Month: May 2015

Hot and Lazy Saturday

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I am hoping the severe afternoon thunderstorms predicted for later today waters my garden without trampling it. I worked more in my perennial garden last night transplanting what I hope are Japanese irises that I have had in a pot since I moved to this place. Yes, I love long run on sentences…lol. Anyhow, I was attacked by mosquitos last night and almost gave up, but I just sprayed enough bug spray to kill myself and kept going. I weeded a bit more then added more compost. I was going to also transfer some more perennials from a pot, but I am still debating on whether this small bed will be overcrowded soon. I hope everything already in place thrives and spreads.

While I let my dog out this morning, I checked on my peas planted in buckets. They are starting to sprout! I hope to add another pallet to my veggie garden area and move them onto that. I now have at least two more buckets already that I want to plant seeds in. I have to wait until payday to buy more compost. I used the remaining compost on my newly planted rose bush that is budded and hopefully flowers soon. I also got my hanging basket ready with my cut up tee shirt instead of buying the coconut mat. I saved a few dollars, but I am thinking that the tee-shirt material is too flimsy. It now has the lumpy saggy look after adding the compost. I will probably have to add twigs to hold it in better. I still have to buy the petunias to plant in it before I hang it back up.

So since I did almost all I can outside without buying more supplies, I need to work on cleaning the inside of my house today. So far I washed a few dishes, not even all of them. Two goals for me today are getting my son to move the big old TV from the living room into his room and me cleaning and organizing my bedroom. The big tv is used for his video games only. I will be putting my printer in its place, since my desk will hopefully get moved next to it before this weekend is over.

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Garden Frosted and Almost Wiped Out

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All of my squash, all my tomato and all but three of my pepper plants got too cold and died last night. I did not heed the warnings, but it was supposed to be warmer than the night they did well a few days ago. At first I was going to not even try again. I eventually watered the dead ones in hope the roots will send new shoots up. I also planted some new seeds of other veggies. Something needs to thrive around here. An animal dug up my newly planted pea seeds last night. I began by replanting them. They are in a bucket, I also had another bucket of them that was not touched. I weeded and added some more soil to my yet untouched part of the raised bed. I planted corn and green beans there. I am calling it two sisters vs the Native American three sisters. In the dead squash beds I added corn to the middle. I had planned on doing this anyway. On one corner I planted my two cucumber seeds. They were the last two I had left. I have enough compost to fill another bucket. I hope to do that tomorrow, then plant some bunching onions. Next payday I will get more compost and plant some buckets of carrots, lettuces, and chives. I still need to plant my rose bushes in the ground and I might as well do a full on planting bed. I have irises and some other perennials to add to it, as well as transplanting my daffodils that need more sun and my tulips that are now in a pot.

I came inside to take a break and will spend the rest of the daylight today watering and clearing the cut grass from the back of my house. I hope the snakes have gone in for the night. Tomorrow I will start digging. I also will work on reducing my brush pile that has been there for years.

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I made it out of the house last weekend

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I went to the bar/steakhouse two blocks from my house. I met up there with a woman that was in my former meetup group. It was the one I used to be the organizer of, but few people ever show up to meetup groups in my area. So now the few that used to show up, just call, text or email to plan where to go next.

The band was very good for a cover band. Some of their music sounded as good or better than the original artists. They did a few oldies, and some newer hits like Uptown Funk. They only played a few country songs, and I do not know or care to know about country.

My bar drink of choice is now hard cider. I have tried three different brands and can stomach them all. They have a low alcohol content, so I won’t pass out from one drink. I also like the fact I can drink it out of the bottle so it is easier to nurse for a few hours.

It is nice to have options to get away from my house. The stress and problems of home ownership are overwhelming to me. Sometimes it is thinking about the lack of money, but other times it is thinking I have no “partner” to help me out. I like to be independent, but I really miss knocking around my ideas with others in the same mindset. Right now I do not know anyone with the same mindset as me.

This “holiday” weekend I will be staying home most of the time. I might splurge on gas to go sit at the auction tomorrow. I might attempt to have a mini yard sale, or at least make a 4 sale sign for the bike I have been trying to sell on craigslist. The bike has been parked in my front lawn without a sign. I have had several people inquire about my ad but no follow through.

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Small Steps, Slow Progress

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I have been so busy lately, but I am not feeling very accomplished. I had to get a new fridge, and hire someone to mow my lawn. I have been selling a few things on Ebay here and there, but I have less free listings now. I took a very short ride on a different path today. I forgot to bring my camera or use my cellphone.

I need to keep busy the next few weeks and months. I need to keep my mind off my worries. I need to make time for myself to have fun and exercise. Some days when I feel like I have done a lot, I look around at my unfinished projects and wonder what was I thinking. I have been trying to finish painting the inside of my house for 3 years. I still have outside trim on my house to paint.

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Everyday is Mother’s Day

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It should be Mother’s Day everyday. I wish my two brothers would visit my mother more often. I try to email or message my mother at least every other day and call once a week. Sometimes I get forgetful and it becomes almost two weeks. I visited her the week before Mother’s Day. I also got to see my daughter and granddaughter the same weekend. We took a few 4 generation pics which I may never get to see since my camera was not used. I did get a few shots of my beautiful granddaughter. She is 1 1/2 years old now. That is her in the pic. She is my Amazon (not online or River but mythical strong women) warrior princess that likes rocks like me.

It has been a great month so far. The weather was clear here for almost two weeks. Until the Mother’s Day deluge. It rained the next day and another deluge at night that was so loud I thought it was hail. It was just oceans of rain dropping all at once. It has cooled off which I both like for working outside. I dislike because I am still running my furnace to keep my old dog toasty warm. I admit my feet were a bit cold when I turned the heat back on. It is supposed to get colder tonight. I am hoping it will not stunt my garden I have planted so far.

This years veggie garden planted so far is 4 zucchini, 4 yellow summer squash, 6 plum tomatoes, 6 green peppers. I have one small raised bed that is still empty. I had prickers growing in my raised beds and could not find my garden gloves. I got pricked on the edge of my hand several times. It felt like bee stings. I also had the fragrant purple flowered mint smelling plants that grow wild in my lawn starting to take over my raised beds. I had to pull them out, but I left some on the edges, because I love that stuff. So did the bumble bee that was making a lot of noise as he was gathering nectar. I wish my whole lawn could be this and dandelions and anything but grass that needs to be mowed. I am slowly working on turning my quarter acre of chores into perennials, edibles, wildflowers, etc. It is taking me too long. I hope to keep working at it this year. I bought a rose bush to plant in front of my bedroom window that opens. That will take some digging, which is not my forte.

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Amber Waves of Water

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This pic is from along the shore of Tupper Lake, NY. I assume the color is from the minerals in the water. The spring Adirondack runoff.

It has finally been nice here in NY State, a week with temps above zero. When I plan my future snowbirding, I will not be coming back to NY until early May. I just put the snow shovel and rock salt away the other day. I have spent the past few days mowing, with my son’s help. We are still not finished. I only did a little today. I had to get groceries and stop at the greenhouse to get my planters planted. I think I have all my planters cleaned up now. The sun has left its mark on my face, I must remember sunscreen. I bought coleus for the front which is the northside of my house. I bought my purple petunias for my hanging planter tradition. For my bucket garden I bought 6 roma tomatoes and 6 green peppers. For my raised beds I bought 4 zuchinni and 4 summer squash. None of the things I started inside have sprouted, so I am going to try to plant a few of the beans and pumpkins directly outside. I am hoping to keep it simple, I do want to plant cucumber and kale, but I will wait until I am done planting what I have. I also need marigolds to plant around my bucket gardens.

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