Mandy, I'm so sorry to hear about your sister passing away. A long distance hug to you! I sent a birthday card to you so I suspect it's the other one that you received.

Speaking of birthday cards, I received a birthday card and some zinnia seeds from Susan. So much appreciated. Some days there is not a happy thought in my body with all that is going on. Such a difficult time.

So glad you received the seeds Jeanne. Hang in there. It will get better.

Based on the state of the country and the actions everyone is taking to reduce the spread of coronavirus I think it is a good idea to cancel the swap Heidi. I know in Ohio almost every business is either shut down or limiting hours based on the governor‘s daily actions to control the spread.

The bingo word of the day is:

Mushroom/Fungi Gardening

Stay safe and healthy everyone.

Thank you Jeanne - I'm sure you're right. I appreciate the birthday wishes, and I remember actually smiling for a minute at receiving something pretty in the mail. I'm sure I'll find the card at some point. I'm already working on emptying my sister's apartment, so her stuff and my stuff are co-mingling.

I received another birthday card today from Melinda, with colorful English Daisys. They look lovely. I'm starting to think about starting seeds inside - every new seed packet is a little more motivation to start.

hello everybody. hope all is well with everyone.

Mandy so sorry to hear about your sister, that must be devastating. im a few months behind on my birthday cards so now is a good time to get on those...

good idea on cancelling the swap heidi. no need to stress anyone out and head out unnecessarily.although i probably have enough stuff at home to last me a couple swaps for sure!

let me post some pictures to show you guys what ive been up to!

before

after

i cleaned out the weeds... by hand... and added a few inches to the garden bed.

some of the seedlings are also planted. some died. some broke in half. we ended up direct sowing some. i saw WE because I finally have 1 child on board to help me. wooohooo.

Wow you did a very nice job there with your garden bed a Urooj. I hope you have a very productive growing season.

I forgot to wish everyone a Happy Spring yesterday. Finally it has arrived!

some of my spring bulbs have begun blooming and others look like they will be in a week or two.

Today’s bingo word of the day is:

Indigo - Color of the Year

Wishing everyone a healthy and happy Friday. Be well.

More spring beauty.

Mandy, I am so sorry for the loss of your sister. I will be praying for you! Amy

I am so sorry I am also behind with cards. Things have been so busy but I will try to catch up.

Hope everyone is having a good Saturday.

Today's bingo word is:

Wilding Gardens

I have received some more birthday cards and they are so much appreciated!

From Margo with some pepper seeds

From Melinda with some Gazania seeds

From Annie with a sparky surprise

The cards are lovely and the seeds are appreciated and I look forward to growing them.

My husband is not doing well so any cheer is really appreciated these days.

Jeanne, prayers for you and your husband.

Wishing everyone a healthy and safe Sunday.

Today's Bingo word is:

Low Maintenance

I'm very sorry to let you know that my husband passed away early today. He had multiple issues (not coronavirus) and it got to the point where they could not do much to treat him so it was time. He was a cheerful patient who didn't complain, certainly not something I would be good at, so I'm full of admiration for that trait he displayed. He was capable of making his health care decisions. Obviously, this will be a different world ahead, but I'm doing okay and any prayers or good thoughts are appreciated. Other than that, I don't need anything. It will take some time before I get back into a more usual routine, but it will happen. May God protect you, your family members, and the brave health care workers who work with special concern and cheerfulness day after day in stressful circumstances.

Jeanne,
I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your husband. words can't express my sorrow for you and your loved ones. You are such an incredible person and have been through so much. If you ever wish to talk, I'm here

Lisa (PaperFinch)

Jeanne,

I am so sorry about your husband's passing. You are a very brave woman and I pray you will find peace and strength at this time. .

Susan N.

Words cannot say enough about the loss of your husband Jeanne - but you are in my thoughts.

Jeanne,

I believe that your husband is now an Angel above. He will be looking out for you and guiding you, with every breath you breathe and with every step you take. I am thinking of you and saying my Annie prayers, with the hopes that, some how, some way, you have peace within. Be well......

Annie

Good evening my gardening friends.

I forgot to post Bingo words yesterday so today i am posting two words:

Pollinator Friendly

Secluded Spaces

Be well everyone.

Jeanne, I haven't signed on for a few days and I can't believe what i'm reading. I am so sorry for your loss. I cannot imagine how you are feeling or what you are going through. please reach out to us if you need to talk or need anything. i pray for you to stay strong through this difficult time.

i hope this message finds all of you well

Today’s bingo word is:

Vegetable Gardening

Wishing you all a blessed and peaceful evening.

Thank you everyone. Kind words and kindness from friends will help me as I deal with this.

Happy Thursday Everyone. Hope all is well. It has been raining a lot here but has gotten warmer the past 2 days so i will go check my garden bed today. its not farrrrr.... im just being lazy... dont even know what day of the week it is, i had to look at the calendar for my greeting!

my sister has been working from home these days and mid-day she posted this -

thats me these days...

what do you guys think about the April Swap? I dont mind hosting and i also dont mind cancelling, and can take a month later in the year. all ideas appreciated.

Since we're getting close to the end of the month I will start calling 2 Bingo words per day. Today's are:

Gardening Trends

DIY -Re-purposing

Urooj, I am still deciding about whether I will be participating in April, on one hand I am leaning towards not participating, but on the other hand, I am open to it. I am ordering from Amazon and Walmart, and other retailers and just wiping down items I receive with bleach solution. We are doing that with the groceries and all items we bring into the house. Maybe we are overly cautious but I just feel safer that way. I have seen where the post office may shut down by June.

I think alot of plant nurseries will suffer if that happens. Have you considered ordering a plant exchange where we order and send to our partners some type of plants they may enjoy and have them directly shipped? Given shipping costs are between $8 to $15 usually, and many online nurseries are offering good deals and some with discounted or free shipping, I thought it might be an option folks may like. Just an idea...

Have a good evening everyone. Stay safe and healthy.

Urooj, I love the saying about the change from daytime to nighttime pajamas. That is me some days!

Thank you for mentioning the April swap. I have a suggestion. How about if partners are matched like usual, but what we do is get to know our partner better through emailing each other and posting things here rather than sending anything through the mail. What do you think, Urooj and others?. If it's something personal send an email to them and if it's a quote (like the pajama one), just post it here with a notation to your swap partner (something like "Hi, Brenda - Can you relate to this? I can!" or ask how her day is going.)

I think we need to have contact with each other since it's so isolating right now, but don't want to put anyone at risk. Maybe try to e-send or post a minimum of 2-3 times a week? We can certainly add pictures of what's blooming in our gardens and indoor plants, etc. Anyway, just thoughts. Happy to hear more comments about what to do.

I believe I found all of my cards, so I wanted to give a quick thank you to everyone for the birthday wishes. Susan N sent me a card with blue aster seeds, Melinda sent me a lovely purple butterfly card that reminds me of my sister - puirple and butterflies were her favorite, Margo (smitties) sent me a lovely beach card with seeds, Jeanne sent me a fun flower card and included tags, and Pinkiris sent me a confetti filled card with seeds. If I missed anyone, i apologize. Thank you very much for a little bit of sunshine in this difficult month.

Today's Bingo words are:

Water Feature

Houseplants

Jeanne, I like the April swap of getting to know our partners better, and each other for things posted on the thread.

Wishing everyone a safe and healthy Saturday.

I am running low on Bingo words. Is anyone getting close to winning?

Today's Bingo words are:

Frog Friendly Habitats

Succulents

How is everyone doing during the time most of us are spending more time time at home these days? Is anyone working on any 2020 trends we have been talking about. Our bingo words are all based on current gardening trends so there is a pretty diverse number of trends to try or that you may be doing already. I started a compost bin last spring and I am so glad I did with the huge yard we have. We are always cleaning the yard it seems. I don't know what we were thinking when we bought this place.

I thought I would post a couple of pics to share what I have been up to. Urooj, you inspired me with your garden beds project and I got to thinking that I needed to add some to mine to help me be able to plant veggies that need more room. The beds you see next to the new beds are some I bought a couple of years ago. They work well for items that don't have a deep root system but don't work for tomatoes, carrots, etc that need more room. The first bed is 8 x 4 feet by 12 inches deep and the second pic is of a double bed with two sections that are 6 x 4 feet x 12 inches deep. I was thinking of adding cardboard across the bottom in a double layer to deter the weeds. Does anyone have any advise on this? Since the beds are a foot deep I may not need anything. I am not sure. Any ideas or suggestions are welcome. I am taking some days off of work to complete my backyard clean up and this project next week.

susan i still need 1 word... im getting close but not there yet... reminds me of last april when all 4 ladies needed the last word that was left!

love the garden beds! my plant babies died. so we direcr sowed some seeds in the garden bed but nothing is coming up. all i see is grass starting to grow again. i may end up buying plants from the garden shop... again...

i love the idea youve suggested for april jeanne. why not make it more personal and have a one on one with our partners. its a great idea in our current times.

susan i also liked your suggestion of having something directly sent to your swap partner. im just not sure if the cost would play a huge factor with all the pay cuts and layoffs occurring, although come to think of it our swaps do get kind of fancy regardless.

i saved 2 orchids from the clearance at kroger. 1.99

i hope they survive. they love the cool weather at kroger but dont last too long at my place.

i started making some cards yesterday to send out for the birthdays... but didnt finish. hoping to get those out soon... just think of it as a conintuous celebration guys!

happy saturday everyone! heres hoping you get to go out into your gardens today.

I love the orchids Urooj. They don't grow very well for me but I think they are one of the most delicate and beautiful flowers.

Today was a busy day indoors. Spent time organizing my pantry etc doing so spring cleaning. I also made this artificial floral arrangement to welcome spring.It was the first one I ever made.

Tomorrow it will be 69 degrees but it is supposed to rain again. We had flash flooding here in our area today so I am hopeful the rain will slow down a bit soon. Hope everyone had a nice Saturday.

Hello everyone. I hope everyone is staying healthy.

As for a swap next month, times are definitely different right now. If you scroll back to FOTESS. (Friends of the earth simple swap), one of the founders, (Shirley Colosimo) goal was to keep it simple and also focus on recycling etc. There was a month several years ago that the host listed several items that could be used to create a picture. I remember things like q tips, cotton balls, etc. Members would create a masterpiece and post a picture. We then voted on it. We kept in touch posting daily as usual.

I for one will not be able to do a mail swap. Postage has gotten too high and my husband and I are both not working and staying socially distant.

I hope this suggestion helps from getting away from packages and keeping it creative and fun. We’ve lost a lot of members in participating and maybe this will bring some back.

Margo

For April, I like the idea of keeping it simple and strictly online....no mail/no PO. Getting to know each other better is a good thing!! Making an art creation out of stuff we have around the house and posting a pic...love that!! Margo, I remember doing that.

I am thinking of you all and praying for good health for each of you and yours. This is a trying time and people need to be strong and not panic. And don't forget to smile......smiling always makes us feel better and makes others feel good too.

Happy Sunday!!....Be well and be safe!!

Annie

I'm so glad you are all active. I have not been the best host, so I apologize. This Covid-19 is changing all our lives. My youngest came home from college and you know...it's been a real transition for all 3 of us (hubby, me, daughter). She's not the high school girl, she's spent 6 months living independently and now she's back in her old bedroom. I'm doing a lot of translating and counseling between hubby and daughter!

Last week my company donated 37,000 lbs. of frozen chicken products to our community and I was in charge. It went well. I had it set up for churches/food pantries/community organizations (Somali and Sudanese Community groups) to send a few people to pick up cases of chicken and distribute to community without forming large groups. Taking it to houses individually, for example. The schools are giving away 500 lunches a day to kids 0 to 18 in a curbside pickup. Many chicken tenders went to that program. 2 churches have in-house food pantries. We gave to 2 senior centers to cook with and to give out so people at home could use it. One church has a crockpot class for young moms or people who want to try it. They have been very successful with young African women who haven't grown up with it. Also a church that cooks hot meals and delivers to shut-ins. So it's a "spider web of hope" as someone said.

My management really tested me. First they dropped the semi trailer at the plant instead of the food pantry where we were all set up (and they couldn't move it-insurance issues-so we all moved to the plant parking lot). Then they told me to stop giving product away and save some for employees. Hey, I was down to 2 pallets, 30 minutes, there wasn't enough for employees to come by and get some and we didn't have a plan for that. In the end everyone gets chicken--just through churches and food pantries and community organizations.

I realize I didn't even get my trends posted and I'm almost in April. They are on another computer so when I get to that computer I'll at least post them.

Someday we'll tell the next generations how we survived this! Heidi

Wow Heidi, it sounds like you have had a extra busy and trying month. That sounds like a lot of planning with all the chicken distribution and I am so happy to hear about it and all the other folks helping each other out in this time of need. We are a great country comprised of loving and caring people and we will get through this together. I agree we will be telling people about this for generations.

Here are today's Bingo words:

Organic Gardening

Edible Landscaping

Heidi, what a wonderful thing you did for your community!

Urooj, are you still okay with being the hostess for April? It sounds like several of us would like to be a partner for the month and get to know that person better. No mailing involved - just emailing and posting to the board.

I've been receiving some cards in the mail for my birthday and sympathy cards relating to my husband's passing and thank you so much, everyone! Your thoughts are precious to me in this time of isolation.

Well, today is the last day of March and I have called all the Bingo words.

I just got 5 cubic yards of top soil mixed with compost and sand, very nice rich mixture. Now cart it back to the garden beds one wheelbarrow full at a time is the next challenge. It is pretty chilly today but I still think I like working better in the cooler temperatures so I will go out for a hour or so and see what I can get done. Tomorrow promises to be a nicer day weatherwise with temperatures almost 50 degrees.

Bingo!

Yes yes yes! I will absolutely host for April! We will also do a game or two. i love the ideas everyone has posted. we can do a craft and we can also have partners to get to know each other. the posibilities are endless!

trying to manage e-learning with the kids right now. its tough! but they love the routine and having things to do.

yesterday was my 20th wedding anniversary and my husband bought me a a laptop! i am so excited. i got him some scrubs to wear to the hospital, a belt and some apple earpods! he loved them. we ordered some starbucks and i had a brownie. not a good idea, i was so excited i forgot that it was not gluten free. woke up with the worst headache this morning.

more on the swap later... going to sit down with my girls and plan the swap. theme, games, bingo words.. etc.

Happy Tuesday!

Congratulations Urooj on the Bingo win!

Glad you are able to home school the girls. I think they will enjoy helping you plan the April activity. So happy for you and your husband! Wishing you both another 20 great years of happiness.

My 20th wedding anniversary is coming up in June this year. We have decided to just stay close to home since we don't know what will be happening as far as travel and the coronavirus situation. It really makes you think with everything happening in the world about how much we normally don't take time to enjoy one another's company and simple things like eating a brownie and ordering some Starbucks. Life is made one memory at a time. Although this is a terrible situation we face globally it has given me time to reflect and appreciate all those little things I used to just take for granted.

I was happy to co-host with Heidi this month and hope everyone has been able to research and discover a gardening trend to try this year. There are so many good ones.

Well I have my work cut out for me, as you can see from the picture, there is still a huge pile of dirt. I have hardly made a dent yet. I am glad I gave myself enough time this Spring. I have learned not to try to do too much in one day. My husband used to be able to help me more but as his health is not what it used to be I have taken on alot of those responsibilities.

Happy Anniversary, Urooj, and thank you and your girls for planning our month of April. Also, congratulations on winning Bingo.

Susan, that looks like such nice soil. "Soil" here is either mostly sand (what I have) or mostly clay. Neither make for very happy plants.

Let's hope for a happy (even if quite restricted) month of April and pray for those who are infected or very fearful and especially for first responders and medical workers. They are so brave and we need them so much.

Heidi thank you for hosting the March trends to try. It was a great theme and gave us lots to think about. I have decided to try the low maintenance trend and vegetable gardening this year. I have not grown vegetables here at our new place since I needed to install the raised garden beds which I am in the process of doing now.

Thank you Jeanne, my soil is terrible here too. It is mostly clay and then after you dig down a couple of inches you find small to large pieces of sandstone everywhere in my front yard. The back yard has a lot of shade with a large oak and a large maple tree. I am fortunte to have a nice sunny patch where I have the raised garden beds.

Urooj, I emailed you with information regarding your Bingo prize. Please let me know that you received it.

I pick the best days for vacation to work in my garden. Today it rained in the morning and the temperatures were in the 40s. Very chilly and damp. I have been able to fill 2 out of 3 of the garden beds and will probably leave the other one until tomorrow.

Stay safe and healthy everyone.

Hey everyone. Thanks for the bingo prize Susan. I wasn't expecting that at all. i just had a great time with the activities this month and actually tried one of the trends. go figure!

you are so right about the simple things in life, my kids were like, wow 20th anniversary and you got mom a brownie! we were like - eat it and go to bed - we are tired.

your garden bed is coming along nicely, where did you get all that from? was it free or did you order it? My neighbor told me about a service called ChipDrop where local tree services give you mulch/wood chips for free. The only catch is you dont know when it will arrive, how much you will get, or what trash is in it. I think its still worth it and me and my next door neighbor were planning on sharing a load. lets see if we do it...

all of those babies i planted earlier this year didn't make it. i transplanted some and they didn't really grow. I did direct sow some outside, but the garden bed is slowly filling back up with grass. any remedy for that? maybe soap and water?

thanks for a great swap heidi, even though you seemed to have a very very busy month! i had a great time and learned a lot this month and got some projects done too! i hear you about having the college kid back home, my husband has to go to work but all 4 kids have been home for almost a month now and i am at my wits end cooking and cleaning all day. some days i want to self isolate at a hotel!

headed to post the April Swap now! Head on over everybody!

Thanks Urooj. The garden beds are half filled and I am hoping to complete them today when it warms up a bit. I ordered a special mix of top soil with sand and compost from a local landscape supplier. I wanted to get the best dirt possible for the raised beds and good clean soil for vegetable and herb growing. I had a bad experience with some soil that was sub par a couple of years ago and I have been amending the soil which takes a few years so I didn’t want that experience again.

We are fortunate that our local park offers free wood chip mulch and I take advantage of that in late spring usually to freshen up the backyard areas that are more natural. It decomposes nicely and helps amend the soil. You have to shovel it into your pick up bed yourself but free is good and I get my cardio workout that way lol.

i hope you find something nice at Lowe‘s that you can add to your garden. Congrats again on your bingo win.

I know March is passed but I wanted to post a thank you to Shirley who sent me a birthday card. The cards and thoughts have all been appreciated.