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MIL is a hoarder and garden news
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Tomorrow the physical therapist that has been very pushy about Dear Hubby’s mother going into a nursing home and someone else from the damned place are both going to follow DH over to his mother’s house. He’ll be driving his mother over there so she can attempt to get around her house in front of them.
Yesterday, my doctor medicated the hell out of me and told me to rest. So what did we do today? My best friend G, DH, and I went over to his mother’s to clear the decks and make the house presentable. To say my MIL is a hoarder is putting it mildly. We worked for over six hours removing clutter, crap of the junk sort, a ton of trash, and cleaned as best we could. I cleared out the one bedroom where her stackable washer and dryer reside. There was a pathway to them from the door. The crap was piled at least waist high. Now you can see the entire floor and what I left in the room is neatly stacked on shelves.
G and DH worked on the living room and MIL’s bedroom and it took them six hours to make the rooms presentable. We barely had time to work on the kitchen but did make a dent in the clutter there.
The woman is going to kill us. I can hear her screaming now, “where’s all my stuff?”
We did not work on the third bedroom. That room will be another whole project one of these days. Hell, we took one look in there and shut the door. The crap is almost to the ceiling. We were exhausted.
My garden news: When we finally arrived home, we saw ducks in our pond! The pair of mallards hung around for several hours. Like a kid, I went out and fed them some bread, which they ever so eagerly accepted. I was hoping they’d stay but right at sunset, they took off. Maybe they’ll come back for more bread one day.
Posted in Misc, My blog, my garden
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Pond, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
I stimulated the economy today
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Boy did I ever. There are two things I can’t resist buying, books and plants for my gardens. Today my friend, her husband, and I went to a garden shop. I couldn’t help myself. I was like an addict pulling out plants and putting them on the wagon. Someone should put me on the wagon.
I’m sure I drove my friend crazy because right now I have a cold and can’t smell a thing—this place carries herbs by the tons and I love growing herbs. Every time I found something, I thought I might like to add to my garden, I’d call her over to smell it for me.
“Hey, G. Come here and smell this for me, please. How does it smell?” I would wave her over from one end of the shop to another.
She would then rub her hand over the leaves and waft the scent to her nose. “Oh, that one’s nice.”
“What about this one?” I’d shove another plant under her nose.
One particular one almost made her gag—wish I could remember the name of it now. She took a sniff, gasped and said. “Ew, you wouldn’t like it.”
It’s a good thing I trust her judgment and our tastes run the same. I can imagine what a stench I’d have in my garden if that were someone else.
Our next stop was the pond garden shop. Yep, blew some bucks there too.
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Pond, Ponds, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Rain, rain, and more rain
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I hope tonight’s rain is the end of it for a while. The gardens and yard are well watered. The magnolia blossoms have covered the ground in pink and white, and the poor pups are dying to get out into the yard and stretch their legs. With all this rain neither one stays outside for long.
The advantage of all this rain is my grass is quite green and thick. The gardens are blooming like crazy. My bleeding hearts are already over two feet tall and covered with flowers. The daffodils and the tulips are almost finished, a shame because they were gorgeous this year. I wish they bloomed longer.
My blueberry bushes are budding. The tulip poplar and the sweet gum are beginning to show their leaves. The sweet almond is almost fully leaved and blooming, while the miniature lilacs are ready to send forth fragrant blooms. The large lilac bush will also be in bloom in the next few days. I’ll have to send some clippings with Dear Hubby when he sees his mom.
Soon I’ll be harvesting some of the rhubarb. I can’t wait to make rhubarb custard pie, one of DH’s favorites.
Posted in Dog related, My blog, my garden
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Yippee for lots of sun and warm weather
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Wow, two days of glorious warm weather! We had plenty of sun and temperatures in the mid seventies. I managed to plant the flowers left over from the planters on the front porch. I worked on the pond—the magnolia is dropping petals like crazy now so I’m skimming the pond every time I turn around. I would stay out in the yard all day if I could. It smells wonderful out there with the tree in full bloom.
The birds are fun to watch right now, they are arriving by the dozens to take baths in the waterfall. The robins are real clowns in the water. Each one has a unique personality and method of bathing.
The pups collapsed into a deep slumber after romping in the yard all day. Maybe it’s a good thing that tomorrow is supposed to be cloudy with possible rain. Gavin is sore after two days of tons of activity. Poor baby, it was a long winter and he spent most of it as a couch potato.
Then, didn’t we all? I know I paid for it later after I spent a few days weeding the gardens back when we had our first hint of spring weather.
Posted in Dog related, My books, my garden, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Fish, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Koi, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Pond, Ponds, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
One in seven
Posted by doggonedmysteries
It seems as though we are only going to have one day of sunshine in seven, hello April. The song isn’t kidding. I wish I’d taken the time, to plant in the garden, the left over flowers from the planters. Now it looks as though I’ll not get a chance to until Sunday. If I miss Sunday’s clear weather, I’ll have to hold off for another several days where the weather people have forecasted more rain.
At least today was mainly just a brooding sky and we didn’t really get any rain until after ten tonight. However, I didn’t get out planting because the sky looked as though it’d open and pound us with torrents of rain any minute. It was also a chilly enough that I wasn’t eager to go crawling about the garden. The flowers I’d put in the planters on the porch looked perky today so I do believe they’ll thrive there.
Posted in my garden
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Pond, Ponds, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Sun and flowers
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I couldn’t resist the tug of the sunny day we had today. I bought some potting soil and flowers for the planters on my front porch. The planters had been alongside the driveway for several years. However, last year, when we had new, very nosy, and noisy neighbors move in directly across the street, I removed our chairs and moved the planters to the porch. I can’t wait to see how my petunias, pansies, and snap dragons will look once they begin to grow and fill out the planters. (I didn’t get them planted last year so this should be fun.)
While I was filling the planters with soil and flowers, a pair of mourning doves decided to work on their nest above me. Mourning doves aren’t the greatest nest builders, but this pair tries. They’ve been nesting in the same spot for a couple of years now and are used to us coming and going. I enjoy hearing them so they are welcome additions.
Even though we lost the neighborhood camaraderie we used to have while sitting out on our front porch, we’ve found something special. We have our own sanctuary in the yard on summer evenings and enjoy the pond along with the wonderful peace and quiet.
Posted in hobbies, Misc, my garden
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Pond, Ponds, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Who the @#$*turned off the heat?!
Posted by doggonedmysteries
It’s darned cold outside again. Who the @#$* turned off the heat? Sure as shooting my poor magnolia tree’s blossoms will turn brown from frost tonight with the mercury dropping to twenty eight degrees. I’m glad I didn’t pack my warm jacket away.
Even the dogs are disgusted with the chill in the air. They preferred to do their romping indoors today. My couch looks as though a tornado hit it and I can’t tell you how many times I picked pillows up from the floor. Everything on the top shelf of my curio cabinet walked to one side. They both banged off the kitchen cabinet doors so much today I thought the doors would fall off. They run into the kitchen, slide, and use the cabinets to stop and turn. Yes, my house was pure bedlam today.
They dragged Dear hubby into the frenzy and I don’t know who was worse the dogs or him. My sanity walked a thin line as I tried to write and either a dog or a big ball thrown by DH bounced off my chair every few minutes. At least they all had fun. I want the warm weather back so the dogs and DH can blow off steam away from my desk.
Posted in Dog related, Misc, My blog
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
A tangle of topics
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I finally got outside with the camera today and took some shots of the gardens and pond. I posted 3 of the best ones on our garden and pond page.
The pups and I enjoyed the gorgeous, warm day we had today. They played circus dogs and jumped through the Hula-hoop until I ran out of cookies to give them. Then they ran about until they were near collapse. I did some more cleaning out of the gardens, once again over filled, and emptied the wheel barrow four times.
Yesterday, Dear Hubby’s best friend cleaned out all the gutters on my MIL’s house while DH played gofer on the ground. This was a job that hadn’t been done in years and it took most of the day. The high winds didn’t help much. Yes, it’s a real friend, who will climb on a roof for you when the wind is gusting at 48 mph and all you can do is stand on the ground and watch. DH is fortunate to have such a good friend.
My cousin, Carol has posted a new painting on her site, Carol’s Art Blog. I am so impressed with her work. The gal has talent.
Posted in Dog related, Misc, My blog, my garden
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Pond, Ponds, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Wild weather for the beginning of April
Posted by doggonedmysteries
We had plenty of crashing thunder, wild lightning, and monsoon-like rain today. The pups weren’t thrilled with being inside but neither were they particularly thrilled with being outside. Patty hates rain, she thinks she’ll melt or something. Gavin doesn’t mind it too much but the drenching we got, was not his idea of fun either. The rain battered the heck out of my daffodils but they might stand back up after they dry out a bit.
Tomorrow the weather people are predicting wind gusts of up to fifty miles per hour. I spent what little daylight (with no rain) we had left, battening down the hatches. I’m sure I probably missed a few things and will find them moved tomorrow. With my luck, they’ll be sleeping with the fishes in the pond and I’ll have to run a salvage operation. Is Jacques Cousteau’s son still around? Maybe I’ll give him a call.
The poor magnolia will probably lose many of its not yet opened buds if the winds get too high. I don’t remember ever having as much wind as we’ve had this year. I do hope this will be the last of the high winds or I’m going to have to take some more bungee cords out into the yard to keep things from blowing away.
Posted in Dog related, my garden
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Pond, Ponds, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Oh, my aching back!
Posted by doggonedmysteries
We had such a sunny and warm day today I couldn’t resist doing some yard work. I cleaned out the garden surrounding our pond. Four over loaded wheelbarrows later, I was feeling it in my back and my knees. It was worth it though, that garden looks a lot better.
By this evening, we had clouds and rain again. We’re getting more rain tomorrow so the rest of the gardens will have to wait. Down the side of our yard, I have this one-hundred and twenty feet long by four feet wide flower garden that I have to clean out. Then there’s the twenty feet by three feet garden across the back of the yard and two small circular gardens under the magnolia and tulip poplar trees. The way I figure it, if we keep getting rain like this, it’ll be sometime in June before I have them up to snuff.
The magnolia is beginning to bloom and if I ever get around to dragging my camera out, I’ll have some new pictures to post on my pond and garden page. The pictures I have up don’t show how the privet hedges are gone (I dug them out—all 135 feet of them) nor do they show the new fencing we put in last year. Sunday is supposed to be sunny again. If I get the rest of the gardens cleaned out so they look nice, I’ll take pictures.
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Pond, Ponds, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Out like a lamb
Posted by doggonedmysteries
The old adage held true around here. March did come in roaring like a lion and it looks as though it will tip toe out of here like a lamb. We did get some rain yesterday and today which we needed. It was getting to the point where I thought I might have to water the gardens.
I’m happy that it was a cool and misty day because I didn’t feel as though I was missing anything by not being able to get out into yard. The rain did push some of my daffodils into opening. The gardens are looking nice even though I haven’t had time to get out there and do a major cleaning of the beds. (Geez, that sounded like another laundry day.)
I’m hoping our magnolia tree waits to bloom until there’s no danger of frost. I hate to see the blossoms get frosted and brown in one night.
Tonight the sky was clear and you could see the stars. I enjoyed the sight when I took the pups for their late night last out. The air was cool and fresh and a heavy dew had coated the lawn.
I can’t wait until it’s warm enough to sit outside at night.
Posted in Dog related, my garden
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Dumb questions
Posted by doggonedmysteries
If you don’t want to hear my smartass answer, don’t ask me a dumb question.
When I took Gavin and Patty for their walks today, a neighbor asked me, “Are you going for a walk?”
“No, I’m tap dancing and the dogs are going along with it.”
I staggered from the car to the house with a forty pound bag of dog food slung over my shoulder and someone asked, “Is that heavy?”
“Nope, I always walk like this.”
I dragged a few dozen flats of flowers out of car and had them next to the gate ready to take them into the yard when another neighbor asked, “Gonna plant some flowers?”
“Nah uh, I’m going to toss out the plants and use the dirt for decoration.”
After watching me spend the day running up and down two flights of stairs doing laundry Monday, tonight Dear Hubby asked me, “Do I have any clean underwear?”
“No, I was just carting those laundry baskets around all day on Monday for the fun of it.”
I’m curled up in my chair, paperback book opened, and I’m very, very quiet. Dear Hubby asks, “Are you reading?”
“No, I’m counting pages.”
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
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