dbjc364's Blog

dbjc364's July 2010 Entries

Last Post 1 day, 9 hours Ago

| Add a Comment | Report

Jul 17, 2010 | 2:31 AM PST
Tag: blueberry heaven..
has come and gone. We survived it! And it was alot of work-but fun! I'm taking down the last of the deck decorations today,keeping the string lights up for the summer anyways.It started a light misty rain just before the ceremony- during the ceremony the sun broke out,then back to a misty rain again.I'm so glad we had the tent.Plenty of food,about 46 people,and I'm actually glad we didnt have the full guest list as it would have been harder moving around in the tent.I had simple decor up with country tablecloths-baskets-bells-lace
etc.,but my sister who loves the glitzy-glltter stuff added to that after dragging me to the store one last time before the wedding.Now all gets to go on the yard sale{I kept a couple souveniers}.The bride and groom took a decorated tractor ride up the street with the bride steering,,lol- and the grooms leg going numb.Those pics havent come in yet,but my July album has some.Since my sister was here-I didnt want to leave on a honeymoon,but we packed up 3 cars,and had a fabulous hot-sunny day to the coast at a nice beach.We'd never been to that town,but have nearby- and want to go back again before summer is over.It was sad to see my sister off,but I'll see her in a couple years when we take a vacation to Pennslv. when she gets married.We did manage to squeeze in 2 yard sales together,without the kids in tow.She's also into gardening-raised beds,has 2 so far, and many more planned.The party was great-with tournament rounds of "Beer Pong" in full swing.The brides feet were soaking in a basin,from swelling and aching,and she was wiped out by 10:30.The groom stayed up till 1:00,which is the latest I think I've ever seen him stay up,but he was having a good time.The more serious party go-er's brought their tents,and stayed up till 2 am.It looked like a small bomb had gone off the next day.My brother had just slaughtered a pig-so 2 lbs of slab bacon were cooked on the grill outside feeding all those hungover heads.lol. And I'm glad I wasnt one of them.I still have dead ballons hanging here and there to retrieve.I'm on my 4th picking of blueberries,and the cuke plants are flowering now,and need to pick string beans for tonites supper on the grill. Sautee'd string beans-garlic & onions lightly browned in olive oil.Yummy.The grill is finally at home up on the deck with the furniture,and I cleaned up all the wedding grease mess.That sure got a nice workout.We had cleared the deck for the ceremony and the wedding cake table,but I think all is back in place now.The yard is mostly picked up,as is the inside of the house.This morning Jim starts the gardenshed lean-to addition.I can finally get to the strawberries,rooting the runners-finish cutting the grass.Today is a puttering day for me,but its a long list.I picked up a Vintage Hibiscus for the deck area,for no other reason than it was on sale,and a compact perennial.The Trumpet Vine is doing well in the store pot-but I think I'll repot it next to the deck,and give it something to climb on,as its growing up quite a bit.I've got decent size potatoes so far,but their only about 1/2 way,as its too early to harvest them yet.All kinds of tomatoes growing,and the japs havent killed the Scarlett Runner Beans yet.My dad is getting up there in years-so us kids decided it was time for him to come to this area and live with us.He's probaly facing heart surgery again,and all of us kids are too far away to help him.We have the spare room, and the boys arent far away,so next weekend,we'll start the packing process as we want to be done before snow flies,and we're doing it in between building the shed.He lives in a 2 bedroom apt.,but still has a good amount of stuff.We agreed we'll sell what he can live without,which is quite abit,and he can have his nice bed,and personal stuff around him.We gave him the tv he has now, so we'll put that in the dining room,as we were going to have a tv in there anyways.We'll upgrade the phone service to include long distance.It'll be a big change for him,but hopefully a nice one,as he knows the area well.A sunny weekend upon us,and so happy the shed is getting started to hold all the mowers & tools, and out of my way for the next years spring plantings.The front bed is also a wreck,that needs weeding bad....

4 Comments

Add a Comment

The big wedding day...

| Add a Comment | Report

Jul 9, 2010 | 2:51 AM PST
Tag: daisies..
arrives tomorrow! My company arrived safely from Pennslyvannia on wed.,one batch drove with an overnite along the way-the other flew in.Its good to see them again after 4 years.The nieces {2}are growing like weeds and are beautiful girls.The eldest starts kindergarten this fall like Landon.Jim is down to putting on one small section of railing in the front.Craig-the soon to be brother-in-law,will help him with the remainder of 2x4's going across the top.My sister chopped off her long hair,almost to her butt hair,gave it to "locks of love".Its now shoulder length & is just fine,but I'm glad I got a picture of her when it was long.There's still final preparations today & tomorrow,but at least now it feels like all will get done.Josh hopped on the rider and got all the mowing done for me,Craig got a section of railing done for Jim while he was at work.Today we set up the tent & tables.Last night we gathered for a lobster feed.Tonite its probaly spegitti or hamburgers.The kids did the first blueberry picking,and got a small bowl.As hot as its been,I turned on the sprinkler for the gardens, and watered the kids at the same time-which they loved.While I'm out today, I'll pick up some bubble stuff for them.Expected downpours tomorrow afternoon,but it would be great if it held off till late afternoon.Their saying afternoon into tomorrow.The gardens are growing well,and it seems their catching up for lost time.They certainly need a good drink of water though.The japs are here,although even with the high humidity,their numbers arent like last year- yet.If I get a chance, I'll hang the bags today or tomorrow.My sister is quite happy to go shopping on my garage sale,as she took a quick walk around when she got here,but needs more time to browse,and also check out the one across the street today.We cleaned out the gardening tubs yesterday for the ice & cold drinks,she potted up some perennials for me,planted another in my front bed,while I used the push mower in the smaller areas.I have an overabundance of bulbs so she'll take a small bag back with her.When we go on vacation 2 yrs from now, to celebrate her getting married,I can bring perennials to her and have plenty of room in our car.Our weather is similiar,so alot of stuff will be fine for her winters as they generally are just a bit milder than ours.Although last year,they got more snow than us-sending us pics of the knee deep stuff,which was unusual for Pennsl.Its time to walk around in the quiet of the morning before the hub-bub starts in...

5 Comments

Add a Comment

Spiders..yuck..

| Add a Comment | Report

Jul 6, 2010 | 3:59 AM PST
Tag: summer heat..
Jims procedure for getting rid of spiders is non-toxic. It takes a bit of time-but most of the time its only once.He uses the "Little Giant",and his small shop vac,going around all the eves sucking them up-covers the end with foil- then lets them off down the street on the side of a field.He doesnt like to mess with spray unless he really has to.That was his solution and so far its worked pretty good for 6 yrs.The groundhogs must have bad eyesight.I got within 6 ft. and started snapping pics of the kits-who have now put on considerable weight.They were tumbling and playing with each other on the wood pile.All their eating is dandelions on the lawn.The mother pops out now and then & its pure entertainment w/ 3 kits and having a 3 lawn vacuums at the same time.The 2 sides of railing are done,he's working on the front railing today-the railings on the steps,moving the camper,moving the swingset.Us ladies are going to the hairdressers this morning,brother will put in the door today.They will have Landon while we get our hair done,then I go see about reserving a tent,as brother wasnt able to.All the major big areas got wacked so its just some small areas if I get a chance to.Right now I'm more concerned making sure things get watered,with the high heat index.With the high heat-a threat of showers every afternoon-saturday being no different-so a tent would be good.Company arrives tomorrow!! And whoo-hoo! I have my 1st account lined up for taking my high bush blueberries! The owner is checking with Dept. of Agriculture as far as cooking with them,if not-he will sell them by the quart on the counter.We have enough room for 70 more bushes still,by moving the fenceline,so thats awesome.We siblings have decided its time for Dad to have a change.He's still active and able to function {78}but with minor financial & health problems.We dont want to wait till its an emergency as he's 4 hrs away for all of us, so have decided he needs to live with one of us.That happens to be us at this time and the boys are only 45 min away.I hope we can talk him into it.He'll have the spare room-a phone-tv-computor set-up,and will probaly eat better and not have as many Gout attacks.This would all take a few months to get straightened around with all his apartment stuff,so we'll be talking to him when he gets here for the wedding.He knows this area well, and there's alot more for him to do here in this town than in his town,he doesnt need a babysitter but needs an eye kept on him,as he likes his independence.A few years ago he balked at the subject when it was brought up,but that was then,and now he's older.I have my list of pro's and con's ready...

1 Comment

Add a Comment

A good topic,,

| Add a Comment | Report

Jul 3, 2010 | 4:00 AM PST
Tag: healthy gardens..
in relation to gardening. Pests.Rodents to be exact.I'm going to get up on my soap box here and talk about poison. I'm not a dope smoking peace-loving hippy,I gave up the dope decades ago,but yes I like peace,and yes I have been known to hug a tree,and will only cut one down if its necessary and plant 2 in its place.I feel people need to educate themselves better and on the why's. The reason for the over exploding population of any critter is mostly because of mankind.Since we've used so many poisons in the past & present, it has upset the natural balance of nature.So the reason for the moles is because of the grubs in our lawns and on our property.What eats moles? Eagles.Hawks.The American Bald Eagle to be exact,and a few other things.The Eagle has been on the endangered list for quite some time- and its illegal to kill them.They have been making a gracious comeback.I never saw one in person for 40 years of my life-only in books.The last 10 years,we've seen them almost weekly.They are truly a magnificient sight.They were almost destroyed thru us killing them outright and poisons.When we have too many grubs-Japenese and other grubs, we will have moles and skunks as thats what their after.In the process,they tunnel,make a bit of a mess,and many times will disturb or eat flower bulbs while their looking for the grubs,which is a bummer.The grubs feed on the grass roots-which kills the grass.What do we use to get rid of moles? One product which seems to work well in Maine-is the small wind mills people put in their yards. The vibration disturbs the moles and they go elsewhere.Making the lawn healthy by feeding it organically if possible,will also decrease their numbers.A product we're using,as they were coming into the cellar,along with mice,is the plug in device that has a sound pitch that they can hear.Put a couple of these in outlets,and there should be alot fewer.We installed these this past winter, its been 6 months, and we havent been bothered so far.Last year, and previous years,we always had an abundance of mole holes in the yard.We've treated with Milky Spore twice,we need to do more,but we've noticed that this year there aren't as many.Its a beneficial spore that the grubs eat,it kills them and multiplies,and is non-toxic to the enviroment and people,animals.I can put up with an occasional mole, as I think I'd rather have them than the grubs and what they can do to the lawn,or the veggies & flowers.The grubs grow up and turn into japenese beetles and other things, and I've seen the destruction of what they can do.The skunk also goes after the grubs,so when your tulip bed is disturbed,as my mothers was,the skunk was going after the grubs.She also dusted with Sevin all the time-which made me nervous.She's been battling COPD,and just had breast cancer,and has recovered from that.Is there a connection? Everytime I talked to her about using that stuff, she had a closed mind,and it was too much effort to try something new.Did she upset the balance,I dont know,but knock on wood, with an open compost pile-we've not been bothered by skunks.Each year it seems there are an overabundance of a critter or pest,and each year people just keep on laying on the poison.Keep in mind,that the poison,any type, can leach thru the skin,hang in the air that you breathe,and kill other good insects and pests that are trying to do their job to keep your garden well and healthy.There is now proof that enviromental toxins are playing a big part in the war on cancer.The last 4-5 decades of commercial farming with toxins is now showing us just how dang smart we are or thought we were.There is no way,I would ever dust my veggies with that Sevin poison and then eat it.I'd rather go without.Unless its bought organic in the store,you can be sure every bite has been treated,after being trucked and gassed,so make sure you wash your veggies.Your liver can only detoxify just so much before it cant do its intended job.There are many products out there that can take care of most things without upsetting the balance of nature so much.Got ants? Try some regular cornmeal,spreading it around the yard and gardens.They'll take it back to the nest and blow up,and hopefully the queen will get it and blow up too.The Horticulture cornmeal will also feed the lawn & gardens,and help to get rid of fungus, and provide the beneficial bacteria that the soil needs to fight the blight,etc.Think about it.Do some research before applying that poison to the things you will eat,and dont just reach for anything thats on the shelf because your frustrated.Your frustration may very well lead you a few years from now into surgery and chemo,which is a whole different topic,so I wont go there.Make a conscious informed decision instead of just being dictated to,and know that next years gardening can be so much better after you've tried something new.Open your mind to the possibilities...

2 Comments

Add a Comment

And I thought we were busy all along since April,

| Add a Comment | Report

Jul 3, 2010 | 1:42 AM PST
Tag: final preparations...
but this week we have kicked it up a notch! With one week left to go until the wedding,still have 2 railing sides of the deck to go,put in a door, fill pot holes in the yard,and there's much more.Company arrives on Wednesday,and since my niece has unlimited calling-she's been talking to my daughter at least 3 times a day.Everyone is so excited.I've picked up horsehoes-new badmitten racketts & volleyball.Rummoli & cribbage boards are on standby.I pick up 3 more Strawberry Rubarb pies this morning at the bakery. We had a number of people who said that was their favorite.I know its Jims.We'll just have a small wedding cake,as the pies are much more yummy we think.We'll go to the daughters this morning and help put on her upstairs railing for company coming,and fix one bench on the deck.When they bought the house, the wrought iron railing was in the closet,and since they basically dont use the upstairs right now-never bothered to put it on.While the guys are doing that, we'll go grocery shopping.I had picked up a weedwacker for the daughter on a yard sale,but had to reborrow it-so I'll have 2 going to get the yard done quickly.Our forecast says sun all the way up to next thursday, and I hope it keeps going after that until after the wedding.My sister says dont worry about doing any last minute yard preparations,as everybody is ready to roll up their sleeves.This afternoon we get back to our own deck and yard,and try to find out when the fireworks are.Jim decided to build a deck box for the cushions,that we can also sit on,but it doesnt have to be done before the wedding.My nieces husband would like to go to the ocean while their here,so a trip is planned the day or 2 after the wedding.The closet point is a 2 hr. driving time,and a nice 9 park area, with a clean white sandy beach and a lighthouse visit.We also just recently had a new seafood place open up with reasonable prices on lobster, as a lobster feed is on the weeks menu,so thats awesome! My tomatoes have finally caught on and doing well, and now starting to flower.I didnt realize how pretty the potato blossoms are,and I have a bed full.I have 2 watermelon plants,so by golly we just might get a melon.The strawberry plants are going crazy now,and sending out runners,so I have to make sure I get to that this weekend and start more plants.The string beans have also started flowering.The blueberries have started turning blue,so my niece will get a chance for her 5 yr. old daughter to experience the first picking while their here.I can just hear Landon -who is the same age,teaching Celeste about the fine art of picking blueberries-since he thinks he's a master now,and been doing it for the last 3 yrs.His birthday is also this month. I found a "Hummer" on a yard sale,so we'll have to order a charger and battery for it.Jim says he's got a fleet now and will have to build a shed for his many vehicles,as he has more than Jim now.lol.I think we'll take the "Catapillar digger" to his house,where he'll get more use of it there,since he mostly rides here.I"ll take the Hummer to my moms to hide it till his birthday.He's right into putting puzzles together now. Everytime we go into a store he wants a new one,so he got 2 new ones for his birthday,and he's graduated to the 60 piece,which should keep him busy for a longer stretch.I picked him up an activities book,so he can learn to write his numbers,as now he's writing his name,and can count to 50 pretty good.I told my daughter we'll get some stars that stick on,and make a chart for him,have a session of summer school a few times a week to keep everything fresh in his mind,and please limit the tv time.Summer is a time for exploration and growth,and he's not going to get much from the idiot box.I also picked him up a bug house with a magnifying glass which he'll lov.He's got his Firefly jar, but they've been really scarce this year.We'll have to see if we can catch one during the night of the wedding.A supper barbaque is also planned,as some people have said they'd like to set up tent,and not drink & drive.We'll light the firepit late afternoon,and make sure we have S'Mores on hand.Tuesday, Jim will watch Landon while us ladies go for a haircut.He said he'd go over the ceremony with him so he'll know what his role is as the ring bearer.I talked with the JP about the ceremony, and she wants to make my bouquet from her yard flowers.My niece who went to school for Cosmotology, and my daughter are in co-hoots & appear to have plans for my head and dyeing my hair color with a more reddish tint.Normally it highlights by itself during the summer,but I think now there's a little too much gray for it to do that.Their all fired up about that anyways,and I could care less either way,as I'm more concerned about wacking the yard of overgrowth-especially the fenceline,which I haven't been able to get finished..I'm pretty sure I can get back to that tomorrow.I just know I need it cut thats all-and they want me to sit still while they do my hair and nails,I said good luck with that.I can't sit still long enough for the polish to dry which is why I dont do them-besides the fact that I keep them short because of gardening.I just said I dont want to look painted up like a china doll so they better go easy on me.I did find a Sundress,so if I found a headring of flowers, I would wear those,and probaly go barefoot.A very busy holiday weekend for us,but I'm sure we'll stoke up the grill each night,with the nice weather we're having...

Add a Comment

dbjc364's Blog

dbjc364's July 2010 Entries

Topics