What a Difference a Day (and modern drugs) Makes!!

I woke up feeling much better than yesterday; a phenomena I attribute fully to the power of Doxycycline and ibuprofin.  (Sorry about the whining post.)  Regardless of the reason for my improved health, I am grateful.  Grateful enough that I'm combining two posts into one and joining both Shoot Me (23 of 52)...

...and Fertilizer Friday with this post.
 

The days here, like in so many parts of the country, have been unseasonably HOT and my potted plants have needed some tender loving care.  The sun is HOT, however, hot enough that I've been forced to drag out my sun hat, which doesn't stay on well, but does shade my face.

As you can see, I'm still under the weather and feeling tired, but being outside feels fantastic, even with the hot sun.

My garden makes me smile and I love spending time in it.  If you had told me give years ago that I would be a budding gardener, I would have said you were crazy and yet, I love it.  It is so gratifying.

Here is a glimpse of the back of my house as viewed from the backyard.  When we bought the house, the deck was uncovered and bare.  There were overgrown bushes everywhere and we didn't even know that was an apple tree.  (It didn't produce fruit for the first two years we lived here.)  Look at it now!  Covered deck looking out onto a gorgeous garden.  Superman and I did it all, with the help of our children, the donations of plants from generous neighbors, oh, and five 8 yard dumpsters stuffed full of ripped up, overgrown, plants.  I love how it has all come together.

These  lily-type plants with little purple flowers were gifts from a neighbor who was desperate to get rid of some.  You just separate them the way you do day lilies and plant the sections. They grow so quickly, they already need to be thinned.  The petunias in the hanging pots were wintered over in my dearly departed greenhouse.    (The silly lights are Buttercup's under deck lights, but something chewed through the wire last winter, so I have to get them fixed.)

Sorry for the horrible picture, but this is our koi pond.  I don't even remember what was here before...I don't think anything other than overgrown bushes, but maybe Superman will remember better than I.  It has a waterfall that burbles all the time.  I love the sound of the water feature.  Since two of our koi were roughly 2 feet long, we found new homes for them and only have two little ones in the pond these days.

Not part of the view, but still amazing are these Asiatic lilies...look how many we have!  The pink color has faded, but they're still gorgeous.  (Doesn't the football add that little something?  Yes, this yard gets used!)

Superman, look at the day lilies we transplanted last year...we put them along the fence to add some no maintenance color and they are doing so well.  They obviously love this strip of fence because they don't look like stragglers, do they?

Oh, and look at our squash...they obviously have no problem with the lasagna gardening technique I used to plant them.

So, there you have it, my garden tour for this week.  All these plans make for a beautiful view out my window as I sit at my computer.  I love sitting down here, listening to the waterfall and looking out at the fruits of my/our labors.  Head over to Tootsie's to see what everyone else is up to.  Oh, and don't forget to join in the fun at Forever in Blue Jeans...get yourself in the picture.  You won't regret it.  (Three more and I'll be halfway through!)

Unabashed Whining

Feel free to move on to another blog in your reader right here.  I'm whining.  I'm pouting.  I'm probably being snarky.

My ungrateful children gave me the plague.  I asked them not to.  Seriously.  When Buttercup came down with it more than a week ago, I told her I loved her and I would take care of her, but that she didn't need to share.  I think she shared.  A few bedtime kisses and some unscheduled coughs and sneezes may have done it.

But maybe it wasn't her.  Maybe Valiant did it after she shared with him.  Yep, 8 days after Buttercup came down with the plague, Valiant was felled.  That was Monday.  Today is Thursday.

Instead of playing around and coming up with a Shoot Me post or working on my Fertilizer Friday post, I caved...right after I finished all the grocery shopping, got the car smogged and registered and picked up a couch for my oldest son, the one who seems to have gone AWOL.  Right when I thought I'd be heaving a sigh of relief and doing a little bit of fun stuff, the sledge hammer hit.  I, too, have succumbed to the plague.

I told the kids they were bad children.  I whined via email to my sister.  I put my pajamas on.  I took drugs.  I feel horrible.  The kids don't seem to have much sympathy.  Valiant put Bean on my chest and she scratched me.  Buttercup generously told me that since I was dying I didn't have to read a chapter of our book at bedtime and, in the meantime, what could she have to eat?

I wonder if I'm already dead and this IS hell and I just don't recognize it because it looks so much like my bedroom.

Is hell being in my bedroom, feeling like I'm going to die, and feeling frustrated because I have so much I want to do?  Maybe.  That is it!  I've solved one of the worlds mysteries:  hell is my bedroom, sick as a dog, stuck playing solitaire because you can't fall asleep but you can't focus to read. 

Glad I figured that out.  Now I can go back to feeling sorry for myself.

Kindle for your PC

Have you ever heard of the Kindle?  It is Amazon's e-reader and it looks so cool.  Unfortunately, the price tag is far out of my reach.  Far enough out of my reach in fact, that I forced myself to stop  lusting after one.  (Keeping my kids clothed and fed is so darned inconvenient, you know?)

Amazon must have heard my secret thoughts, however, because they've made a Kindle for PC program available for FREE.  Have an iPod Touch or an iPhone?  They have an app for that.  Blackberry?  You're covered.  MAC?  You, too.  FREE, FREE, FREE.

Even better?  They have tons of books for download that cost exactly NOTHING.  Yep, free!   Obviously, they have thousands upon thousands of books you can buy and download, too.  I am just doing the happy dance for FREE right now.

Now, if you're not a voracious reader, this might not tickle your fancy.  Me and mine?  We think this is pretty darned cool.  I've been using it for more than a week and I am so jazzed.  It works just as "advertised" and my free books have been, well, free.  What more can I ask for?

So, if you're looking for some reading happiness, I recommend the Kindle for PC.   It is quick, easy, and free...again, what else can I ask for?

Plenty of Time!

I saw this quick craft from Jess at How About Orange and decided it was right up my alley.  She calls them "mid-century clock faces", but to me they were more George Jetson.  Regardless, I thought they were super cute.

Just one little problem:  I'm not a drinker and I don't ever seem to have bottle caps.  While the past few months have made me long for a few good Long Island Iced Teas, even those wouldn't have helped in my quest for bottle caps.   Fortunately, in addition to the two bottle caps I could scrounge up, I also had some flat disc magnets that weren't the cutest, so I included them, too.

For the bottle caps, I used a hot glue gun and attached magnets to the inside of each cap.

I painted everything white.

Then I used the template that How About Orange so kindly provided and I used a 1" circle punch and cut out all the little clock faces I wanted to use.

A little Modge Podge attached the clock faces to the magnets and a coat of Modge Podge finished them off.

Aren't they cute?

Quick, easy, and virtually free.  You've got to love anything that fits in all those categories! 

Don't want to make clocks?  What about pictures?  Buttercup would definitely love squirrels, hamsters, kittens, etc.  Flowers would be pretty, too.   Oooh, or a monogram of the first letter of your last name?  or an inspirational word?   Hmmm...I might be making a few more!

Food For Thought - Independence Day

Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.  ~Thomas Paine

On His Own...

Well, my first child has officially flown from the nest and is starting the next chapter of what has already been an exciting life.  Yep, Charming has moved out and into his own apartment.  No roommates.  No college cafeteria.  Just Charming and his "charming" new apartment. 

We loaded him up with the furniture we could give him and with the labor of friends, the trailer of Grandpa John's and some grunting and sweat (yes, he's on the 2nd floor), we got him moved in.

Buttercup even tried to embarrass him by wearing those socks and slippers. 

It didn't embarrass him, but Valiant was a bit bugged. 

He showed the boys his bedroom and it was time for us to go. 

He wanted us out, so he could start his very first night in his very first apartment and I could blame him.

I made him smile for a least one picture by telling him I was sending it to his dad and I hugged him and told him how proud of him I am.  Then we left. 

It was weird.  Happy weird.  Not even bittersweet.  He's worked so hard for this and is so obviously ready for this.  I was nothing but excited for him. 

Then I decided I'm weird for not being sad.  But maybe the college experience prepared us both for the fact that he's supposed to move along, fly from the next, do his own thing.  I guess he has a whole new meaning to apply to "Independence Day" this holiday weekend!


I'm happy.  He's happy.  It is all good.

Fertilizer Friday--Rainy Day Edition

I know I've been a no-show to Fertilizer Friday, but it is not because my garden isn't doing anything.  Really!  On the contrary, our garden is thriving.  Unfortunately, my life is crazy chaotic right now and blogging is play I'm struggling to make time for.

Still, I love Fertilizer Friday and decided that I'm allowed to run a week behind until life calms down.  To that end, I took pictures last week (which I intended to post last week) that I'm sharing this week. 

It is pouring rain today and I can't do yard work (darn!) and pictures taken today won't be particularly good, so having pictures from last week is just perfect.

My Asiatic lilies are blooming...

Our littlest apple tree as tons of fruit.  (Superman, this is the one by the back fence...go figure!)

My broccoli formed florets too soon and so their tiny. Does anyone know why they're doing this?

Our tomatoes are doing really well.  The one we wintered is already producing fruit...and the ones we started as seeds are thriving.

Finally, our squash plants are going crazy and our lettuce is loving life.  Growing plants from seeds I've sown has been so rewarding.  Yes, I'm still making mistakes, but I'm just so gratified to have the success I've had.  We've already harvested a zucchini and it wasn't even July.  We've got an orange-sized pumpkin on the vine already and more zucchini on their way.  It is so weird (but good).

So, there you have it!  Our Fertilizer Friday contribution.  The Nagle5 have been working hard to make our gardens grow this year and we're having fun doing it.  And really, isn't that what it is all about?

Head over to Tootsie's to see what everyone else is sharing this week.  You'll be amazed.  Me?  Oh, I'm enjoying the rain...it came just in time and now I don't have to feel guilty for not wanting to mow the lawns!  Yippee!

Shoot Me: 22 of 52 - More Painting Edition

Got these lovely polished brass planters from my friend and neighbor down the street.  I saw them and thought, hey, these will work on my patio.  I just didn't think polished brass would work on my patio.  So, I painted them.

And that brings me to this photo.   It was a bright, shiny day and the sun felt fabulous.  I decided it would be the day I tackled the planters and so I headed outside and grabbed my trusty can of spray paint.  Little did I realize that Valiant decided to help me continue my participation in Shoot Me.  Yep, he snapped a picture of me before I knew what he was doing.  I decided he was right and so here you have it, my 22nd Shoot Me.  Only 30 more to go!

Oh, and while I'm more than willing to have my snazzy for-the-yard-faux crocs and overalls photographed, Valiant wisely deleted the picture he took of my rear!  There is only so much reality I'm willing to deal with.

Shoot Me is the brain child of Carin at Forever in Blue Jeans.  As she puts it:  Shoot Me! It's time to stop hiding behind that camera of yours. Your family is missing you in the picture. So it's time to post a picture of YOU (yes, you) every Thursday with your child, your spouse, your friend, your dog, or even by yourself. Just get in the picture, you'll be glad you did! And just jump in now with 1 of 52, you can do it!

PS.  Hey, Superman, it was black paint so the over-spray won't leave much of a mark.  (Now, the bronze I used last month?  That is a whole different situation!)