witt's Blog

The Season Begins
Nov 30, 2011 | 2:21 AM PST

I got my tree up after Thanksgiving. I really wasn't in the mood, but that is tradition. I didn't put up the large tree, so I bought this small tree this year. The two large nutcrackers on the left are my new acquisitions this year as well. I found them at a really cool antiques/consignment shop in a nearby town. One of them is a music box that plays a song from "The Nutcracker Suite."

Thanksgiving was rather difficult being the first one without Mom, so I know Christmas is going to be even worse, but I know that she had a long life and certainly lived it with gusto. I need to carry on her ferocity in the garden and her joy for life. Let the Christmas season begin!

 

Silence is Golden
Nov 23, 2011 | 3:50 AM PST

The cranberry relish is made! Yesterday it took forever to make just one batch of the holiday cookies! I'll probably be in the kitchen for the rest of the day, getting together what can be made ahead. Son came by to see Hubby. He was going to mow over the leaves in the yard, but they went into town instead. I had run out of vanilla and then realized that I hadn't gotten whipping cream. You can't do without either of those during the holidays. With them being gone, I had a few moments of quiet. I muted the tv, which Hubby has constantly blaring and didn't even turn on my holiday music. The silence was too golden.

 

 

My New Toy
Nov 21, 2011 | 3:18 AM PST

Here's a pic of my new toy. I wanted something really nice. The ones that I have aren't the best, so I decided to treat myself to something well made. This is a one of a kind. It was a prototype for a company that decided not to put these into production, so there's not another like it. It has wonderful sound. The only problem is finding the time to play and practice. I've forgotten so much.

 

I've got a few Thanksgiving songs that I'd love to play if I could just remember how.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

 

Bringing in the Plants
Nov 13, 2011 | 4:42 AM PST
I brought in my plants off the front porch the other night. It was supposed to get down to 29 degrees. Then yesterday, I brought in a few from the carporch. I just don't have room in the house for them, especially places that get good sunlight.

This little peace lily surprised me. Hubby gave it to me about two years ago. It never bloomed. Now that I haven't had time to take care of anything in the gardens, it bloomed. I just hope that I can keep it alive until spring.

I definitely had to bring in my old-fashioned begonias that I fell in love with this year. It got a little frostbit, but it doesn't look too bad. I hope it doesn't drop all its leaves. I have another small one in the kitchen window just in case, and one that I put in a pot on the porch for a lark amongst the pathos and snake plant. Maybe one of them will survive. I just love those shiny leaves!

These senator scarlet begonias were given to me by my sister-in-law when I was nursing my mother this summer when I admired my mom's. Hers was lush, full and gorgeous. They did just terrible when I was taking care of them, but when they were neglected after Hubby's fall, they did well.

Late yesterday evening, I remembered my plectranthus. They can't take any frost. One was mush and the other looked poorly, but it wasn't dead. I put it in the kitchen window in hopes I can keep it living as well. I didn't get a picture of that one. Maybe later.

This morning I remembered my pots of caladiums. Oops. Forgot all about them. I'll see if I can find a place to put them where the bulbs don't freeze. They have already died back, but I doubt the bulbs are hurt yet.

I was afraid that I'd bring in lizards and tree frogs as I usually do, so I made sure they weren't hiding in my pots. I was successful with that. I only brought in granddaddy longlegs! Thank goodness I'm not the kind of gal that runs screaming off into the night.

 

Our Visitor
Nov 3, 2011 | 5:44 AM PST
Hubby is finally able to make his way to the back patio. Yesterday we were enjoying just sitting in the wonderful sunshine and watching the birds. We actually had robins. I know that sounds silly, but robins rarely visit us. I don't know if it is because we are in the middle of the woods or what, but this year, we have seen loads of them scavaging in the yard and on the edge of the woods. Not only were there robins, but we watched nuthatches, chickadees, and downies. Suddenly, all the birds went into a flurry, flying around and chirping like crazy. I turned around to see what the fuss was all about. I heard a whoosh, and a HUGE hawk landed within arm's length. It scared the fool out of me. Thank goodness I didn't jump up and run. I got a real good look at him. He was almost two feet tall. He cocked his head at me, crouched, then jumped, and took off. The wingspan was amazing. Hubby and I were dumbstruck. Neither one of us have ever seen a hawk that big. We have loads of hawks here, but never anything that large. He landed in a tree where I could see his silhouette. He flew down and landed farther into the woods. That's the last we saw of our visitor.