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dbjc364's August 2011 Entries

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Aug 30, 2011 | 1:15 AM PST
Tag: green green grass of home..
Looks like the "Fancy Feast" isnt agreeing with the kitty. Have to go to walmart today and will get something else.We got most of Landons school shopping done, & took him out to breakfast.It seems he goes thru the hungary horror growth spurts once a month,and eats alot for about a week. Today!! Yippee!! its back to school. Scamper has adjusted to this house life,claimed its domain spot in the windowsill,and has enough play balls to chase around,but I'll see what else they have today.We have alot of damage from the hurricane in this state. My 2 brothers are basically stranded at home till they do something about a temporary bridge as both bridges on both sides of the main road of them washed out. Thats alot of people who cant get to work or school right now.We're ok here-we got lucky and never lost the power,it just flickered.We had our small generator ready, and both sump pumps plugged in and working.My new raised bed decided it liked all this rain and started flowering again.I picked up 3 more small mums and put them in the pot that had dirt but no flowers. Everything was either tied down or put away,so all did good.The rain coming down was so fast,the land couldnt keep up so it created small ponds on the lawn, but its all gone now,and by late afternoon yesterday,I was mowing 1/2 of it.Weather wise its a beautiful week of sunshine and dry air, middle 70's with another good weekend upon us. Dare I say it, I think the step railings will finally go on today. There's been one interruption after another for him and those steps. We're done with the house up north now,only have to work on this one,and the trip went smooth. We ended up with a brand new U-Haul which was great,and it drove good.Daughter & I celebrate back to school days with lunch out today,and another trip to Walmart.

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And baby makes four,,

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Aug 24, 2011 | 4:49 AM PST
Tag: new addition..
just in time for winter. We were perfectly fine with the three of us. Since I would be the one to care for any pets mostly, we havent had any since our cat passed away about 7 yrs. ago. We- {I'm} perfectly fine with that, as I have my ceramic turtle that doesnt make a mess,eats very little,and looks nice all the time where ever I put it.Thats my kind of pet. I'm not suffering one bit from "Empty Nest Syndrome". I have more than enough to fill my days-time,and when I want a dose of whatever, I have Landon overnite. Out to my hillbilly laundry yesterday morning with basket in hand,and as I get to the trash barrel area under the overhang of the fuel shed, a kitten starts blat-ting at the top of of its lungs and jumps out from behind the barrels,all at the same time. Of course- it startled me, I jumped-let a blat out of me,as I thought it was a coon or something like that,the kitten scampers behind the barrels again,still meowing. So I call to it- get my laundry in the machine-talking to it all the while.It wanted to come to me, I'm sure it was cold from the night, and hungary,but wasnt quite sure of me,so kept scooting away. Finally after a few minutes,I managed to scoop it up, and take it inside. Someone had dropped it off in the early morning or middle of nite hours. Where our house sits,just at the edge of town, enough distance between our house and the last-theres no way this kitten just walked into my yard on its own accord. A crying kitten, get the milk out, cut up some chicken pieces. It devoured it,and wanted more. It took about an hour,for it to let me pet it, it kept rubbing up against all the furniture,like it wanted to be petted. Within 2 hrs. it was sitting on my lap-purring,and I was its best friend. Scamper.- Ok, I put the Scamper down and headed to Family Dollar for supplies. Litter- a box- kitty food, and 1 play feather toy. It likes the feather toy- and is eating like no tomorrow. It even used the litter box overnite,thank god. It did have an accident on the couch,which I promptly cleaned up,hoping it would catch a clue before my couch gets hit again. I laid a plastic tablecloth on my furniture overnite just in case. Gray and white with white on all the toes area. It is now sleeping content on the couch,Landon spent the night after I told him a kitten came to live with us. I laid down the rules,as I spoke to it. It can have a home,but there are simple rules to follow. I swear it listens to me, and maybe it understands what I'm saying. I'll bring it to the vets for a check-up in a few weeks and hopefully find out what sex it is. Its just a little thing, barely old enough to be taken from its mother,as it still wants to suckle. Landon is quite happy its joined the family. Forget it-no dogs. Don't even ask. We're not going down that road. J and I decided that a long time ago. Dad will feed Scamper while we go north and keep an eye on it for us. I dont want to be overprotective,but right now it'll stay indoors because its so little,but I dont know for how long.When we moved here our adult cat got hit in the traffic. I feel cats should be able to roam freely. And it'll be fixed when the time is right. I didnt end up going to Houlton with J, as plans were changed at the last minute. We are heading north early thursday morning,meeting for the closing of the house in the afternoon. I stocked up on kitty food ,Missy looks at the case of "Fancy Feast" cans, at 65 cents a can,and says-oh sure you bought the most exspensive cat food on the shelf. Are you sure you dont want to go get one of those pretty fancy dishes on your garage sale to put it in just like the commerical?? I laughed, yes but the cans were so cute and small,, I might just do that.....

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Here we go again..

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Aug 22, 2011 | 1:17 AM PST
Tag: another frog..
I was lagging behind yet again. I had to go to a job in the city-was going to lose a 1/2 day here.Dad opened up the garage sale while we went and did the job,and J had to trim the hedges-so it took just a bit longer,but we knew it would.My daughter owed me some money-so I asked her if she could work here & I would minus on the bill- painting the letters up on the garage sale sign,and if she had time she could empty and reload the dishwasher and fold a large load of laundry for me.Well, we got home and she finished all that and then some.She mopped my 2 floors,vacummed,wiped down shelving in the kitchen, and appliances. Well, I havent seen a fire under her butt in a very long time,and she outdid herself. I told J,since he said the other nite- I needed a wife anyways, that I'll probaly have her do the same thing again.When I was finally sitting on the couch with my feet in the basin soaking, and my back was barking at me,and I told J if he wanted to eat- then there's the frying pan,everything just needs to be cooked. Well, he cooked supper, {Ham & beans} and I rattled off the 3 things that are basic everyday things that needed doing,and at that moment in time it wasn't going to be me.That was when he said I needed a wife. Well,at that point I realized he was absolutely right,and hit the nail on the head.I'm time challenged at the moment.I know its not always going to be like this though. Its like whatever time right now I put into doing for the garage sale just tips everything off scale, and its not in my favor. I do enjoy doing it,but I get so far behind on the everyday stuff, it just keeps piling up. So instead of getting exhausted, and things piling up, she'll come in when I need her to, and it helps her out. Its pouring out. Its suppose to rain all morning,then clearing. This morning, I'll tend to all the inside chores,before going outside. J's pretty sure he has to go on a trip to train someone for a job. Its a long drive, so I'm going with him overnite for company & to help with the driving.Then we're back home for one day before heading up north on that long drive. Dad won't do the garage sale since its a weekday, so he gets the tv all to himself for the day.There will be a time in the future when I won't be able to just leave him alone,so I'll go now while the gettin's good. My 2 Virgo's. One is turning 80-the other 50. Their alike- and their different.And they laugh at each other.Dad picked up a couple of nice seats for his truck when he had some pipe exhaust work done last week. My brother has a garage pit-so he'll take the truck up there and they'll help him install them. He needs new glasses this year,other than that, his last doc appt. went great. Right now, he can drive himself, there will be a time when he won't be able to. He still goes out dancing most friday nites,and thats about the only time when I'm concerned about his driving at night,but he says he's fine as long as he takes his time. I'm glad he still has some oomph,and the ladies think he's a good smooth dancer. We're getting Landon ready for another year of school.New sneakers this past week,next week new pants & shirts. We'll also hit the thrift store before any retail stores. The Almanac says we're in for early snow this year-December. In 40 plus years,I've only ever seen one kind of wooly bear catapillar-with the dark brown band across the middle. This year-I've seen different colored ones. I'm sure there's different species,but up till now I've never saw them. Either that-or we're in for one hell of a year....

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A gorgeous large blue single bloom

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Aug 20, 2011 | 3:00 AM PST
Tag: wacking and hacking
on my blue Hydrangea this year. I cut it for the vase-to pair up with Annabelle.They are stunning. Has massive growth too. So I finally got out there to cut away the weeds and tall grass from around it.Then I decided to cut back the huge shrubs in my way of mowing,so I did the whole fence line. They've been growing for 6-7 yrs with only a couple of small cut-backs,so they were overdue. When their going to be moved-then they need to be cut back anyways. I'll go back, and make sure I cut everything back enough, as I ran out of steam,before I pick up all the clippings.Then late afternoon I started in on the line of Lilacs that needed trimming. The Wisteria is full and has many branches climbing. Wow this thing is going to be something when it finally blooms,but is interesting even without the blooms. I sure hope the trellis holds it ok. It can be cut back a bit to keep it in check. I definitely have to move the yellow rose climber on the other side, as the Wisteria is going to take over the whole trellis-its already to the top. Started wacking and mowing around the 2 beds out there, and low and behold I have a sugar baby watermelon growing amongst the grass in one of the beds. Last year-only potatoes were growing in that bed,the watermelons were in the bed next to it. So I cut away the grass surrounding it so the sun could get to it. The compost tomatoes are huge plants, and have baby tomatoes started,the raised bed tomatoes are also big plants and pumping those tomatoes out left and right. We're suppose to be closing on the house up north this coming week,so we'll finally be done with that,and no more trips. Renting a U-Haul and take the final long trip. I'll be glad to give only this place the attention it needs.The beds are messy,and their not suppose to be as thats one reason why we built raised beds. Unforseen projects got in the way,which is the major reason,so hopefully next year I can keep them up and they'll look nice. I'm still doing my hillbilly laundry out back, I am not impressed at all with the money spent on this machine along with the extended warranty price-the lack of attention from the repairman,to having to do laundry outdoors. I quess he figures since I have a working machine,that he doesnt have to rush around to get it fixed. I'm happy that I've still got the old machine,but its still harder lugging it all back and forth-and all according to the weather. Never again will we do this-they can all go pound peanuts. I think today I get new railings on the stairs, and get to stake out the new shed dimensions. I've got Johnny Jump-ups growing everywhere in small clumps,so I'm wacking and mowing around them. Time to re-vamp a shelving section in one of the bays,and once we close in late fall, we'll be adding a hanging clothes section.Also will be adding rubber mats to my area where I sit and stand alot. That should be easier on my feet and legs. Time to get cracking-its gonna be a long day today...

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Three down,one to go..

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Aug 13, 2011 | 3:35 AM PST
Tag: new mums..new window box..
Yup, I finally got flowers in the front of the mud room again.In the new self-watering window box.Went to Wally World- and bought 7 plants of medium size mums, and 2 baby succulents for my next conch shell. One plant for a pot,and 3 plants for my 3 tier planter.Thats also getting a new paint job- and almost done with that,today I will be able to plant it. I'm trying the new Aquasaver cocoa mats to see if they do a better job of staying moist. 2 new cocoa mats for hanging baskets. This year I'll put them all in the gardenshed instead of leaving them out in winter-maybe they'll last longer. And low and behold,so far it looks like I'll have my gardenshed back. The ledger board was put up yesterday to hook onto the tractorbarn. A 10 x 16 shed, to take all the overflow of storage,thats all tucked here and there. Got the new ignitor for the pellet stove to install,then that can be sold-which is now parked in my gardenshed. This is the last shed to get built-no more.Dad says,well, I think you've simply run out of room. lol. Well, not quite, as I have enough room slated for the greenhouse. I got the back lawn mowed yesterday, and checked on the progress of all the tomatoes.The plants are getting huge & flowering.And now work is being done on the north side skirting. Its all torn off, and gets the new stuff today. The north side of the house gets all new siding & windows next spring, along with new painted roof,so it should be a mild year for outdoor projects. Jim won't be doing the roof, he only has to pay for it,but he'll do the siding project.We'll probaly put off the greenhouse one more year-so we can get some fishing time in too.He'll be walking around,scratching his head thinking of something to do-he'll be so bored...

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Coming into the dog days,,

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Aug 10, 2011 | 3:20 AM PST
Tag: brown -eyed susans and Laitris
of summer here. Yuck, I hate to say that.Still have the cellar furnace to hook up, the little stove to hook up in the living room,along with installing a new chimney,then the back side of the foundation to replace,and finish the grading/ stairs project we're working on at the moment. And thats what has to happen,along with"can we,do we, have time to build another shed"? that remains to be seen. I hope winter doesnt come at least till Dec. this year for us.I told dad, why do we bother planting early? Most of us do,but it makes no sense. Since I said I wasn't gardening this year-I had bought a few small seedlings of cukes at a flower stand,plunked them in the ground, and I swear 2 & 1/2 weeks they were sitting on my table-ready to eat.Well, I didnt buy as many plants as I would have growing if I planted them from seeds myself,but regardless-I'm still getting alot.Right now 5 sit in the colander on the counter,I'll have to give some away as we cant eat them fast enough.Same with the tomato plants. I bought 5 small plants, in 3 weeks-their huge,and lots of tomatoes are coming along,plus the volunteer ones that sprouted up on their own, have caught up to the others.Its not just the air temps that have to be right-its the soil temps.Once the soil is ripe,then they just take off.So really there's no sense in planting in May,other than very cool veggies like lettuce & peas.But most people around here do it,and the plants sit there and grow very little till middle of June-if you can keep them alive till then. Well, now that the house siding project is done, we're just adding the embellishments,the fun stuff like window boxes & planters. Last night we picked up what I needed for the potting soil mixture.Since I've been living with the housewrap, and the companies writing all over it, now I have beautiful siding, it seems totally bare.Its hard for me to get used to.That wall needs something besides just the window box. The new stairs light works great-much better than the old one.The new stairs are in place temporarily till Jim does more grading around them this weekend,and makes the new rock/gravel path.Son-in-law got a new computor-so the daughter is going crazy with looking up food recipes now-and wants to have a surprise supper night. What she doesnt realize is, I am much more busier and time challenged than she is,so adding one more thing to my day sometimes just pushes me over the edge,and I have a menepause meltdown. So thats going to be a once in awhile thing, till a couple more things get done around here.Since J had his heart attack,we're not going full force like we were,but trying to pace ourselves a bit more.We took a couple days off,donned our raincoats, went and played at auction all day in the rain,then went away for the night,and back in the later afternoon a bit more refreshed.Its suppose to rain all day today for us,so I can putter along catching up on some little stuff. When we were having the garage sale the other day- we found a snake, a frog, and a mole. I was beginning to think we had no critters around here...

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I kinda had to,,

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Aug 2, 2011 | 2:50 AM PST
Tag: butterflies..
I told my sister. She wrote back on the washing machine picture I sent her.Wanted to know why its parked out back doing laundry.Well, no-one would put a washer out on the back lawn unless they had to. The size of the new machine,the dryer & the freezer take up all my small laundryroom space. The weight of the new machine-forget it,its heavy.And it has to stay hooked up till the repairman fixes it,I certainly cant move it alone while J works.We parked it where it wouldnt be in the way of construction going on,or the puddle it leaves. Just a few more feet to the left is the clothesline anyways.It gets unplugged,covered over when I'm done for the day.Its keeping us in clean clothes,thats all I know so I'm happy. The siding itself is all done now,and all the trim.Today I can snap pics to send to the insurance agent that we completed it.Our contractor carpenter uncle is working on the corners that overhang,replacing the damaged stuff, finishing what needs to be finished,and he's almost done.Probaly the next project should be to install at least the top half of the insulated chimney while he has the availability of my uncles help. Before he flies off on another job,anyways-as this is a 2 person job.I have to do a round of picking blueberries again today,not many left to go now.Well, I got 6 bags in the freezer,plus eating them on our cereal everyday. I put 2 cups in every bag, as most recipes call for that. 2 more cukes ready to pick too. Since I didnt get the usual crop this year-I think I'll go pick a few more quarts at the nursery for the freezer.Her bushes are older,so they put out more,so she should have plenty more than me.I await the arrival of my new window box with anticipation.So while I'm at the nursery I will see what's available for plants.There's no sense in buying anything till it gets here as it'll just wilt and die. I can move one big plant/some small ones, away from the foundation where we'll be working on the north side.Its all done flowering,so time to set up the skiff its going in-till a raised bed is made.In all likelyhood,its going to have to stay in there, as I dont think we'll have enough time to make another bed with all thats going on this year.Long as its got drainage and enough dirt-they should be ok. Another shed project is planned.Since I'm not giving up my gardenshed for just furniture storage its a must. About the only thing I'm willing to give up the space to- is to stockpile more siding when its on sale for next spring,and thats it.The small wing on the gardenshed is where I park the grill & all deck furniture-and big garden tools,and thats full by the time I'm done. So we're planning on a 10 x20,hooked onto the tractor barn.But before that can be done,a drainage ditch must be made- the man says.Now,we're getting a little more complicated-and costly.This is where we disagree.I wouldn't put in a ditch,but instead told him what I thought should be done,keeping the costs down, and I think it'll still work fine.But I'm not going to beat this thing to death,as I have much more to think about and do.We'll stake it out today, and get a good idea of the area it's going.This is for all the excess furniture & totes for the garage sale,plus more storage overhead.Well, this should be the last building we have to build,but then there's the greenhouse next year. I have 8 nice glass windows available,and the daughter is planning on a livingroom re-do, which requires taking out 4 huge glass windows off her porch next year.So I'll have plenty of glass to do it.I still have access out there till about the middle of January on a normal year,then there's too much snow. Sure would be nice to eat some late crop veggies,and start earlier in the spring.Hmmm....time to dream a little dream...

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