We're Back in the Swing of Spring!

The Rhododendron is in the Swing of Spring!

OK, folks. Enough of this sickly, invalid business. I'm ready to get the party started again!

Yes, I feel better. Back issues subsiding. Vertigo lessening. And I'm sorely tired of gabbing about health problems. (Probably not nearly as tired as you are about having to read said gabbing...:)  Let's put the adventures back in The Adsit Adventure, how 'bout it?

Anyway, we have stepped it up a notch around Casa 3917 in the last couple of weeks. To start Mr T's vacation week off right, we took in our first Greensboro Grasshoppers game on the 6th, enjoying a double-header with the Lexington Legends, hot dogs and mustard, our great seats, and excellent fireworks.

We then donned our finery...including a hat for me (see photo, below)...to celebrate Easter Sunday, ending with brunch in style at Graylyn in Winston-Salem.  Question:  doesn't anyone wear a hat for Easter anymore?  I saw only three others the whole day...and two of those were on children, one on a little boy! I do NOT wear hats myself (for good reason, as you can plainly see...:), but I make an exception at Easter.

Desserts...and fab coffee
at Graylyn's excellent
Easter Brunch

In my Easter bonnet...
at brunch in Winston-Salem

Second order of bare root roses from David Austin arrived...
6 hours, soaking in the tub before going in the garden

Where we have been planning and prepping the new Rose Garden in the Way Back, we now have planted 34 new rose bushes [28 so-called English roses (left) from David Austin; 6 hybrid teas from Roses Unlimited]. By "we," of course I mean Mr. T.  He digs the hole, then uses the Mantis(tm) tiller to break up our rock-hard clay soil (photo, below)...incorporating lovely leaf mold (from all those leaves we salvaged from neighbors' curbs last Fall and composted all winter...:) and  Moo-Nure^® . I come along to add what we call the Secret Sauce: a mixture of bone meal and Epson Salts (which aren't really a salt at all, but magnesium sulfate...great for growing strong stems)...and water 'em in. We then add another layer of leaves as mulch around each bush. We have 6 more roses just arrived from DA in a box on the front porch to go in this weekend, weather willing (as well as three more crabapple trees going into the Orchard). Three more hybrid teas are coming from RU in early May. And that should be that for the roses and the fruit trees. (All who believe that, stand on your ear, as Momma would have said...:)

Mr. T with the Mantis in the Rose Garden.
(See the ones from Order #1, planted in the foreground.)

Paver patio at 10'x4' in Rose Garden...we're half way done!
(See the beginnings of the
Bluebird Bistro in the center.)

Finished: 10'x8'!  Now, must cure
for 72 hours.

Let's go to Atlanta!

Momma Bluebird bringing home breakfast
to the babies.

More importantly, we finished the new paver patio in the Rose Garden (photos above) last week when Mr. T was "on vacation." (Right. More about that in a sec.) Anyway, after a day of grueling construction work (done almost entirely by him, with me bringing up the rear of measuring, staking, sweeping and finishing with the polymeric sand), and waiting the required 72 hours to allow the sand to set between the pavers, he hauled the new teak glider out of the garage where he'd assembled and stained/sealed it, and we immediately found our new favorite spot on our property. We relocated one of the birdbaths and a hook with two feeders to a spot in front of the new patio, planted some perennials like delphiniums, yarrow, and thrift, along with some Spanish lavender (hey...I've tried English lavender without success in the Way Back...trying something new)...and we christened the spot The Bluebird Bistro, as it's about 15 feet from the fence with two active bluebird houses (photo, above/left). I cannot begin to describe how happy I feel when I'm there. It's like Mr. Bluebird is on my shoulder. It's the truth...it's actual...everything is satisfactual!  Zip-pa-dee-doo-dah!

"And that one is outta here..."
Go-ahead homer puts the Braves in the lead!
Tomahawk Chop!!!

I'm also happy to report that this vacation hasn't been all work and no play. Missy M also took the week off work, motoring down to NC on Easter Sunday. She took charge of the meals, keeping us yardeners happy. While she was here we got a sitter for ALL FIVE DOGS (God bless Miss Jan!) and headed the car down I-85 to Atlanta for a couple of days. Mr. T and I (and 50,000 of our closest friends...including President and Mrs. Carter, too...:) had tix to Opening Day for the Braves on Friday the 13th (photo, right)...which proved to be a lucky number for them, as they beat the Brewers in a battle to the last inning. Then, before we left town on Saturday, we managed to take in Ikea, Nordstrom Rack (can you say "new shoes?"), and a fav knittery in Duluth called Rare Purls. Well, M and I enjoyed that last one...:)


Yes, better health is contributing to more happiness in my universe. But I would not be telling the whole truth if I left out the tears that fell last week as well.

As I have said, this past week was looming as a mountain for me. So many milestones, so many memories. Daddy's birthday was April 11th...he would have been 89, if he hadn't passed away on April 12, 1990...and he was buried on Easter Sunday. Momma was also an Aries, and she would have celebrated her 92nd on April 14. As this was my first year without her, I imagine you will understand when I admit to having shed more tears on Saturday than on the other days of that week.

Sidney's Memorial Mimosa (in the cage)...
and a yellow iris (flag)

Of course, I can't really think of either of my parents with sadness for too many minutes...and I'm guessing that's progress on my part. In memory of Daddy, we transplanted a volunteer Mimosa sapling to a spot behind the new paver patio...right next to a bright yellow iris. A mimosa, you ask? Who plants a mimosa? It's an inside joke: Daddy...raised in the city and never the green thumb that Momma was...called EVERY tree a mimosa 'cause that was what he used to park under in our back yard in Henning. And the iris? Well, he used the old-fashioned name for it, calling them "flags." And, you guessed it...every tall flowering plant was a "flag."

And what better way to celebrate Momma's birthday than to go to a Braves game...and cheer them on to victory?! She was smiling on us that day...:)

Yes, everything is coming up roses...and mimosas and flags...here again. Swing, batter, batter...swing!


======>>>>======NOTE=======>>>>=======:

I have added a bar on each post that allows readers to SHARE the post on Facebook, etc. See it, right there below this info? (I have no control over the size of the tiny things...at least, none that I can discover...:)

Also, there is now a blue, Facebook LIKE button for the entire blog...see it there on the upper right column?

Hang on, folks...we're moving forward with a bullet!

In Like a Lion...Out Like a Baby Lamb

March, which blew in on a rainy, blustery Thursday, is headed...meek-and-mild...out the door this coming Saturday. We are paused to turn the page over to April, but before that occurs, I thought I'd post a pic or two of Casa 3917.

Iris blooming at the mailbox:
"Rock Star"

Spring arrived way before the calendar told us it should.  The Weather Wonks tell us that's due to La Nina, a weather phenomenon where the Eastern Central Pacific ocean temperatures affect our NC Winter. Most people in general are thankful that this winter was so mild.  Most gardeners, on the other hand, are of mixed emotions.

True, Mr. T was able to check a big item off his list when he finished re-mulching the garden paths and the Rondel (the oval shape in the center of our Way Back garden), thanks to an abundance of mild March weather. Mulch makes it all seem so well-tended.

The dogwood and the azaleas (photo, right) are beginning to bloom, just as the forsythia, the daffodils and the hyacinths are finishing. The iris (photo, left) and the candy tuft in the front are even beginning to flower.

Azalea...after the rain...

I welcome the warmth, as every seed and every transplant I plant switches into hyper-grow the minute the soil is back in place. In the Kitchen Garden in the Way Back, the lettuces and spinach are green and lush.  The cabbages and broccoli are tall and strong.  The asparagus (on its second Spring) is producing lovely spears for the first time. The potatoes and the onions are both growing ahead of schedule. Only the carrots haven't made an appearance...which is more due to the crusty, clay soil than to the weather.

In the Way Back Orchard, all 11 of the newest fruit trees are leafing out, and all except one of the other apple trees (planted last Spring) have shown signs of life.  We will be fertilizing them and adding mulch-rings this weekend, if the weather stays as gloriously beautiful as it is today.  We purchased a swing on our last Tractor Supply run and plan to install it here soon...a perfect spot to rest while working in the Way Back.

In the Berry Patch, the blueberries are all abloom, and the blackberries have leafed out spectacularly.  The grapes along the fence are even breaking bud (which isn't necessarily a great thing, since we had wanted to relocate these guys...that will now have to wait until they go dormant next Winter). The new strawberry bed (created by transplanting runners from the old bed) is not only showing the signs of growth on the new plants...there are also flowers on many!  I'll need to get some straw on them soon.

And, in the newest addition to the Way Back, our Rose Garden, all 12 of the new David Austin English Roses have growth.  Woo hoo!  Mr. T got these guys in the ground as soon as he could after we received our shipment, even finishing by flashlight.  We have 9 hybrid teas coming from Roses Unlimited in South Carolina next month, along with another DA order of 14, for which we will be digging holes this weekend.  We have outlined the path through the Rose Garden, and Mr. T has assembled and stained the new teak glider that will be placed on a stone pad (to be installed...:) soon...a perfect spot to enjoy our morning coffee.  We will be moving a feeder and the concrete bird bath to that location so that the bluebirds who have moved into the newest bluebird house on the fence will have a bistro to call their own.

So, what's not to love about this, you ask? Well, a mild winter...and this has been one of the mildest on record...means (1) we will be battling an abundance of bugs come summer-time...and (2) an earlier appearance of my least favorite gardening cohorts, the snakes. Yes, I saw my first snake the other day...and happily lived to tell the tale.

It was a "good back" day for me, and I finally tackled a chore that has been on my To Do list for months: get the "new" strawberry bed planted.  [Mr. T had already tilled the new row...and tilled it again...and tilled it a third time to create a wide, raised bed over the Winter.]  I  had worked in the "old" strawberry bed (which was slated to be tilled under and become a part of the new Rose Garden) for several hours, digging up and removing runners to go to the new bed.  For this chore,  I used my handy-dandy new (purple!) kneeler that I'd ordered from Gardener's Supply...and which I pronounced "GREAT!"

After we planted the new bed (finishing in the rain, I might add...), we had so many runners left over I decided to keep them and plant them in containers:  a strawberry jar that I used previously for herbs; several hanging baskets; and many, many pots here and there.   The next day, as I was finishing putting the last 2 runners in my last empty basket, I thought it needed one or two more to fill it out...and Mr. T had not tilled the bed under just yet.  So I grabbed my trowel (but not my kneeler) and dropped down on my hands and knees amongst what remained of the old strawberry bed for "just two more."  I stabbed the trowel into the straw around a promising runner...and the straw moved.  Well, slithered actually.

You can probably guess what happened next.  I screamed...got up and outta the strawberry bed faster than I thought I could move (what bad back?)...and made it to the garden gate (like that's home base...:) in record time. Mr. T came a'runnin' to see what was wrong.  Of course, he started asking all those pertinent questions: what color was it?  How long was it? Where did it go?  Like I had loitered long enough to know the answer to any of those queries...

The next thing that happened is news-worthy.  Instead of retreating from the Way Back for a week (like I did the last time I saw a snake in the garden)...or, telling him to "sell the house" (like I did 32 years ago, when I saw a water moccasin in our back yard in Cordova)...I said "I need those strawberry runners to finish my basket."  No, I didn't return to the scene of the sighting myself, but I stood nearby giving encouragement and great directions to Mr. T...who recovered both the runners and the trowel without seeing said snake. He also complimented me on how much I have matured in my snake phobia...and I beamed with pride.

"Old dog...new trick" comes to mind...:)

One...and Done...

"The sun will come out...tomorrow..."
Our newest bird feeder, after the rains

I guess by now you already have figured out that my NCAA Tournament bracket is toast.  Burnt. Toast.  My Tigers didn't even make it out of the starting gate, losing to St. Louis in their first game...AKA the Second Round.  One and done, as they say.  Sigh.  I won't bore you with my thoughts on WHY this happened...let's just say that I wouldn't shed any tears if Coach JP got another opportunity. Big sigh.

Moving on...

I have happier news when it comes to my back.  It feels fantastic!  I am moving about with much, much more flexibility...and much less pain. Hooray!!

So, was it all attributable to that epidural steroid injection procedure-thingie, Patricia? you may ask. Hmmm.  Not sure.

Here's what I do know:  IT HURT.  I mean the procedure, not just my back. You will recall I have had 3 or 4 of these same procedures when we lived in MO.  Only...and this is probably the big part of it...I was "asleep" during those former procedures.  "Asleep," as in not conscious of what was happening during the procedure. The doctor (a Pain Management specialist) did not need my participation, and I was happy to be OUT.

Not this time.  I was conscious...wide-awake...capable of feeling everything that happened.  And, I am here to say, IT HURT.  I kept saying things like "you know, I'm still with y'all," and "you don't really need me now, do you?" Hint, hint.  The Dr. (a Neurologist) had promised he'd "give me something extra in my IV" to ensure I would not feel anything.  Well, because they couldn't get my IV inserted as planned (like, the first try...or the second...or even the third), "they" didn't get the extra something in the IV until too late.

Here's how it played out last Monday.

I take the pre-procedure meds as directed (3 doses of prednisone, tagamet, and benadryl), and Mr. T drives me to the appointment.  I am nervous...but feeling pretty good about things.  Oh, little did I know...

They call my name.  I say goodbye to Mr. T, who waits in the waiting room with his Blackberry and my iPad...he shouldn't be too bored. I go back to the procedure room, get undressed/dressed for the procedure, and get up on the table.

Dr.'s nurse tries repeatedly, unsuccessfully to insert my IV...never an easy thing to do, with my teensy veins...and (normally) low blood pressure. After FINALLY calling in reinforcements (in the person of a nurse who formerly assisted an anesthesiologist), the IV goes in.  They are concerned it would come out, so they double-tape me up to keep that from happening.  I'm still wide awake, so I do some deep breathing to help me relax and get to my happy place.  The Dr. laughs and asks me where that is...the Caribbean?  OK...sounds good....anywhere but in this procedure room, says I.

They get the Xray going (since this type of procedure is done "under scope" as they say) and locate "the Scotty dog," as the Dr. uses a visual cue for the technician to know where to focus. Lots of conversation about that. Since the MRI I'd had told him that the worst place is the space between L4-L5, that is their target.

Dr. says "I'm inserting the needle...tell me if you feel anything." OK. Just a little pressure...so far, so good.  Then...  He hits the nerve.  Lightening-pain goes down my left leg, into my foot.  I jump (which ain't easy to do while lying face-down, with your face in a donut-like holder, and with one arm strapped down). I let him know.  I holler "I felt THAT."

Dr. says "I'm stimulating the nerve."  [Really.  No sh.....er, kidding.]

Dr. also says "Better give her some more."  Nurse says "I did." Dr. says "Maybe some more."

Too late. After that, it is all downhill. I am in pain, both physical, from the nerve contact...and psychological, from fear that he is going to do that again.  I can barely breathe normally, much less do any deep breathing.  I am crying.  I say "I've lost the Caribbean."

They apparently find that very funny. Ha ha.

Mercifully, he injects the steroid, the dye (?), and a pain killer.  That is the order he tells me.  I personally believe the order should have been reversed, but they didn't ask my opinion. And, he says those seven beautiful words that I am still awake to hear:  "Well, I'm done and removing the needle." Finally.

As they are removing the IV, I realize that I am having an ocular migraine (which are annoying but rarely painful, lasting about 20-30 minutes before clearing.  Follow that link to see a great visual representation of what one looks like).  The nurse says "wonder what caused that?" I say, "they are usually caused by stress...or, in my case, drinking red wine. I'm guessing you didn't put any red wine in my IV."

Again, they find that very funny.  Ha ha ha.  I'm killing 'em.

As I roll over to get off the table, I have a vertigo episode (remember, my BPPV is triggered by a sudden "change in head position with respect to gravity").  Room is spinning.  And NOW the "something extra" they put in my IV finally kicks in, and a great fog descends on my brain, making it difficult for me to think...or talk...or walk.  Also, my left foot is numb...residual effect from the "nerve stimulation".  I ask you, could this get any better?

Most of the next week was pretty grim.  I struggled to climb back out of the hole into which I felt like the epidural procedure had knocked me. Struggled mightily. One of the stated side effects to epidurals is headache...and I had those in spades.  Deep, throbbing, rolling, nauseating, blinding headaches. Oh, and a side effect of the steroid for me is severe leg muscle spasms in the night.

Feeling better...and doing something
I probably have no business doing.

Finally, this past Friday, I awoke feeling like a "human bean" again, as Mom would have said.  All of the negative effects had disappeared (with the exception of the nightly muscle spasms in my left leg)...and so had almost all of my back pain.  I felt like I was emerging from a long, dark tunnel into the light.

The round-up report:  I have stopped the pain meds.  I am still using my TENS unit...and heating pad. I continue to use the topical pain relievers (LidoDerm patches on my back, BioFreeze on my leg muscles).  I am doing my flexibility stretching exercises/PT.  I have gotten into the garden (photo, right), bending and reaching...but trying to avoid any heavy lifting if I can. I talked Mr. T into letting me use the Mantis (I love this tool!)...and I found that one row was quite enough for now, thank you very much.

The Big Question:  will I return for a second epidural, as I'm sure the Dr. will suggest at my follow up appointment next week?  These procedures tend to provide only temporary relief...and the length of time of that relief is typically increased with more than one procedure.

Or, am I "one...and done?"

Now, what do you think?

Let The Games Begin!

Go Tigers Go!

Have you done your NCAA Basketball Bracket(s) yet?  I have!  I'll just let you guess who I've picked on my #1 Bracket to be the upset winner.  Hint:  photo (left).  I'm picking from the heart, don't you know?  My Tigers haven't exactly made positive impressions this year, especially whenever they tip-off on TV.  Hopefully, they will continue playing like they have been for the past month or so.  Fingers crossed...toes, too!

Speaking of crossing body parts...

I know many of you have been checking this space to see if I had any good news about my back issues. Let's say I'm cautiously optimistic.  Of course, my natural state is optimism, so that may not sound like a news item...but, I have to admit to a few hours of negativity over the past couple of months.  OK...maybe a day or two.

You see, I have been struggling since January with back pain that "isn't what it was like 'before'".  I've said this all along.  'Before' was when the disc(s) in my lower back actually herniated, pinching various nerves, causing pain to radiate down my left leg, into my foot.  The first time this happened, we were moving from GA to FL in 2002; I ended up having surgery in October...a partial ('hemi-") lamenectomy on the disc/space between L3and L4.  (If you have back problems, you will recognize the technical terminology and the numerical designation of lumbar discs in the spine.  If you don't...well, be happy and move along...:)

That was the beginning of the saga.  After the surgery, I said to anyone who would listen...and that did NOT include the orthopedic surgeon in Orlando...I am still having problems; I can't seem to get back to 'normal.'  He said I just needed to keep doing physical therapy...walk 2 miles a day...lose weight...move on.

Well, I did move on...sort of.  We moved to Missouri in 2003...and I eventually found an answer...sort of.  I connected with the Pain Management Doc in St. Peters who was treating Momma (for back pain, following her lumbar fusion surgery in 2005).  He ordered an MRI, and then we had a better picture of what I was dealing with.  I have apparently inherited my spine directly from Momma, as I also have Spinal Stenosis (a narrowing of the spinal column) and Degenerative Disc Disease [AKA: 'slipped discs,' at L2-L3, L3-L4 (yep...where I had the surgery) and L4-L5...more on that later]...all aggravated by osteoarthritis.

Then, bless him, he prescribed what I have come to call my 'arsenal:'  Celebrex (for the arthritis, in general...marvelous stuff!); pain meds (because I am extremely sensitive to the narcotic effects, he finally found a really mild one for me in Ultram/Tramadol); muscle relaxers (I have tried several...they give me some temporary relief, but I can only tolerate 2-4 days usage); topical pain relief (I use a 12-hour patch called LidoDerm, which is lidocaine); and what I refer to as The Zapper (a TENS unit, or Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator, that provides pain relief by using electrical pulses to stimulate the nerves of the lower back). He also advised a series of epidural steroid injections, of which I received 4 over about a year and a half.

Moving on...

Well, I did...again.  This time to North Carolina, as you know.  And, you also know what my time here was like through last year.  I guess I was fortunate not to have too many back attack episodes...until...

January.  When I took that shortcut down the stairs, I thought I'd bruised my tailbone.  Owwww.  Apparently not. I apparently caused an annular tear at L4-L5, which is the final lumbar disc...just above the tailbone. Whatever...it hurt...and it has continued to hurt for weeks beyond when it should have stopped hurting. Enter:  a Neurologist.  He's a nice guy who apparently was absent the day they taught all the other Neurologists their terrible bedside manners.  I hate to generalize, but this one is the ONLY one I've met who actually seems to care...and to want to help.

Blah, blah, blah...more medical stuff.  Anyway, he ordered a new MRI, since the previous one was 5 years old, and that confirmed the annular tear, as well as the state of  the 3 herniated discs. He gave me an injection (he called it a nerve block) to alleviate the pain in my hip (probably due to bursitis, he says), and he recommended another round of epidural spinal injections for the back pain. Enter: the insurance company.

Apparently, the SAME insurance company we had 5 years ago looked at the new MRI of the SAME spine...which itself was now 5 years older...and decided that they would decline coverage for the SAME treatment(s) they had approved 5 years ago. Go figure.  They also did this two days before the procedure was scheduled, so it had to be cancelled.

Oh no they don't!  While I felt discouraged and so lacking in energy to fight, Mr. T was of a different mind, shall we say.  He soon found out how to contest their decision...they said they needed 'more information from the doctor'...which they got...and now I'm rescheduled for the injection on Monday the 19th...just a two-week delay. Way to go, Mr. T!

So, how am I feeling...really?  Better...really!  I've been using my TENS unit ('The Zapper') regularly...and I find I don't need the meds nearly as much. I'm trying to be a good patient by not overdoing it, and I've gotten lots of knitting done (more on that in the next post)...but...

It has been SO beautiful lately...and the Garden Siren is calling.  Spring has arrived, no matter what the calendar says, and in honor of the Season, I have changed my blog's skin...out with that wintry background!.  Well, it's actually more like Summer this week, with record-breaking temps in the 80's.  Yesterday, we were warmer than Phoenix!

Anyway, it's difficult to be an invalid when it is so warm and welcoming outside...and I have to admit to a few hours spent in the garden...well, the broccoli, cabbage, spinach, potatoes, lettuces, onions, carrots, and beets won't wait any longer to get into the ground!  Of course, I also have to admit I paid the price for those hours...by having to spend the next two days recovering.  Ah well...

Maybe the Tournament is coming at the perfect time. That should keep me inside...glued to the new big-screen TV (yowza!), knitting at near-record speed...and allow a few more days of "rest and relaxation," right?

If you believe that, you have obviously never been around me when there is basketball involved.

Oh yeah.  Let the games begin...indeed!

Winding Down the Month of February

Unbelievable.  Month #2 of 2012 is on its last week. Groundhog's Day, Valentine's Day, President's Day, Mardi Gras, and Ash Wednesday zipped right on by...leaving only Leap Day plus one left to rip off the calendar.

[An aside...I had a Stewart cousin whose birthday was on Leap Day.  Lib, who lived into her late eighties, was fond of saying she was usually the youngest in the room because she had "celebrated" the fewest actual birthday-days. And, when those days finally rolled around every 4 years, she was especially pleased when folks remembered her "special" day.]

Since I last posted, we have received our fruit tree order from Stark Bro's Nursery from Louisiana, Missouri.  We got the 11 bare-root trees planted into their new homes/holes in our Orchard quadrant in the WayBack Garden.  When I write "we," I really mean Mr. T...since I'm still pretty limited in my contributions.  I did mix the special root-boosting hormone concentrate into the water can and hold the trees up straight while Mr. T back-filled the holes.  Then I helped mulch the new babies with oak leaves we composted from last Fall.  Not much, when you consider how back-breaking it can be to work this hard-packed clay soil we have, I agree.  But, at least I can say...like that old Shake 'n Bake commercial..."and I helped."

Mr. T has been preparing the holes for these trees since last year.  He marked off the orchard for tree placement and tilled the holes repeatedly in order to break up the concrete-like clay.  Then, he worked leaves into the holes on a couple of occasions.  And, when we got the notice that the trees had shipped, he cultivated it all once again.  So, he was as ready as ready could be when they arrived via FedEx.

I can't say enough good things about Stark Bro's and our order.  Give'em an A++!  All trees were well-packed into a single box, and the roots of all were still moist. We opened the box and popped the new babies into the big galvanized tub of water to soak, as directed.  Then, it was a matter of time...a LOT of time...for planting.

Here's the list of what we received and planted:

Items Shipped from Stark Bro's Red Fuji Apple Dwarf Supreme 1x Each Stark® GrandGala™ Apple Dwarf Supreme* 1x Each Whitney Crabapple Semi-Dwarf Supreme 1x Each Stella Sweet Cherry Semi-Dwarf Supreme** 2x Each Carolina Belle Peach Dwarf Supreme 1x Each Contender Peach Dwarf Supreme 1x Each Moonglow Pear Dwarf Supreme 1x Each Starking® Delicious™ Pear Dwarf Supreme 2x Each Methley Plum Dwarf Supreme 1x Each

We already had 2 Cortlands and 1 Golden Dorset (all from Tractor Supply, planted in Spring 2010); and 2 Grimes Golden and 2 Blacktwigs (purchased from the Guilford County  4-H and planted Fall 2011).  With the addition of our latest trees, we think we have completed that quadrant.  Since Stark Bro's prunes the Supreme trees for you, we only have to spray all with dormant oil (which we got this past weekend at Tractor Supply)...and wait for them to break bud and bloom.  I'm ready!

African Violets in bloom:
(l to r) Scarlett, Tennessee, Martinique, and Evelyn

Meanwhile, it's again too cold to do much outside anyway, so I've been enjoying my indoor garden.  The African violets that live in the front bedroom window are all in glorious bloom, a riot of color as you can see from the photo (right).

A note about the violets...these are all Optimara violets.  Bro J (who is in Sales with Marshall & Bruce Printing Co., in Nashville) does the printing for the Holtkamp Greenhouses, creator of the Optimara line, and which bills itself as the "world's largest grower of African violets." Who knew you would find something like that in Nashville, Tennessee?! Or, that they would be for sale EVERYWHERE!

Tiny vase with
double Rip Van Winkle daffodils

With every prediction of freezing temps and frost, we try to clip the daffodils that have blossomed outside and bring them in to enjoy for a few more days.  This photo (left) is of double Rip Van Winkle daffies, picked from the Cutting Garden and placed in the darling little NC-made vase, which we got on our last visit to the Biltmore.  The flat vase is a fired pottery piece with a teeny-tiny (spikey) frog, about the size of a nickle...secured in the middle of the vase...and it holds about 1/2 cup of water.  Thought it unique when I saw it demonstrated in the Garden Center on the estate...but didn't really think I'd use it much, other than to display as a piece of art.  I love it!  Makes me smile when I come in for my coffee in the morning.  I've now replaced those early blossoms with King Alfred and Ice Follies daffies.


OK, I'd better sign off for now. Heading to Sam's Club later on to purchase my tax prep software...oh, goody.  I have a goal of getting this chore done before another month gets torn off the calendar.

Hey, it's a goal...and I am a goal-oriented individual, right?

Cautiously Optimistic

I feel better.  Make that "much better."  "Much, much better," even!  Of course, I'm comparing how I feel today to how I felt a couple-three weeks ago, when I couldn't get out of bed without major meds...and I couldn't function because of the fuzzy-head feeling from said meds.

Since then, I have had excellent results from a nerve block, and I'm pleased-as-punch with our new FIRM mattress set, which was delivered last week.  I now get up and get going with just a couple of Bayer Back and Body capsules these days...slap on a LidoDerm Patch, and I'm good to go!

Mr. T has returned to his regular work/travel schedule, after sticking close to home to be here for me during the worst of it. When he left for the funeral services for his manager (held in New York), Bro T was here from KY to be with me.  I have had such wonderful care!

So, of course, this makes me think I can resume life as usual...no caution flag.  Tote that laundry bag, lift that hound dog! Hop a train and go for a trip!! I'm such an optimist...:)  

No, I'm not all the way back to normal (whatever...or wherever that may be...:), and I find being at the half-way mark a treacherous place to be.  My brain says "now, remember the Dr.'s orders to take it easy," but the siren call of the garden is bypassing my cranium altogether and going directly for my soul. Things to do...places to go...people to see...!

Looking out our back door...around midnight
The deck in snow, 2/19/12

Bird feeders are empty...for the moment
2/19/12

Thank goodness, we had our first winter snowfall last night...a record-breaker for this day, with a little over an inch (see photos, above), thus giving my back another brief reprieve.  At least I won't feel frustrated at having to "take it easy" for the next few days of chilly temps.  I have NO problem staying inside by the fire when the thermometer stalls in the forties, and the snow turns to sloppy, slush. And, when I have fun activities to keep me occupied, such as:

• knitting...I'm making steady progress on my Ana Banana cardigan in Berroco's Weekend Peruvian cotton-blend yarn, having almost finished the back section; 
• reading...I've just downloaded Philippa Gregory's The Lady of the Rivers...the third in the Cousins' War trilogy...to my iPad...; 
• playing Words With Friends online...I've got 20 games going with friends far and near...and just received a message that I couldn't start any new games until I finished one...I'm apparently at the limit!;
• watching the Downton Abbey Season 2 Marathon on PBS; and 
• participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count...which I completed earlier today from my easy chair in the Morning Room, cuppa coffee in hand.  

I also had just enough energy left to make a 7-Up Pound Cake...my first "real" baking since Christmas (recipe below)...and then, while the oven was hot, I switched it over to the Timed Clean setting.  Ahhh....I think I see Normal, there in the distance...just over the horizon...

But, look out:  possible problem ahead:  our Weather Wonk is predicting upper 60's for later this week.  Will I be able to "take it easy" with all that temperate temptation?  Maybe we should padlock the garden shed door, no?

I know I must keep the bit in and the breaks on...at least until after March 5th.  I'm scheduled for an epidural steroid injection (ESI #1...of  3 or 4) that morning.  No, I'm NOT looking forward to the procedure, because it involves three of my least-favorite things:  needles, IV insertion, and pain. But, I'm practically salivating over the prospect of good results! [I had these done in Missouri in 2007-8...and probably wrote more about them then than you wanted to know...:)]

I will also hear Dr. Ford's report of my recent MRI...preferably before they give me an extra large dollop of the stuff in my IV to make me relax and "feel no pain."  If only...

No, none of it sounds like a walk in the park...but, as Missy M says:  "it'll make a walk in the park a much nicer experience."

Amen, my dear daughter.  Amen!

=======================================================

7-Up Pound Cake


Ingredients:
1 cup butter (two sticks, at room temperature)
1/2 cup shortening
3 cups sugar
1 T. lemon juice
1 vanilla extract
5 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
7 ounces 7-Up (Do NOT use diet; can use Sierra Mist)


Glaze (optional):
1-1/2 cups confectioner's sugar, more or less
2 tablespoons milk
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla


Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Prepare a large Bundt pan (I use a spray like Baker's Joy).


In a large bowl (I use my Cuisinart), beat butter, shortening, and sugar until fluffy and well-mixed. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat again until blended in. Alternately, add in the flour and the 7-Up. Mix until smooth and creamy.


Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 325 degrees; lower oven temperature to 300, and bake for one hour, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  If the top starts browning too much, tent lightly with foil for protection.


IMPORTANT: remove cake from oven and let it sit for thirty minutes before turning out. I invert mine directly onto the cake plate as soon as I remove it from the oven, but I do NOT attempt to remove the pan before it has rested for 1/2 hour.


Combine all glaze ingredients and stir until smooth. Add more milk if too thick, more confectioner's sugar if too thin. Pour over cooled cake.


Enjoy!


[This cake brings back such fond memories of my freshman and sophomore year at Mississippi University for Women. My suite-mate...and fellow Rosette...KD's sweet mom would send one of these yummy cakes to her.  And we would devour it!  I later discovered the recipe in the Southern Living recipe book and began making them myself.  It became Missy M's favorite pound cake, and she once wrote a report on making it...and got an A+!  Ah yes, fond memories, indeed...and tasty, too!]

Pause Button

If you are a faithful reader, you are probably wondering where the heck I've been. I wanted to post a little note to say "not to worry," because I'm taking a timeout.

A week ago, I took a tumble on the stairs and bruised the most useless bone in the human body (coccyx). Bruised, not broken. But the fall also jarred my already-problematic lower back, so FOR ONE TIME IN MY LIFE, I'm trying to follow doctors orders: "press the 'pause button' now or prolong the pain...your choice."

"Pausing" also involves taking pain meds, along with muscle relaxers and anti-inflammatories...all of which amount to a wicked brew that keeps me in a fog, day and night. Soooo, there will be no new adventures on The Adsit Adventure until I can see and think straight again. Lord knows North Carolina doesn't need another loopy driver on the roads! (As my EMGV friend LB might say: insert the Vonage jingle here...woo hoo, woo hoo hoo!)

While the last few days have been difficult, I can tell I'm on the road to recovery. This morning, as Mr. T was preparing to head to work in Raleigh for a few hours, he asked me what I wanted him to bring to the bedroom so that I could minimize the up-and-down, in-and-out of bed motion. In addition to a cold Diet Pepsi in my thermal tumbler for the bedside table, I asked for my iPad (so I could check my email, post to my blog, and finish a book I've checked out of the North Carolina Digital Library...Love.It.), and for the first time since the fall, my knitting. Oh yeah, if I can knit again, I'm gonna be OK!

But for now, I think I'll take a nap.