bodies and our minds. I garden and write obsessively on my gardening blog; walk and bike. He plays music, started up a company for DS2, is working on a "green" project as a consultant for our former employer. My DH is running 10k every other day (he walks 3-4 miles with me in between).

My garden did great this summer, especially the outer garden that has to be deer resistant. I was really pleased since most of it was planted in 2007.

My gardening blog is growing "legs" as it is being picked up by newspapers and other online publishers. This week, it was picked up by two local papers, as well as the Chicago Times picking up the article contributed by Gottagarden (Brenda). No, I'm not getting rich doing this! It really is a hobby, though I FINALLY earned $100 through the ads after only 1 year and 9 months of blogging! Don't quit your day job to blog! LOL That's not the purpose, but one likes to have a bit of reward to buy plants -- for so much time vested. The best reward is "meeting" so many other gardeners that come to my blog and leave comments...has lead me to read a lot of other bloggers.

Starting this week, I'm going to feature North Carolina artists whose work is inspired by gardens. The starving artists around here are having so much trouble getting their work recognized/sold in this economy. I'm working through an old acquaintance (artist) to line up these folks. I do hope being in my blog helps them out.

With my DH retired, we're getting out to see our own area so much more. He's been a real good sport about going to the zoo, botanical gardens, etc. My DH is SO supportive of my blogging hobby. We just celebrated our 6th anniversary in October. It's great to have a soul-mate this late in life.

DS1, the archaeologist, travelled to Jordan, Israel and Turkey...came home...went to Knossos, Crete where he spent the rest of the summer working for the British School (his degree is from UCL in London) to survey the site. He's now up near Corning. Archaeologists have to go through a site for pipelines, construction, etc. to ensure that any artifacts are removed so that they aren't destroyed. There's a bit of BC stuff here in the US as well as Native American, Revolutionary era and Civil War era artifacts to recover.

DS2 is in 3rd year pharmacy as well as running his own technology company that my DH helped him create. DS2's girlfriend is now in pharmacy school as well. They have a pet ferret and a "designer cat" that has spots like an ocelot!

I was thrilled to meet a few gardening friends in person. Vikki, Kaaren (ncgardener) and their friends came by to visit in September. We met for lunch, then they came here for awhile. It was like I'd known them forever! I think we could have chatted for days. There is a photo of us, but it's up to Vikki if she wants to post it since she organized the get-together.

Hope everyone else is doing well!

Cameron

Good to "hear" what everybody is doing. I've been reading up on edible heirlooms, plus doing some seed swapping. The collecting, drying, packaging, and mailing of seeds has been more work (and clutter) than I expected.

I'll be expanding the garden a great deal to accommodate all of the stuff I want to grow. That will be a bit tricky because I don't know that I can clear and amend such a big area of soil in a few months time. I do have a head-start, but it will be a heck of a lot of work. Oh well, I'll keep telling myself how good the exercise will be for me, like a mantra!

I've got spinach, arugula and kale doing well as fall crops, plus a few carrots. Hopefully, the late planted collards and rutabagas will sprout. The weather here has been pretty warm during the day. I still have a lot of flowers blooming in spite of two frosts. The yard was full of butterflies today, four types.

A wind storm is brewing right now, prediction is for two days of high winds. That will help me to focus on house work, and maybe get back to that knitting project I didn't finish last winter.

Lorna

I'm hoping that you Americans will have a great new day: I am listening to MCain's withdrawal speach - sorry, not ready to send that. came before I was ready to type.

I am enjoying reading everyone's updates.
Patti, I am feeling the same things as you!! My job took over my life, so Nov. 17th is my last day. Maybe sooner if the new guys can start sooner as they need the money. After two years of never having a replacement walk through the door, within a month two great guys asked for jobs. So I'm outta there (sort of) I will still assist with the marketing and artistic direction of the hardware store when needed as long as the current manager is there. I'll still shop at the garden center, of course!
Other work has increased dramatically - now I am working with some schools, doing more and more design and oversee of instillation or modification of gardens designed by others (that do not meet client needs or site needs), teaching garden classes.
My interest in food gardens increases so I'm going to work hard on our mini farm. My goal is to make it very attractive and cottagey while being productive. This year I have gleaned over 200lbs of produce from 180 feet of space!
We have a new kitten named Chester who is adorable and so easy to train. What a sweet little fella.
I am currently preparing for my family to spend Christmas here for the first time.

Lets hear from more of you!
GGG

Patti, you have a good soul. Yes, you do need to take of yourself first and foremost. I'm happy you set limits. Plus we missed you around here.

Same goes for you Eduarda :-)

Cameron, oh how I envy your archaeologist son's job. What an adventure!!! And I wish I had 1/2 of your energy.

Lorna, "clear and amend such a big area of soil in a few months time" Well, get those dogs to digging *LOL*. I always tell my boys, "it's time to earn your keep".

Queen of Seeds, you too have a generous and loving soul.

My garden is full of weeds, dead plants and neglect. Work has been trying but thank God I have a job. Quinton had surgery which cost me a bloody fortune and he's now in physical therapy (which is also costing me a bloody fortune). My brother's wife and 3 kids were hit by a 15 year old boy 3 months ago. The driver was fussing with his stereo going 50 miles an hour and drifted into her lane. The impact was so hard there were no skid marks. The driver walked away with scratches but my SIL and kids all suffered major injuries but they are alive. It's been 3 months now and my SIL (who's legs were crushed) is still walking around with a broken leg doctors didn't find until recently. Neither insurance wants to pay for the surgery she needs. They are battling the drivers insurance company to pay for the doctor bills, 2 air flight helicopters and a car. It wasn't even their fault. This is what's left of their car thank God for the steel front bumper. They had to use the jaws-of-life to get them out.
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Edna

The big news here at ThinMan Acres is that I finished building my little homemade greenhouse. I'd like to try growing a few greens like spinach and lettuce during November and December, but I don't think any of the local stores still have any seeds out. I guess I can always order a couple of packets.

The weather has been incredible here in Michigan this week, with seventy degrees and sun. We're out in T-shirts, which is pretty much unheard of in these parts in November. The greenhouse was 94 F with the top part of the door open. Maybe I'd better figure out how to add some ventilation.

Some of you may remember that DW and I do day care for our two little grandsons, ages 1 1/2 and 3 1/2. We are down to just two days a week now, with them going to a community day care the other three days. It's great to have more time to get things done around here, but I have a bit of a hard time with them being with "strangers" instead of family. It's a very good community day care, though, and I do think the little guys get bored with grammy and grampa after a while. Still, even though I love being able to get needed chores done, I miss them when they're not here and feel kind of bad about not watching them more. I guess it's a classic case of mixed feelings. No matter which way the scale tips, it won't feel perfect. We will just keep trying to walk a good middle-ground path.

DW and I have talked about getting a few chickens next spring. I never in a hundred years thought she would have any part of them, but she actually brought it up after she read Barbara Kingsolver's book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle". I think I'll have to read it too. I know a few of you have some chickens, so I may be picking your brains in a few months to get a little smarter on the subject.

Good job posting this, Patti. Glad to hear you feel like you have your life back. I hope your contentment meter is moving up the scale.

ThinMan

omg- what a combination!!! first of all, you need medical coverage, over all...Yikes, yikes....you never know what is coming at you. Thank God you now have Obama...Sorry to republicans, and yes your taxes MAY go up, but your security costs should go down.. coz now you're your health may be covered!!!!

Edna, sending healing thoughts for your brother's family, looking at that wreak they're lucky to be alive. 15 years old, isn't that a little young for a driver's license or, was he driving without a license.

I hope Quinton is better soon, I know very well about emptying the old bank account at the vets, but what else can one do, they are very much loved family members.

Nothing much happening around here, went for my annual visit to the optometrist and he said it's time for cataract surgery so I'll be getting that done probably in the spring, we have a 4-6 month wait here. Not looking forward to that but all I've talked to say it's a piece of cake.

TM, Congrats on your little greenhouse you're going to love it, any pix? What kind of chickens are you thinking of getting, I sure enjoyed ours when we had them.

For those of you that have been working so hard, I hope when the new year comes you actually get time to smell the roses, life is too short to not enjoy it along the way.

Hugs to all
Annette

Lorna -- sounds like you're doing some great gardening.

GGG -- congratulations! It sounds like you're going to be enjoying your design work with schools and others. Your food gardens sound fantastic!

Edna -- OMG! Sending lots of hugs, good thoughts and prayers to you and your family.

TM -- I just never realized that you're a grandfather! How did I miss that? I thought you are just a young whipper-snapper and those were your little kids! :-) We're having some nice weather down here, too. I saw that a gerbera daisy BLOOMED today!

Annette -- Sorry to hear that news. However, I know several folks who got cataract surgery (lens implants) and are thrilled! All of them wished that they had done it sooner.

Wishing the best for everyone,
Cameron

midnightsmum , the kid was driving with a permit. Ironically the passenger was an EMT.

Annette, they do have coverage however the insurance company wants the other guys insurance to pay. They won't. They've had to involve a lawyer, sadly, which is what she did't want to do. Thank you for the well wishes for Quinton, he's my baby *lol* He's worth more than money to me.

ThinMan Acres, congratulations on your new greenhouse. I hope you post photos.

Here's my niece, Neesa. Her head is healing but she will have a nasty scar. Isn't she the cutest Irish lassie.
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This is my nephew, brave little Sam.
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Good to hear how everyone is doing. Patti, thanks for starting this thread.

Edna, hugs to you and your family.

TM, pictures pictures pictures.

Annette, Sorry to hear that news....the waits to get in for anything are definately getting longer.

Well there has been a new developement in the last couple of days. The owner of the house next door has been visiting. The gutter has been moved back about 4 inches. Now that isn't much....but I think that will stop further damage to my garden. My concern is that after the owner leaves again, they will put the gutter back. So we are just going to have to watch and wait for now. I am hopeing for the best though. Another positive, when the owner visits, they clean up the garbage so it looks better for a short while.

I've actually started to think about next years garden. I'm almost afraid to say that after this past summer. The seed catalogues should start comming in soon.

Sierra

Edna, your niece and nephew are just the cutest. If your niece isn't putting Vitamin E on her cut do start now it really helps diminish the amount of scarring. My daughter has a scar on her face from when she was in a car accident when she was young, didn't know about the Vit. E back then. The neighbor was giving my DD a ride home from school when the brakes failed on her car. I sure hope your family does get a settlement from the insurance company, how could they not in a situation like this. A

Sierra, maybe, just maybe things are going to be better. Fingers crossed for you.

Timmy and Quinton- Hugs to you, our furry friends. Hope you're both doing better!

Eduarda- It must be very tough to work with all the noise, not to mention living with the mess! Hang in there! I'm looking forward to seeing future photos of your wonderful new porches!

Cameron- I'm delighted that your blog is doing so well and love the idea of using the starving artists work.

Lorna- Have you ever tried lasagna gardening? I used this method when I had rock-hard clay in Ohio. Beats breaking your back!

GGG- Good for you with your job changes and success!
Your produce yield is amazing. Welcome, Chester the Kitten!

Edna- Neesa and Sam are just beautiful. Amazing that they all survived.
LOL about using your dogs to do the digging! It really pays to have a sense of humor in this life. :-)

ThinMan- Congratulations on your greenhouse completion. I'll look for the photos.
Good that your little guys will be off learning some social skills with their peers as well as building a healthy immune system! The two days a week with Grammy and Grampa will be extra special now for you all. Speaking from having my own grandparents around a lot, there is just nothing in this world like that loving relationship. They are VERY lucky boys to have you in their young lives.

Midnightsmum- Thanks for the good wishes directed at the USA. We all have our fingers crossed.

Annette- YES, a big piece of cake from what I hear too. Really I have not heard of a single negative experience.
Good luck!

Sierra- I'm glad you have some positive things happening for a change with the house next door. I hope the knuckle-draggers won't give you any more problems. (Well, one can always hope!)

A rainy day here today and my day off.
Ohhhh nooooooooo!!!
Now I have no excuse not to begin my fall house cleaning.
"Dang!"
Thanks everyone for writing.
Let's hear from the rest of you!
Patti

Edna - You apparently posted while I was composing my post. (I'm a pretty slow four finger typist.) That was a horrible crash your SIL and kids were in and from looking at the car, it's easy to see why she got the brunt of it. Did her air bag not go off, or was the 4Runner a pre-air bag year? (Not that that would have helped her legs) Poor banged-up little redheads. :-(

There are definitely times to hire a lawyer, and I'm pretty sure this is one of them. Good luck to them.

I will post a couple of pictures of my greenhouse.

Cameron, Yep, I'm a grandpa alright. I've cut back on the whippersnappering. :-)

ThinMan

Hey All - well, like TM, we have had FABULOUS weather here over the last several days - T-shirt weather indeed. We are also on 'Wallaby Watch', as Wendell the wayward wallaby has been sighted nearby. He escaped from a breeding zoo near here.

Anyway - weather great. I got the eastside yard and garden cleaned up for the most part. Leaves have been mulched and laid onto the veg garden. Still a few dead veg to pull out. The front yard is all cleaned up. I am ready to lay cardboard to put garden earth down to make the new beds there. I have planted over 170 bulbs so far. More to go. It's wild cleaning up all of the leaves: I have filled the composter a couple of times, and still have 2 piles sitting there, as well as the whole west side yard to clean up. I have put many wheel barrow loads of leaves onto the veg garden - the question is - should I roto-till now or in spring.

Annette - the laser surgery is worth the wait, I am told - hope that's what they do for you. I was recently diagnosed with dry macular degeneration, so am heading to the specialist office shortly. It's apparrently not too bad.

Cheers, Nancy.

Annette, I know so many people who have had the same procedure. Now-a-day it's a piece of cake. You'll be so happy when it's done.

Best wishes to you, Nancy.

Edna, it absolutely outrages me that someone who is at FAULT (driving under age???) can have insurance which will not anti-up to the folks who are innocent and in need of medical attention.
I'm about ready to abolish money. It makes people do horrible things.
GGG