Well, what's been going on?

Life. And then, there's social media. Facebook. Pinterest. YouTube. Twitter. Instagram. All of it I use. I post. I pin. I tweet. But, where's the connection? It seems that instead of sitting for a few moments to read, we click Like. And, I suppose a lot of the reason too is that I, for one, haven't written in a few years and I don't know why that stopped or where the time went. What has happened?

My blog started as a way for me to keep track of my garden and what was happening but it seems that it was easier and faster to just post a sentence or two and a picture and then move on to the next thing in line for the time.

So, in the garden it is HOT. We have an Excessive Heat Warning going on with temperatures as high as 107 yesterday and a high of 111 expected today. Nothing is growing and the grass/weeds crunch as I walk. The trees are even looking very stressed. I gave everything a good little drink yesterday, but with no end in sight for these temps to go down it's going to be a battle to keep everything alive. And, it's time to start the fall garden! WHAT?

I can't even imagine putting down new seedlings right now. They would be cooked in less than a day. So, I will keep my seedlings tucked away until hopefully we get to at least normal 90 - 100 degree temperatures. With some shade cloth and mulch, the seedlings should be okay in that. We shall see.

Chipdrop a few weeks ago. I signed up for this about a year ago and when we came home from supper one day this was sitting in  our yard. Surprise! A couple of neighbors took some but there was a lot left for me to move. But I did it and it is done.

Well, time to get on with the day but I plan to stay inside and stay cool. Y'all be careful out there.

Good morning!

Huny is out the door on his way to work and I may not see him for a couple of days. He works for an airlines and is part of the de-icing crew which keeps him there for the duration of the event. I call myself the de-icing widow at this time of year.

Yesterday was the first day since Christmas that I felt good. I started feeling puny the weekend before Christmas and then was hit by the flu hard and was out for a couple of weeks. I felt puny all this first week back to work. I had plans to meet a friend for our "Christmas" get together yesterday and wasn't sure I'd even feel like it but after a good night's sleep on Thursday night I felt better to make it to meet her. However, that was my first time out in 3 weeks and I was very tired when I got home and hit the bed hard. I'm up and feeling okay this morning and am about to get my first and only cup of coffee for the day.

Here's a tip that helped me through a sore throat which was the worst part of the flu for me: Apple Cider Vinegar tea.

I started out the flu feeling puny and then I fell right into a hard, throat scratching cough that just tore up my throat. It hurt like crazy and there was no resting for the weary. I had some over-the-counter meds but those were not helping and I had some throat lozenges, but I do not like that coating feeling it leaves in my mouth. I went to Pinterest - I'm so addicted to that - and found a tea for the ACV. I have ACV in my house all the time anyway because I try to drink a tablespoon of this every day for some tummy issues but never considered it as a tea. I took my cup filled with water, added 1 teaspoon or so of honey and nuked it for about 1 minute. Then I added about 1 tablespoon of ACV and some lemon. I lived on this for those first few days and it helped my throat considerably

I still had other flu symptoms that laid me low but at least my throat wasn't raw and I was ever so thankful for that.

It's almost the middle of the month - crazy how time flies, and because of the flu still have Christmas decorations to put away. I have most of them taken down but need to get them all up into the attic. Little by little this will get done as my strength comes back.

Weather here has been cold with wind and with a chance of rain/ice today, hence the de-icing widow status for me. I don't mind it so much. I get to sit in front of a fire and during the week I work from home so I don't have to get out any farther than a few steps into the back porch where Huny has the wood stacked for me.

For Christmas for me, I ordered some bed pillows from Kohl's and am ever not happy with them and will return those today and see what I can find in the store to replace them. I'm planning to bake bread tomorrow so will just need to check that I have all the ingredients and get what I need and then I'm inside for the rest of the weekend.

I also plan to go through my seed box to see what I have and what I need to order and plan my spring garden. Lettuce is a given, radishes, carrots, onion. I do have garlic in and it is doing well. I told Huny I would like to try corn this year too. I have three garden beds that need more compost but that already show poppy seeds and johnny jumps ups coming up and I will have to figure out a way to save those while fixing up the beds. We'll see how that goes. I love that it is the middle of winter, and here in Denton it is the hard part of winter starting but there is all this beautiful green growth coming up. I have bulbs starting to peek up from the ground and bluebonnet seedlings that are coming up too. I'm looking forward to getting dirt under the nails!

Stay warm and healthy y'all.

Hello again and Happy New Year 2015!

Hello and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas holiday and New Year!

Here I am in my snug little home with a fire going to ward off the chill of the first really cold night of the year. The fire is crackling and warmth abounds.

A very long time has passed since my last posting. A lot of things have happened in the garden and many garden to-do's are in the plans and dreams for 2015.  Including:

a lean-to shed
an arbor at the front of the west side of the garden
building a new raised garden in the backyard
a couple of fruit trees for the front yard to begin a new front yard garden.

We shall see how many of these actually happen but in reality I think that perhaps the trees, raised bed and arbor will happen before the lean-to shed and in that order.

Have you heard about Cold Antler Farm? Check it out. I've been reading her and even though I don't see an actual animal farm happening for me, she has some good ideas and is an inspiration for doing what you want to do. 

Stay warm y'all.

Happy Wednesday!

I don't post as often right now and it's all because at one time or another I somehow copied over a link that keeps taking me out of my blog to who knows where and I don't know how to find it and get rid of it. And Then when I try to work on my Things to Do I have to continually fix the spacing on it. And of course, I don't know how to fix that either.

Need I say that I am tech-challenged? I don't know how to figure it out and everywhere I've looked for help doesn't seem to help.

So I get frustrated and go outside to dig weeds. Aaahhh, that soothes the soul.

Anyway, I've been busy, busy, busy.  The Denton Community Market had their first 2nd Saturday on April 10th and it was a huge success! We had about 20 vendors, music, and coffee. As the weathers warms and the Farmers get to come out and play, it should be an even greater success and a very pleasant place to go on each 2nd Saturday. Please join us and the DCM next 2nd Saturday on May 8th you'll be glad you did.

I've been in the garden, and have lots of pictures to show. I just can't seem to find them just now - hmmmm.

Okay, we'll get back to that.

I've been crafting, crafting.  Here are some pictures of a couple of things:

This started out as a small folder that I covered in paper and added all the doodads. The flower is a silk flower that feel off of something in my house that I took off the plastic and glued on the card. The button is a vintage button that I picked up in my thrift store travels. The little goodies are things I sent along as some "specials". It's not a fancy card, but it was my first card handmade card and I think it came out pretty good. My swap partner liked it as well.

And another swap I did is for an ATC. This is my first as well.

For my first, it came out pretty good. I was pleased.

So where am i doing all these swaps, because these are just a couple I've done, and I've been in several already and I am so addicted. It's called Swap-Bot. I don't remember how I found it. If you do go there - beware - you WILL become addicted and so far I have found NO cure. Although I haven't really looked for a cure at all. It is so much fun!

I'm also working on the baby shower for my little Angelique. I'm making a flag banner right now and almost have it finished. I took a baby crib dust ruffle and cut out triangles (that was a challenge - who knew that could be so hard to do) and then sewed them together. I'm making the 'binding' - not sure what to call it - and because I have meetings tonight and most of the day and evening Thursday, I won't be able to finish it until Friday.

Also, Ryan is graduating so we are planning his grad party. Family will be coming in from Ohio and we plan to have a party here at home. The weather should be cooperating at that time and there shouldn't be any rain.

Okay, I have to go. I came across a blog for a shop in McKinney that I want to visit called Smitten so I'm off on an adventure! I'll get those pics up for you and PLEASE bear with me as I try to get this whole blog mess figured out.

Happy Easter!

I'm off to see Snow this morning and then back home to work in the garden then fix a roast dinner for my guys. I also need to get my Easter eggs done. I was busy working yesterday and forgot all about making them! I want to have them done by the time Huny gets home from work. Enjoy your day!

A little bit of a flower show...

Despite or because of the snow, rain and wind the flowers in the garden are coming up! It's wonderful and I'm enjoying being outside again.

I've had these in the garden. I call them Audrey's Iris. Purple is not one of my favorite colors, but Audrey's Iris is almost a deep purple/black color and I love the throat of it. It is white with a purple streak down the center. I'll be thinning this out after it finishes blooming.

This little guy is my unknown. It came up last year too, and I still don't know what it is or where it came from. It is a tiny flower, maybe not more than 1 inch across. The stem is about 8 inches, if that. It's a cheery flower and it makes me smile.

Around the corner and up the street is a lot where a house burned down. Last spring I was driving past this lot and see all this flower growth coming on. I rushed home grabbed my shovel and bucket and went to save these flowers from a life of oblivion. I really didn't know what I was saving to tell you the truth because none of it was blooming, except for the grape hyacinths.  This snowdrop was a pleasant surprise this spring. I love it and it has such a wonderful scent.

Grape Hyacinths from the same lot.

This is a lavender colored Iris that I saved as well. It looks a little washed out here, but it is beautiful.

This came from the same lot, but on the other side of where I was digging and I got this just a few days ago. I don't know how I missed it last year. It's a miniature jonquil and it smells so sweet. I just love it. Huny doesn't like it because he says the flower is too small.

I have a couple of other things coming up from this rescue mission, but they are blooming yet. I'm excited to see what comes up!

These are my 50cent Hyacinths that I got from WM. They were just a little stubble in the pot and I brought them home and figured they wouldn't grow this year, but surprise! I love them. Hyacinths are one of my favorite Spring flowers. The flower in front is a 50cent daffodil that should be blooming today - hopefully!

This is an heirloom Cemetary White Iris that I got from Petal Pushers last year (Update: Petal Pushers has closed.) and this year it bloomed. I love the yellow beard.  All that greenery you see below the flower are my poppies.

The spineless cactus is from a fellow gardener and it came from TWU. The violet is a stow-away from somewhere. I think it came from Audrey's garden.

Pretty.

I don't know what this is going to be. Hmmmmm.

Audrey gave me these boots for Christmas one year. This spring I'm dressing them up with marigolds. Don't you just love that flower? I have them everywhere in the summer. The little corner behind the boots is my container garden that keeps growing. I have a pot of Marjoram because Huny likes that herb and I use it fresh in a lot of my cooking, there is a pot of alyssum to lure the butterflies and bees, the red flower is a dianthus that we got the first year here (3 years now) that I have divided, divided and divided. It's in every corner of the yard. The butterflies love this flower.

Right behind this is my new garden that I just got started. I going to fill it with herbs and more of the dianthus and we'll see what else. Yesterday Huny was being lumberjack and was splitting wood and one of the last two logs he had to do had a great hole in the center of it. I swiped it to set in this planter. I'm thinking of planting a silver thyme in it. Wouldn't that look pretty coming out over the sides of the log? I haven't started the pictures of that yet, but this is my project for today.

In the house, we have the tile down in the entryway and in the front closet. The baseboards are up and Huny got them painted. There is stuff EVERYWHERE in the house. The sun is shining and who wants to be STUCK inside the house????!!!! And anyway there's no place to put anything yet.

Yoohoo! A great reason to be outside!

Well, the wind has died down from the gale forces of yesterday to a pleasant breeze - thank goodness! It is going to be a great day in the garden! Have a wonderful Sunday! 

Denton Community Market - Opening April 10, 2010

Opening on Saturday, April 10, 2010, The Denton Community Market will be held on the second Saturday of each month through October 2010. Centrally located near the downtown square, the Market respresents the diversity of the Denton community and features a variety of products and services from local farms, artisans and business owners.

Local produce from neighborhood gardens and local farms offer fruits and vegetables, herbs, flowers and floral arrangements, dried spices, honey, coffee and teas, and canned jams and jellies. The farms specifically provide milk, cheese, eggs and meat. There are also offerings from local business, entrepreneurs, non-profits, and social action groups. They provide their products and services on site as well as information about upcoming special events, meetings, and activities. Entertainment is part of the festive environment at the Market. Music is featured from local musicians. Jugglers and other street performers are also present.

This event is new to the Denton Community and we hope that you will visit us this day and every second Saturday and help to make this an event that will become a weekend destination for our city.

What happens when you take......

A couple of placemats that I got from somewhere. Sometimes I really do wonder where it all comes from :) . I really don't know where I got these, but I had them and well, the backs were not in the best of shape and I didn't want to throw them out and I thought about donating them to the thrift store, but in the end I saw

POTHOLDERS.

I played with them a bit trying to see what would be the best way to make them and this is what happened. A great way to recycle.

2010 - Year of the Tiger and Tigers - Struggling to Survive

Donate Now to Help Save the Tiger

I am a Tiger.
As few as 3,200 tigers remain in the wild.
For more than a million years, this "King of the Jungle" reigned over a vast territory stretching from Turkey to Russia. Today, sadly, their habitat is disappearing--tigers occupy just seven percent of their historic range.

2010 is also Year of the Tiger

According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2010 is the Year of the Tiger, which commences on February 14, 2010 and ends on February 2, 2011. The Tiger is the third sign in the Chinese Zodiac cycle, and it is a sign of bravery. This courageous and fiery fighter is admired by the ancient Chinese as the sign that keeps away the three main tragedies of a household. These are fire, thieves and ghosts.

Snowball has been moved from the hospital in Arlington to Cooks Children's Hospital in Fort Worth. She had a button put in her belly and they did something else to her stomach as well. She was not eating her bottles and the doctos felt that this was what needed to be done for her. So she had her surgery and so far she is doing well.

I took Cora up there yesterday and we visited with Angelique for a couple of hours. She is SOOO cute. She looks good, her coloring is perfect and she has a temper when her diaper doesn't get changed. Jeez.

She had to have her medicine put in her button and that was not a happening thing for her. She did not like that one bit and she was letting the nurse know it. They have to insert the syringe into a hole in her button and there is a little bit of pushing going on there and that is the part that she doesn't like. I imagine that it hurts a little bit for her still.

She needs to eat her bottles and as soon as she is consistent with eating from the bottle then the button can come out. I had a little talk with her and let her know that she should try to eat a little bit more from her bottle each time so that we can get rid of that old button.

She should be in the hospital for a couple of weeks more and then she comes home. 

Yoohoo!

I teased her a bit about actually having two nostrils now. We never could see one of them because it had a tube up it all the time. She just gave me one of her "oh nana" looks.