More Items Checked Off the To Do List

Wow!  What a productive weekend we had!  Since the weather cooperated (read that:  it didn't rain all the time), we were able to get a lot of our outdoor "to do's" done.  Despite sweltering temps in the 90's...with corresponding humidity levels...we:

1. weeded the veggie garden (really needed it after all the rains) and replanted a couple patches of lettuce;
2. did some more work on the garden path, adding some recycled stepping stones and spreading gravel between the gate and the mulched area;
3. assembled our new NC Pot Person, hereafter to be known as Hyacynth (photo to right); and
4. completed the Garden Gate Pergola (finally masking the two mismatched monolith gate posts -- see more info below), along with planting a Carolina Jessamine (Jasmine) beside the gate/to be trained to grow over the pergola.

Whew!

And it feels so good to be able to take a breather and enjoy our work.  Today was just lovely, with temps in the low 80's, humidity below 50% for a change, so we could even have our dinner out on the deck.  Quite pleasant, actually.

Let's take a look back at the activities of the past weekend, shall we?

About the Garden Gate Pergola project...

Here (left) is Mr. T, hard at work.  For those of you who have been to our house, you probably recall those two ginormous posts on either side of the gate which leads to the garden in the Way Back.  Yep, the ones that were of different heights.  Guess that happened when the fence guys put one post deeper in the ground than the other.  Well, Mr. T figured out a way to "mask" the difference in heights with a pergola, which then got a lattice top (repurposed from the deck...:).  I planted a climbing vine on the left side, with high hopes that it will eventually climb up and over the lattice top.

BTW, some of you may remember that long, long ago...in a galaxy far, far away called Mississippi...I worked as an OSHA Safety Inspector.  I know, I know...not a good career fit for me.  What can I say?  It was one step up from my previous job:  IRS Tax Collector.  Hey...it was the mid-70's, and Sociology majors just graduating from college couldn't be too choosy about jobs to pay the rent.  Plus, looking back, I see exactly where those two jobs fit into my own career puzzle:  through them, I was introduced to a job known as a Trainer, which was a perfect fit for me.  And, having had the life experiences of poorly-fitting jobs and then finding my Perfect Job, has made me a better Career Coach.  Anyway, if you are still with me, you must be asking yourself where in the world is she going with this line of thought?  You should be.

OSHA.  Job safety.  Hmmmm.  Wonder if we could get approval for Mr. T's approach to building the Pergola?  Check out the other photo of him on this project (right), taken when he was attaching braces for the lattice to go on the top.  Standing on the top of the ladder.  Not the top step (that would have been bad enough); no, the TOP of the ladder.  The ladder which is "secured" to the gate post with a wrapped dog lead.  Hmmmm, indeed.

About Hyacynth...our Pot Person.

Do you remember Wilson...our very first Pot Person we "assembled" in O'Fallon?  Well, since Pot People are rather heavy and fragile, he stayed behind when we made the move to NC.  But, I got another Bag of Bones from Annie so we could bring the same whimsy to our garden here.  We had an old chair I'd rescued in MO; Mr. T prepped it and I painted it Grape (purple, by any other name...:); and we purchased the pots as directed.  Voila! 

And, why the name of Hyacynth?  Did you ever watch Keeping Up Appearances?  An old BBC show that is still making the re-runs on PBS.  Love it.  Anyway, the star's name is Patricia...and she plays Hyacynth Bucket (which she pronounces Bu-KAY).

It wasn't all work, though.  While I was cooling off a bit in the shade, I snapped these shots of a butterfly on the newly-opened daylilies...next to the heavily blooming Black Knight Buddleia.  Aren't they beautiful?  I was standing less than 3 feet away from the flower stalk when I took the pictures...can you imagine?  The butterfly was so intent on getting all of the nectar that he/she completely ignored my presence.  Amazing!

Hope it's a good week for all!

Has It Really Been A Whole Year? How About 34??

Yes, the Merry Month of May was a time of celebrations.  Just this past week, we marked a whole year back in North Carolina...with smiles on our faces, for sure.  Hard to believe, but we closed on this house on May 27th last year and moved in when the Stella d'Oro daylilies begin their show.  If you'll recall, some of the first plants we added were Shasta Daisies (the frilly kind that look almost like mums), and we are now getting to see them bloom together (photo, right).  Feels like home!

It seems a distant memory, but last Winter and Spring were quite dry...so all the plants had been deprived of enough moisture for several months before we moved in...not to mention a dose of fertilizer now and again.  The house was vacant, and the sprinkler system had been turned off when the previous owners moved out.  Sad.  The result:  a poor display of blooms and color. 

Not so this year!  We've done our part...and Mother Nature is over-doing her part with the rain...and, now, all the plants are doing their best to reward us with glorious growth and blossoms. 

A case in point:  we barely noticed that we had a gardenia bush in front of the front porch.  It is hidden between an azalea and a boxwood, under a dogwood tree. Probably didn't get any watering the previous year.  Well, after receiving weekly watering all Summer and Fall last year, and three feedings of bone meal and Miracle Gro (in between all of the rain this Spring), it bloomed so profusely this year (photo, left) that you would almost be overwhelmed with the scent when you sat in the rockers on the porch.  What a beauty!


This past year has been one of many changes around 3917, for sure.  We've added a few plants to the front yard (some azaleas, several hostas, a few sedum, etc.), but with the exception of adding a small flower bed around the mailbox, we've kept things looking basically the same as the former owners (a small lawn, with a lot of pine-straw covered "natural area" underneath all the big trees). 

Of course we added the fences for the Big Change to the back yard.  And being the rose lovers we are, we've set about adding as many rose bushes as we can find sunny spots to accommodate them.  Then, we took advantage of protection of the natural branching habit of an elm (at least, I think it's an elm...:) to tuck the swing on its stand, for a lovely spot to sit in the shade...or even in a light rain...and enjoy the scene.

The real changes have been taking place in the area we call the Way Back.  There we've created a large veggie garden, along with a "birthing garden" where we can put perennials for later division and planting. We planted 13 ligustrums across the rear property line, so we'll know where our land ends (visually), since we can't put a fence back there due to right-of-way restrictions.  Eventually, we plan to have a small orchard...and even a putting green...to complete the area! 

As I've written about before, this space was a vast waste-land of weeds and rocks, due to being shared with Duke Energy's transmission lines.  Fortunately, we only have the lines "on" (over, actually) our property; we don't have to deal with the transmission towers...other than have to look at them when we are in the garden.  Admittedly, I was a bit leery of these giants when we first moved here, and it took me a while to warm up to the possibilities of the Way Back.  But, warm up I have...and big time!

When it hasn't been raining...and sometimes when it has been...I've spent most of my time for the last 6 weeks working in the Way Back.  Mr. T tilled two large garden areas (each one is approx. 50x25), separated by a 4-foot center path (see the photo, taken last week before more changes had been made, below, right).  I've planted tomatoes (6 varieties), peppers (3 varieties), potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, cantalopes, watermelons, cucumbers, lettuce, cabbage, carrots, peas (2 kinds), beans (2 kinds), sweet potatoes, and corn (2 kinds).  I've lined the fences and the paths with sunflowers, marigolds, nasturtiums, zinnias, basil, and parsley.  Mr. T installed a 6-foot wire fence section at the rear of the Right Garden to support the pole beans, and told me how to constuct a tepee from fallen limbs for more pole beans, and a small trellis to support other climbing crops.  We gathered up buckets and buckets of rocks, which are now lining the side of the center path, where 6 new solar lights are installed.

In the center (which we are now calling the Rondel, a la P. Allen Smith's Garden Home), we've got three in-ground flower boxes made from repurposed wooden moving crates, filled with zinnias and marigolds (all from seed saved from last year's crop...which came from seed saved from the previous year's crop in Missouri...:).  And, last week, Mr. T re-furbed an old wooden chair so I could spray paint it Grape (purple, by any other name!)...and it has taken pride of place, in the Rondel.  Soon, it will be the sitting spot for our Pot Person...to be assembled and called Hyacynth.  She will watch over the new roses planted in the Rondel, as well as be a focal point for the whole garden.

We are tired.  And, we are happy with how it is turning out.  I'll be sure to take my camera out next time I go work in the garden to get some updated snaps to share.

It's hasn't been ALL work (although it's sometimes seemed like it...:).  We cleaned up nicely on Saturday (photo, left) to go to the Brookstown Inn in Winston-Salem to celebrate our 34th wedding anniversary.  Missy M was here for the Memorial Day Holiday weekend, so she and N/M/E got some Nana/Grand-daughter bonding time...:)   Then, in between the rain showers, we had our Holiday BBQ on Sunday...which was supposed to have the "best" chance of sun according to the weatherman.

Now, it's time to turn the calendar over to June.  Wonder what the first month of Summer has in store for us?

Grrrrrrr...Report from the Garden

I am so frustrated today.  After 3 days of rain (over 4 inches of water in the rain gauge), I headed out to the Way Back to see how our garden had fared.  Well, everything seems to have survived all the rain...tomatoes look taller; peppers are perky; zucchini seems to have grown a foot since I last looked.  But a couple of crops have succumbed to some varmint or other. 

I no longer have any peas on the vine...nor do I have any sweet potato slips either.  Something devoured all 18 (!) sweet potatoes...just sheared them off at ground level.  That photo is one I took last week, just after I'd planted the second row.  Hard to tell what it is, I realize.  Just trust me when I say, all you would see if I took the same shot today would be two empty, damp dirt rows in front of the stakes that are surrounding the strawberry patch.  At least the pea trellis will soon have new residents in the form of the new cucumber vines from those seeds that are pushing up through the soaked soil.

I've battled the bunnies before, never getting any green peas to grow in any previous gardens, so I was not so surprised to see the damage done on those veggie vines. You would think rabbits would be a bit cautious when setting up shop on the same property with a brace of hounds...but you would be wrong.  Anyway, I've never grown sweet potatoes before, so I checked all my gardening books (my library is growing weekly, I might add...:) only to discover a notation that deer like sweet potatoes.  I don't think deer visited our little neck of the NC woods...no tracks that I can see.  No, I still think it's rabbits.  Now, why it took "them" a whole week to discover a tasty patch of sweet potato vines is beyond me.  But, "they" sure have mowed 'em down now.  Sigh.  Maybe Home Depot still has some slips for sale?  I'll have to check...

Otherwise, we are enjoying a brief respite from the rains, when no work can be done on the weeds that have popped up in the last few days until the soil dries out a little.  Meanwhile, I've been repotting some of the indoor plants that N/M/E received for her birthday:  a dish garden with pothos, palms, and prayer plant; a peace lily; and an aglaonema "Silver King." 

And, because we had a wet weekend, Mr. T checked off one of his "Rainy Day" chores:  install a new light in the kitchen.  If you've been to our house, you know we struggle with the low level of lighting (the previous owners must have been bats...or otherwise light-sensitive...:)  -- lots of ceiling fans, not a lot of light from the inadequate fixtures.  The lighting in the kitchen was so poor that I couldn't read my cookbooks without walking into another room and using a table lamp. 

No more. 

Now, I can see everything!  I can see all those fingerprints on our cabinets...and on our new three-door refrigerator...yikes!  Yep, we got a new fridge (love it!) and a new dishwasher (love it, too!) a couple of weeks ago...thanks to an instant rebate program from the state of North Carolina on Energy Efficient appliances.  We weren't planning on getting replacements until we updated the kitchen in a couple of years, but what the heck?  Couldn't pass up 30% off from the store and a freebie extra 15% off from the state, now could we?  Certainly don't miss those mis-matched monsters that the previous owners left for us.  No sirree...I'm having way too much fun generating crushed ice.  Now, if I could just find an energy efficient stove, so I could replace the sad one that came with the house...no such thing, but doesn't stop me from wishing...!

OK, So Maybe I'm a Wee Bit Obsessed

It's just a garden.  And, really just the beginnings of a garden.  Only a year removed from being an unkempt patch of weeds, rocks, and rock-hard clay soil at the rear of our property.  But, slowly and surely, we are turning the area we call the Way Back into our garden.

Last year, since we didn't move in until the first week in June, we didn't get much of a start on our garden.  Just a few tomato and pepper plants purchased at the Farmer's Market and plopped into two recently-tilled rows.  Then, came both the unpacking process and Fall:  we covered a large area adjacent to those first tilled rows with the flattened moving boxes and all the leaves collected from our yard (...and we have loads of leaves...:).

Voila!  The boxes and leaves composted right on site (with the exception of that nasty, sticky packing tape), softening the soil, and allowing more rows to be tilled and added to the garden space.  More tomatoes and peppers planted (some purchased at Home Depot during the BOGO event, some started from seed inside) as you can see in the photo above (left)...which will serve as the "before" photo once all of the lovely plants begin to grow.  Added enough rows to accommodate several summer squash and zucchini plants, lotsa lettuces, some melons, and several sweet potato slips.  Oh yes...and onions!   Plenty of onions.  And all of this surrounded by border rows of marigolds, sunflowers, and zinnias...from seeds we saved from last year's flower crop...a whole bag-full!  Grow, babies, grow!

Then, earlier this week, I got out my hand cultivator and re-tilled three short rows for the Early Sunglow sweet corn.  Right over by the strawberry patch (11 plants lived out of the 18 planted earlier this Spring).  Next to the flower "holding bed," where the flowers we moved from MO are in temporary residence until they bloom and let us know which ones they are. [This beautiful iris bloomed recently, and we discovered that it was the Yosemite Star (violet and wisteria)...one of those we purchased at the Iris Sale at the STL Botanical Garden in 2008.]

And, just before I completely ran out of energy, I hauled 6-7 wheelbarrows-ful of leaf-mold (remember, we have LOADS of leaves in the Fall...:) to the newly-planted tomatoes for mulch.  I can't wait to see how it all turns out. 

I love it!  So what if I need two days for my back to recover for every day spent working in the garden...I still love it!  Frustrations?  Who can have that many frustrations when you are pouring all that energy into getting things to grow...and returning the land to good use?

When I need a little rest and a refreshing beverage?  I plop down into my camp chair next to my log-table, in front of my potting bench just inside of the garden fence...and take photos of the blue birds who have moved into the Blue Bird House that BFF AW gave N/M/E for her recent birthday...as you can see in that photo over there on the left...all the while slugging down an ice-cold orange Gatorade.  Yum!  Ready to go again in 15-20 minutes.

BTW, did I tell you that one of the weeds that's growing well in the Way Back is poison ivy?  Yeah.  Leaves of Three...beware of Thee.  It's everywhere, it's everywhere!  And, both of us have the rashes to prove it.  Oh well...that's what they invented cortisone cream for, right?  And, Benedryl.  Don't forget the Benedryl.

Obsessed?  Possibly.  Passionate?  Most definitely.  Now, I have to quit blogging so I can go see what's changed in the garden today.

Back Home After a Brief Pause

You know, it strikes me as funny.  When I was in Missouri, I mourned for my life in Georgia.  (Nevermind Florida...we weren't there long enough to know whether we liked it or not.)  Now that I'm back in North Carolina (it'll be a year later on this month, can you believe it?!), I grieve for neither MO nor GA.  I'm perfectly happy right where I am.  I don't want to be any place else.

However...

I do still enjoy my "real" job.  I know, I know...I haven't mentioned my work lately.  With good reason.  My coaching business has taken back seat to my caregiving activities, especially since the summer of 2004; then, came all of the move-related activities of last year...and then the 90th birthday party activities of early 2010.  But, my job...as a leadership development coach and consultant...requires me to make a few trips back to ATL each year.  Until '09, each one of those trips was hard to complete, since I just wanted to stay instead of getting on that return flight to STL.  Now...I hop in Lillie Pearl, point her south on Interstate 85, and pop in my latest Audible.com downloads.  Usually, after a week, I've touched base with my clients, taken care of some personal care details, did a little retail therapy, completed a few books and a knitting project or two, and am ready to return to HPNC with joy in my heart.  Happy to be back on the road home again.  The little break helps remind me of what I love to do...and gives me renewed energy to do what I am committed to doing "at home:"  ensuring that N/M/E's final years are comfortable and as easy as possible.

But, the trips are getting harder and harder to complete as planned.  Try as I might, I can't seem to anticipate all that might happen while I am away.  This time, even though strong support was in place (thanks, AW!), a nasty stomach virus still slipped through the de-fence and found a home with Mom.  We're still trying to get that under control.  Sigh. 

Ah well.  I did get to finish a few books enroute to-and-from.  Love my iPod!  I had downloaded Agatha Christie's The Third Girl, read by Hugh Frasier; Knitting by Anne Bartlett; and Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton.  Finished two of the three.  May have to wait for an upcoming jaunt to Raleigh to finish the third.

And, I was able to complete a scarf (dropped stitch pattern) and get started on a pair of socks (chasing cables pattern) while away.  I'll download some photos next time.  I'm currently on battery power, sitting outside on the deck; missing my camera and its cable for downloading the pix.  Love my wireless connection!

And, best of all, Mr. T motored down from working in Columbia, SC, to join me for the brief pause in our lives.  Yes, we needed that bit of a pause.

Out here in the sunshine, with all the roses starting to bloom, it's difficult to imagine all the devastation that's happening to friends and relatives in TN.  As far as I know, all are safe...although not all have power restored yet.  I'm glad to see that the Red Cross has made it easy for us to donate toward the assistance folks will need to restore their lives to normal.  If you can, be sure to take the easy way:  using your cellphone, text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation to help with the flood disaster.  You'll be glad you did!

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

It was a gorgeous weekend here in HPNC.  Cooler temps...sunshine...blue skies.  Perfect for working out in the yard.  We had 12 new rose bushes that needed to get in the ground, so that set the tone for our To Do List on Saturday.  I know, I know...I said I didn't want another To Do list, didn't I?  Truth-be-told, I operate better when I have some sort of plan.

Anyway, we started the day off with a trip to Ilderton Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep in downtown High Point to get Lillie Pearl her 20K check-up:  oil, filter, tire rotation, and new wiperblades.  If you come in for service on Saturdays, they give you a car wash for free.  Since everything around here is covered in pollen dust, a bath sounded like a great idea.  Of course, if I'd thought about what date it was, I might have thought twice about going through DT HPNC on this particular Saturday:  opening day of the Spring Furniture Market.  What are all these dressed-up people doing here?  Oh well, it all worked out OK...and Lillie Pearl looks so shiny and healthy, too!

Next to Sam's Club for hamburgers and buns for our cook-out supper...perfect after an afternoon of gardening, right?  Check!  However, when we got home, we had a call from BFF Amelia W., saying she had our pies.  Pies, you ask?  Yessiree.  The Deep River Friends Meeting makes the most marvelous chicken pies for their Annual Chicken Pie Supper (a fund raiser), and we were treated to 3 of them!  Have I told you lately how thankful and glad I am to be back in NC????  Changed our plans:  popped a pie in the oven to stay warm til supper; moved the hamburger cook-out to Sunday.

While AW and daughter CW were over, Gus and Duchess pinned one of their favs down on the sofa...lap dogs that they are.  Thought you might enjoy the picture (left).

OK...on to the yardwork.  While Mr. T and Gus dug the holes for the roses, I potted up some flowers for the deck and the little patio near the swing.  I also added some Wave Petunias to the pots out front, next to the bench (which Mr. T painted a couple of weekends ago).  I thought you'd like to see the guys at work (right).

The twelve new rose bushes are:  Proud Land, Mister Lincoln, and Chrysler Imperial (red ones); Pink Peace, Miss All-American Beauty, and Nearly Wild (pink ones); John F. Kennedy (2) (white ones); Angel Face (lavender); Kordes Perfecta (mix of pink and yellow); and New Day and OreGold (yellow ones).  Whew!  Of course, we have just a spot for a climber, so we are still looking for a Queen Elizabeth climber for it.

After all that work, you know those burgers tasted goooooood...as did those Sam Adams Lights!

The Big Day

This is it.  N/M/E turns 90 today!  She said this morning that it was almost anticlimactic, since she's been celebrating The Big Day for almost a week now.  Still...reaching this milestone is truly something special.

Kith and kin began to arrive last Thursday.  By Friday night, we had a gathering of 22 for pizza at the local Donato's (a fav of Missy M and Mom's since our Ohio days).  The winners of the "longest drive" were the AZ nieces/cousins and their DHs, followed by my own DH's sister and BIL from TX.  Other states represented included KY, IL, TN, and NC.  It was a lively bunch!

N/M/E looked beautiful on Saturday as you can see in that photo (above, left).  She was ready to welcome all who came to help her make a wonderful memory of the weekend.  We had everyone sign the Guest Book, then took their pictures right then and there.  When we get those photos developed, we'll put them in the book beside their signature and well-wishes.  We had seven states represented on Saturday.

AZ Cousin Ann is way ahead of us.  She got all her photos developed, then popped them in an album for N/M/E to begin enjoying the memories right away.  You go, girl!  I'm not there yet, but keep watching over there in the left column...eventually I'll get an online album published.

Since some of the folks stayed in town, we headed to the Crafts Show at the Greensboro Coliseum on Sunday.  Then, we got together for lunch at the Bistro 150 on Monday.  And, had by-special-request pancake brunch and a nice visit here at home on Tuesday.  Today seems so quiet and calm after all the activity!

I'm taking a rest from doing taxes (yes, it's THAT time of the year again...:), so that I can give my brain a break.  And, after tomorrow's 15th deadline, I hope to return to normal, whatever that may be.  In no particular order:

• I want to work in the garden...
• I want to get those photos of the party developed and in the album...
• I want to sit on the deck...or the screened porch...or the front porch...or in the swing...and do absolutely nothing.  No "To Do" List(s).  Just enjoy the flowers in bloom (like that iris over there on the right) and veg out.

Update on the dogs:  Elmo had his 3-week follow-up visit on Monday with his ophthalmologist, Wonderful Dr. Nasisse.  His pressures are down to 8 in both eyes, so that confirms that he's pain-free from the glaucoma.  Remarkable!  Even better...he's adapted to being blind, with very few problems that we've noticed. He's still the skittish one of the bunch, but he seemed to be more comfortable around all the people than he's ever been.  Amazing!!

And, Duchess is doing better, too.  We had a wonderful report from loving, caring Dr. Heidi:  those tissue samples she sent off for testing?  All were benign.  Follicular cysts, I believe she called them.  Common in Golden Retrievers and Basset Hounds.  Joy.  She gets her stitches (of which she has what appears to be thousands...) out on Friday.  Then she can get back to making more cysts.  We should start saving money for the next round of removal, right?

Don't worry.  I haven't stopped knitting completely.  I tried to stay true to my resolution in March:  either finish it or frog it.  I resolved most of my WIP's:  finished the Entwined Shawl for N/M/E's Easter present and the belt for Missy M's Easter basket.  Frogged the Clara baby dress; the cotton cashmere yarn was just too heavy for the delicate patterning.  Worked on the blue baby blanket I've been crocheting for-ev-er...will hopefully finsh it sooner rather than later.  That leaves one other crochet baby blanket and the Handmaiden Sea Cell scarf in the works.  Oh, and the dress for the Bunny I knit for Missy M's basket (right now, the Bunny is in the buff, shall we say?)

The strange thing is that I'm stalled at what I want to start next on the needles!  I've organized all my stash yarn that was moved...and I realized how much fibre I have in the house.  S-c-a-r-y.  But, now that I've resolved several projects, I don't know what I want to work on.  So, I keep going back to what's left:  blue baby blanket and/or the scarf (which may or may not get frogged, since I've found a shawl pattern I like better than what I've got going now).  Sigh.

OK...back to the taxes.  Just 31 more hours to file.  And pay.  Don't forget the "pay" part.  Oh yeah, it's gonna be one of those years unfortunately.  Seems like every time we have a moving year, we have a paying year on the following April 15th.

Maybe I'll just have a cupcake instead...