Flower-Power's Blog

Hubby got a call from his brother this morning, letting him know that his dad was in the hospital.    The doctors found blocked arteries, so stints had to be put in.    Guess he's doing fine thus far.    He'll have to spend the night down at the hospital.    

His mom and dad already have a tour of Europe booked, they leave this monday.    Lets hope he feels good enough to go. 

We are always the last ones to find out anything.   They went on a tour of Europe back in '99.

My hubby and I did all our travels back when he was in the Air Force.    I don't like to fly...so it was a leap of faith for me to fly from Japan to the states about 6 times.   Of course the saddest time was for my father.  

I have a middle ear disorder, making it hard to do much of anything that calls for fun.   No more rollercoasters for me, nope.     I can't even watch a merry-go-round spin...makes me feel like I'm falling.

I'm glad we decided to move back to our home state of Indiana....where its nice and flat.   I don't mind gentle rolling hills like that of southern Indiana.... but I did not like the hills of Arkansas....  I would find myself getting dizzy just watching the scenery go by.   I was okay driving myself from point A to B..... sometimes I would have a dizzy spell...  but it would quickly pass...so I could keep on driving.

After a  very bad night of horrible lightening and threats of tornados.... the sky is clear....the sunny sun shine is peeking out.... hopefully my garden will dry out.   Hubby said it was under water this morning.   oops!     

Well.... I've been loving coming to GG and posting my thoughts and memories.... like sitting on your front porch and chatting with a neighbor!     Those days don't come by that often.... I have one neighbor we can chat with, but she's always so busy.   Aren't we all.

Its afternoon, I'm still in my jammies.   We have Bible study tonight at church.   Got to get something done around here.....

10-4  good buddies!  :O) 

I've added more photos to my albums, come by sometime.

Its still looking pretty bad - frequent lightening.   They say to stay away from windows when its this bad....  but since I'm curious.. I just have to take a peek.    Infact thats how I snapped the pic of lightening on the evening of the 30th May.    I love to take pics of weather happenings.  Clouds, just anything that strikes my fancy. 

One of these days, I've got to get pics of the funky looking plants that grow along our back fence line.  Some look like some sort of Holly's... others I'm just not sure.  

Hubby has gone to bed....and so must I...    eventually.   :O)

Speaking of storms--back in the year of '76 I believe...  I wish I had the newspaper clipping but my brother has it...  anyway... now that I peeked your curiousity....  my dad, along with my brother and his friend were on a fishing trip to a place between Texas and Lousiana.   (I'm trying to jar my memory of the name of the lake)  anywho....  my dad was in one boat while my brother and his friend were in another boat...not sure how many  feet or (yards) away they were from one another.... but... they had been fishing most of the day, when it was time to get fishing gear put away and get back to camp.    As my dad recalled back then, he said there was not a cloud in the sky...the sun was shining ... way back in the distance he could hear light thunder...he figured well let me tie up lose ends and get my pole put away..... while he had his pole in one hand and getting the line untangled.  Out of nowhere....BOOM... my brother then recalled... hearing the big boom...looking over at my dad's boat....  he couldn't see dad!  Where was he?!?!    After a few minutes... dad was able to lift his hand in air, signaling that he was okay.   My brother said, that when he heard the Boom... the water BOILED and BUBBLED from where the lightening had hit.   Leaving a scorched ring around their boat!!   He said, WoW! If it made the water boil then what must dad look like??  

Eventually, people from surrounding camp sites, came with helping hands and an old door off a trailer to carry our dad to the shore.    Dad was indeed okay.... thankfully, he was dressed in several layers of warm clothing, the first few layers had been burnt badly....  later, in the hospital...  the doctors found 3rd degree burns on his chest, back, and side.   They were able to do skin grafts to repair the damage....  The doctors said he was very lucky to be alive.  Most people do not survive lightening strikes.   

The newspaper, did a story on dad...his story made front page news.   Dad told the newspaper that he remembered being thrown back-hard.  His head & body landed between two full tanks of gasoline...he was afraid it might ignite...but nothing happened.  Thank God.    The handle on the pocket knife he carried in his back pocket was now melted...and the blade scorched from the extreme heat.   The seat, crafted out of a plastic bucket chair was now blown apart.     Amazingly enough... he lived to tell his story... he was now famous among the towns people and they came to visit the man that had been struck by lightening.   

This story is also etched in my mind.   When my mother and I first heard about it.... she was busy sewing and I was sitting on the couch eating ice cream.    The phone rang.   Mom asked Dad if he caught anything.   Then I heard her say, how bad?   Is it like a sunburn?    Dad didn't want my mother to worry so he didn't say much, not until she saw for herself.... she could hardly believe that he lived through it!    ;O)    

My dad loved to tell stories.... but that one was certainly true.   

I miss dad.    He was a very special person.

......good nite everyone.....   

Rain, rain and more rain.   Thunder pounding.    Guess, there's more to come....gosh.   I'm getting tired.    I would like to see this nasty weather end.   There's been sightings of tornados.   And some damage in parts of Indiana.   Thursday, temps will reach the 90's.  yech.   I'm not into muggyness.   Makes me feel tired when it gets too hot.  

.... Until next time... I'm off to beddy by....zzzzzzzz   

Earlier this afternoon, I looked out unto the garden through the window of the back porch... and noticed more plants popping up...no spinach yet.   bummer.    If I don't see something soon, I'll just plant more green beans..our favorite.  

Hubby and I talked about putting up a deck... and possibly a privacy fence between one of our neighbors.   When we step out into our enclosed porch, their dogs will just bark and bark.. very annoying.   And when we mow within our fenced in yard, the dogs will stand up to the fence and growl and bark.   They used to call the dogs to come in but anymore they don't do anything about it.     So we thought a fence just down that one side would help to block our view of "doggy-ville".   They currently have 3 good size dogs and have added a fourth.   Jeepers.     We don't mind doggies, however, when we feel our "space" is threatened.. then its time to do something about it.    I know one day as I pulled up in the driveway... I heard my neighbor getting loud...and he was looking into our yard.   So I walked around the side of our yard... surprised to see their dog running about and playing in our yard!   So I asked politely...whats your dog doing in our yard?   Oh, she got excited, and jumped the fence.  Oh.    He finally was able to get her back over the fence.    I was glad about that.   *sigh*  

Our other neighbor, is respectful toward us...always keeping up her lawn and surroundings.  Sometimes, her friends will come by to visit, they'll talk loudly... or play their stereos, however, if they see us in our yard...they'll  be nice and turn it down.    We appreciate that. 

Its after midnight, and very bad storms are in the forecast until 3 AM.  Ugh.    I was watching the weather cast, then decided to get my mind off of the weather, and upload some pics here on GG.   I uploaded pics of Japan, Mt. Fuji.     I'm not into heights, so you can imagine when our friends invited us to go on a trip to Mt. Fuji.  OY.   There's a road that winds up the mountain,... we went to a place where you could walk out to a landing like a deck, look through binoculars to view awesome sights.   But I'm thankful that it was somewhat cloudy with fog, light rain falling mixed with snow so I couldn't see to the bottom of the mountain.  Hubby and our friends were bummed.   I just didn't care at that point.   The air was thin so very hard to breathe.   We walked around the landing area, then made our way to a gift shoppe.    Drove back down the mountain and ended up at a lake, there are several around Mt. Fuji.... just beautiful!  

I'm hearing more thunder in the distance, I guess I should get off of the computer.

My heart broke when we found out the news, back in February '97...that my dad was killed in an automobile accident.   The news shook my very being.    My husband and I were still living in Japan.   We flew home... to be by my mother's side.     The accident happened the day after their wedding anniversary and my mother's birthday.   And just a few days before my birthday.   The month of February will never be the same.   

My father served in the Army, in 2 wars.   He went through so much without ever coming back with even a scratch.   God was watching over him.     I think when I was young, I must of thought my dad would live forever.   I never really saw him being sick... he was always out doing what he loved.    Those memories still etched in my mind.   

Ya know...if any of you were to ever come into my home... you would probably ask me where the pictures of your dad?   Well....even though its been many years.... I still cannot have pictures of my dad on the walls or setting upon a desk....  I can go to my mother's house and see him everywhere...and it not bother me a bit....  but my house its different.    I wonder if that part of grief ever goes completely away?.... 

hmmmm....

this is supposed to be a blog for gardening thoughts ....  but tonight...it was more about memories.... I suppose....   

Well, good night and happy dreams.....   my memories of dad are good ones.... at least I'm not depressed.   Thank God.

Hope you have a wonderful day...happy gardening!

My father was an outdoors kind of guy, loved to fish, hunt, camping.    I have fond memories of going fishing with him...since I'm the youngest of 2 older brothers,... I would always ask a friend to come with me and dad.    When we arrived at our fishing destination, he would lower the boat down into the water off the ramp....then we would wade into the water and hop into the boat...dad would start the motor and we were off!     I loved...reaching my hand down in the water, pretending my 2 fingers were skiing. (LOL)    Then we found our favorite out of way place....near broken off trees, and logs...  the sun would always beam down...making my head hot...so dad would see that I wore my hat.   Aww...dad do I have to?!?    C'mon hon, your momma wouldn't want you to get a sunburn.   okay dad if you say so.     We enjoyed a fun filled fishing day... I remember once when my cousin came with me, she sat up front, and I in the back of the boat...  she exclaimed.."Wow! I'll get a nice tan, just you watch!"  And a few seconds later, a bird flew over and pooped on her head!   LOL.... Dad and I burst into laughter!   As she made a funny face.   

What a day that was.... I never let her forget that time.  (hee-hee)     

And this time.... if I get bumped... I won't try to type again...I'll just type another time.

I spent the better part of the day visiting with my mother, she lives alone...and has a nice but small garden...  and she loves flowers too.

It was a good time, as she recalled different memories....of her childhood....during the great depression.   She recalled still seeing her mother roll out bread dough, shaping it into a loaf and baking it in the old wood stove.   Her mother would bake several loaves at a time.   They had a big family.  My mother was number 5 in a line of 7 sisters and 1 brother.  

I guess if you spend too much time thinking of what to say...and spend too much time typing it all out...  one gets "logged out".... so here I am again... to try to say pretty much what I had typed out before..  gosh.

I have seeds for a money plant... not sure if its a bush or a tree...  need to research.   

During the early spring... I had wondered what plants I had planted and just where they were...before deciding if I should buy more plants.   Then I "worried" over whether or not I had enough plants.   Jeepers... I didn't need to fret over plants... or shed a tear...  I have not only plants but seeds found everywhere!!   In a juice can on the fridge, to an envelope on top a desk...to a ceramic loaf pan filled with seeds... and more seeds in the garage... stuffed here there and everywhere... gosh! what to do??     Now me needs more planting space!... I  asked hubby if he would mind getting out the shovel sometime in the very near future... and dig me out a space for more plantings...first he mentioned that his back was giving him problems.... okay I said...don't worry about it....I will find some room some where....Then....he said, well...I'll go ahead and dig out a spot if isn't more than 4 feet in length and no more than a foot wide.... okay I said with a smile....then he said I'm off to bed got to get up early in the morning.     And here I am still typing....trying my best not to make mistakes....

I think I will upload this part and start on another entry in a minute...hopefully I won't get bumped off this time.  ;0)

(Good Afternoon)....  oh, what a lovely day its been.    Went to church this morning.. stayed afterwards for a picnic...  the food was really good.    Got to say hello to a few folks.

After being so busy during the school year... now it seems my time has slowed down..  thats good for gardening and such.   Could it be that I miss being around the kids....  maybe so.     Well... been doing my best to stay focused on things around the home... sometime soon, need to tackle the carpets...get those cleaned.    

And I like coming to Garden Guides...   this is such a neat place to find a wealth of planting information.    

I'm looking for info on how to "plant" a sweet potato, so I can enjoy having a nice house plant.     I tried planting it how my mother suggested... but since, she hadn't really done this before...  I think she thought she knew what she was talking about....   it didn't work.  so any help you all could give me would be great.   :O)

I was relaxing on the backporch, until I kept noticing something flying about (outside the window)....  getting as close as I could get, peering straight up.... Aaaak!   A carpenter bee busy chewing away at the new wood siding!!!    Ugh!!!!    Quickly grabbed the Hot Shot... and gave a quick spray...  boy that made him mad...   Too bad.    

Now I'm relaxing inside the house, with the air conditioner running.  

Well, until next time......   ;O)

**************************
*********

Thank you for your informative comment!   Next time I'll know what to do with the sweet potato.  ;O)