Mostly Flowers

Monday was a really busy day.  Not only did I do all of my laundry, but I planted most of my flowers. 

These are Asiatic Lilies in containers:

These are Dahlias and ivy in another container:

They all look so pretty.  I am gradually getting my front yard in shape.

 

In between all of this I am doing my 24 hour urine collection.  Now this is a project.  It is another test they want to run to see if my kidneys are affecting my blood pressure.

 

At the end of the day I watched Dancing With The Stars.  Wasn’t surprised at who got cut.  There are two more who I think should go next.  The judges seem to be a lot tougher this season, or the dancing is not as good.  Not sure which it is.  I will keep watching though.  Haven’t picked a favorite yet.

 

Tuesday was another busy day.  I went to the lab to turn in my urine.  Then I went to Barnes and Nobles to return a book.  Sorry to say that the last time I was there I bought a book I already had.  Of course, I couldn’t leave without buying a few more books – eight in fact.  I filled in a few books on a series I have started reading and bought a couple of books by new authors I am going to try.  When I left B & N I went to Walmart to pick up a few items.  I went to the new one, which on carries groceries and has a pharmacy.  It was nice and clean, not crowded, but laid out different than others I have been inside.  Took me a while to find everything.

After I put everything away when I arrived home, I decided to plant the rest of my flowers.  These are called African Marigolds – I guess because they are so big.  They are perfect for the area where I planted them.  I also hooked up my new hose and cleaned the birdbath.

As you can see, both areas need more rocks.  After I finish weeding the area in front of my deck I will be getting a load of rocks.
 

By this time I was worn out.  I had planned to get some work done on the computer, but everything in the area was down.  The phones weren’t working nor was the internet.  I checked with my neighbors and their phones, etc. were not working either.  So I read a little, watched the news and went to bed.

 

Wednesday is not a busy day so far.  The internet is back up and running fine so far.  I got some computer work done.  I filled the bird feeders and walked up to get my mail.  Not sure what I will be doing now.  Maybe lay down for a while.  I am having a bad day.

 

Had a lazy afternoon.  However, Wednesday evening I took another online genealogy class.  I really enjoyed this one.  The teacher was great and I learned a lot. 

 

Tomorrow and Friday we are supposed to have severe storms.  Hope we end up in the donut hole!

Mostly Trees

What a lousy miserable day.  It’s foggy, rainy, misty, wet!  I really want to get a few things accomplished outside but don’t know if that will be possible.  Maybe this afternoon.  We’ll see.

It stopped raining for a few so Kevin, Renea and I went outside and transplanted two of my azalea bushes.  We actually put them in very large containers out by the new fence. I think they will look really pretty there when they bloom.  Time for a break.

After supper Kevin decided to plant my new trees.  Stephanie and I helped.  We planted the following trees:

Golden Rain Tree.  As you can see it is not much more than a "stick" at this point.

Chase Tree.  This tree has some leaves on it.  It is a tree I had never heard of until I found it on the internet.  It will bloom.  The pictures on the internet looked really pretty.

Forest Hardy Redbud.  Another tree that is no more than a stick right now.

6 Ben Franklin Trees.  These trees are supposed to be really hard to grow.  They are actually extinct.  Ben Franklin Trees are now grown from cuttings from the original trees that were found in the 1800s.  The story about them is really interesting.  The plantings are "sticks" about six inches in height.

All of the trees have little flags posted next to them so we don't run over them with the mower.  Especially the Franklin trees.  Hope they all do well.

 

My poor little killdeer was beside herself while we planted one of the trees.  I guess she thought we were too close, but we were on the other side of the driveway.  All is well, and she went back to her nest.

 

Today is Easter Sunday.  Happy Easter to all.  Stephanie went to church with me this morning.  I was glad to have her with me.  Would love for her to join me more often.

 

It has started raining now.  Can’t complain though because we really need it.  It’s good for all the trees and flowers we planted this weekend.  It isn’t supposed to rain tomorrow so I am hoping to get my flowers planted, the lantanas trimmed and more weeding accomplished.  I also need to decide what to do with the third azalea bush.  The lantanas are growing into it and it does not look very healthy.  I hope I can save it. 

 

I am looking for a couple of plants that Rita recommended that I told her I liked.  However, I can’t seem to find them around here.  I have found them on the internet at several nurseries and also in a couple of order books that I receive.  I would rather buy them from around here.  I will keep looking.  I plan to put them around my birdbath.  I think I am also going to get another birdbath to put in the back yard by the birdfeeder back there. 

By the way, the original purple martin house has all the apartments taken.  This is good because they eat the mosquitoes.  I have seen several purple martins around the new house.  I am hoping that will also be a busy place.  I am considering putting up some other birdhouses.  Kevin and Renea have birds nesting on both their porch and their patio.  Maybe if I put up some other birdhouses I can get them away from their place since they prefer they do not nest there.

I would also like to mention that Kevin now has a blog.  The address is karsakerfarm.com.  Take a look, hopefully, you will find it interesting.

A Lot of Yard Work

Haven’t been outside today.  The sun is shinning and it looks warm, but the wind is blowing really hard and is cold. Even the birds are hiding.  So, I have been researching websites for Kevin.  He wants to do a website for the “farm.”  Since I haven’t done one of these for such a long time I need to do some research.  I think what he has in mind sounds like fun. 

Today is Tuesday and it is a beautiful day.  So…..I have been working outside.  I have weeded one section of the front garden.  I do not use roundup because of the bees.  Don’t want to cause them any harm.  I have also filled in one of the holes with a bag of topsoil.  The holes are from when Kevin took down the ramp and installed the steps on the deck.  Have a few more to go.  I feel like I accomplished a lot today.  May do a little more after I take a break and rest.

 

Good Morning!  Another beautiful day which means a busy day.  The rest of the trees I ordered have arrived.  I have filled the birdfeeders.  Mailed my taxes.  Talked to Jana. Did my dishes.  Cut the grass in the circle.  Now it is lunch time.  Okay, lunch time is over.  I finished weeding about ¾ of the second area.  Break time.  Now it is supper time.  And I am done for today!

 

While I have been working in the yard I had noticed (on previous days) that I had a pair of killdeer birds nesting in the gravel under the pecan trees on the north side of my driveway.  This is normal for this type of bird. They are a pretty little bird. Every time I would walk up the driveway one or both of the birds would squawk and act like they were injured and move away from the nest.  I found their nest by watching them – but not too close.  I guess I won’t be mowing grass under those trees for a while.

 

I downloaded this picture from the internet because I have been unable to get a picture of the ones in my yard.

Good afternoon.  Been busy this morning doing laundry, changing bed clothes and all the “important and fun” stuff.  Just finished the second section of weeding out front and filled the holes in that section with dirt.  I am now half done with that area.  Probably won’t get back to it until Saturday.  We are supposed to have some bad storms tonight and tomorrow morning.

We did not have the bad storms.  We did have rain along with some thunder and lightning, but no hail or tornadoes.  In fact, we didn’t even have strong winds.

I took my online genealogy class last night.  The title was HOW TO TRACE YOUR GERMAN ANCESTRY ONLINE.  I learned a lot, but most important I learned that I need to take lessons in speaking and/or reading German.  Some of the sites have the option to translate into English so that will be a big help.  Most of my ancestors on both mom and dad sides of the family are German.  This should be interesting.

This morning I had bloodwork done again.  They are still trying to find a cause as to why my blood pressure goes up and down.  While I was getting ready to go to the doctor’s office for my lab work I opened the blinds, curtains and front door.  Since it was dark outside the glass in the door acted like a mirror.  Well, Miss Penny saw herself in the glass and didn’t have a clue as to what she was looking at.  Her tail puffed out and she arched her back and went running up to the door.  Of course, she met herself which scared her and she took off running into the living room.  She then snuck up on the door, and, lo and behold, that “other cat” was still there.  She had a heck of a time trying to figure out what was going on.  By then it was time for me to leave so the cat in the door disappeared.  When I came home she must have remembered the cat in the door and she snuck up on the door.  Since she didn’t see the other cat she walked away.

Later this morning I went with Kevin and Renea to Lowe’s.  I bought a couple of very large containers for my azaleas and some other flowers to plant.  I will take pictures when I am finished. 

Okay, So I Was Wrong

Yep, I was wrong!  The rain has arrived and cold weather is on it’s way.  Good thing I didn’t buy any plants.  We are supposed to have a frost and/or freeze a couple of nights next week. 

 

Kevin picked up his bees last night and transferred him to the bottom of the hive.  Apparently, this is a several step process.  Below is a picture of the first step.  If you look closely you can actually see a couple of bees.

 

I tried to take a picture of the orchard.  Since the trees aren’t very big and just starting to bloom and/or get leaves it is kind of hard to see them.

I also took a picture of the garden.  The early crops are starting to come in.  There is still a lot of planting to do.

This morning I went to Walmart and picked up a prescription.  It was supposed to be ready yesterday, but when I arrived this morning it still had not been filled.  So, I shopped.   By the time I was finished my prescription was ready.  I then drove to Barnes and Nobles and picked up a couple of books.  Now it’s time for a break and some basketball.

After lunch I ordered three trees for my front yard.  They are all trees that flower.  I was thinking of the bees.  They also will not get very big.  I was thinking of the electric wires going across my yard.  I ordered a Golden Rain Tree, a Forest Pansy Redbud and a Chaste Tree.  Never heard of a Chaste Tree but it looked pretty.

 

I have also signed up for three more genealogy classes.  One is HOW TO TRACE YOUR GERMAN ANCESTRY ONLINE.  I thought this important since most of our ancestors are German.  The other one is CENSUS PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS FOR GENEALOGY.  I found a couple more classes listed that I might be interested in.  I really enjoy taking these classes.

Sunday the gardeners came to work on the garden.  The radishes were harvested.  Kevin also tilled another section for more plantings.   

This week’s Sunday family dinner was a special one.  Gary, Stephanie’s boyfriend, is being deployed this week.  Please keep him in your prayers.  We have not been told where he is going.  This is perfectly normal. 

I Think We Have Skipped Spring

Today after church I opened all the windows when I arrived home.  I have been doing this since the weather has been so nice.  I have the ceiling fans going which makes it very comfortable.  Miss Penny loves looking out the windows and watching the squirrels and birds.  In fact, she runs from one to another to follow them.  Well, opening the windows is over for now.  A certain Miss Penny apparently was trying to get outside and pushed one of the screens over half out.  If she would have gotten out I’m not sure what she would have done since she has never been.

I didn’t do much the rest of the day and evening.  My blood pressure was really out of whack so I thought it was better if I just took it easy.

Today is another day.  It is hot, humid and cloudy.  However, I actually have shorts on.  This morning I did some outside work.  I filled the birdfeeders, took out the trash, picked up twigs and branches so I can cut another section of grass, and fed the bushes that needed to be fed.  It’s going to be a busy day! 

Okay, I just finished mowing the grass where I picked up the twigs and branches.  Kevin is going to have to use the weedeater around the new fence because I can’t get the mower close enough.  Now it is break time and lunch time!

Lunch is over and I have been mowing more grass.  I have one more section to go, but I can’t finish that until Kevin puts gas in the mower.  The gas can is too heavy for me to handle, and the place where I have to put in the gas is in an awkward (for me) position.  My next project will be to finish mowing the grass and pick up the twigs and branches (using the cart) and take them to the pile in the back yard.  The it’s back to weeding.  Gotta love spring J

Kevin is at a bee keepers meeting tonight.  He gets his bees on Thursday.  So, Stephanie’s boyfriend, Gary, filled the mower for me.  I closed the shed doors.  I am finished for the night!

Finished mowing the front grass this morning.  Next step is hooking up the cart to the mower and picking up the twigs/branches and taking them to the pile down by the woods. 

I took one load of twigs/branches down to the burn pile.  I have the cart filled with another load, but I am taking a break. 

So much for spring.  I think we have gone into summer.  Officially, they are saying we set a record at 87 degrees – in March!  I never did go back out after my break.  My allergies are at an all time high.  Between the heat and allergies I am done for the day.  It’s supposed to be this way tomorrow again.  Apparently the rain we were supposed to have isn’t going to arrive.  However, it is going to cool down next week.  Yea! 

HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!

It is now Thursday, and I have received an email that the last of the trees we ordered have been shipped.  They should arrive next week.  I am about to order three more trees.  They are for my front yard.

The garden is doing great.  The orchard is looking good.  Trees look healthy.  The original purple martin house is full of birds.  I have seen a couple of birds flying around the gourd house.  Not sure if they have set up a nest yet. 

This morning I headed for Tigertown (Opelika).  First stop was Books A Million (bought six books), next was Hobby Lobby (bought puff balls for Penny)  and last, but not least, was Kroger.  Penny loves to play with the 1.5 inch pom pom balls.  However, she hides them and eventually I can’t find them so I have to replace them.  Then, when I move furniture to clean I find some of them.  I think some end up in the trash cans.  She doesn’t care what color they are, they just have to be the right size.  I won’t give her the small ones because I am afraid she would choke on them, and she won’t play with the bigger ones.  Picky, Picky, Picky!

It’s March Madness time, and I do enjoy watching basketball. 

If I Ever Get Caught Up.......

Another beautiful day, my blood pressure was “almost” in the normal range, so I decided it was time to go to the grocery.  I was running out of staples. Of course, I also stopped at Books A Million.  Bought two books.  Renea and I were going to go shopping but she is having a bad day.  We are going tomorrow instead.  Plans are to go to Lowe’s and have lunch out.  Not sure where yet. 

Yep, another beautiful day.  Renea and I headed out about 10:15 this morning.  First stop was Lowe’s.  Bought a lot of “stuff” but no flowers.  Still too early.  We did look around and found a few we liked, but we resisted.  We then headed to Hobby Lobby.  And, surprise, surprise, surprise, we didn’t buy ANYTHING in Hobby Lobby.  That had to be a first!  Next we went to Zaxby’s for lunch.  Drove to Ladonia to pick up Kevin’s dry cleaning.  Stopped at Dollar General – didn’t buy anything there either.  Now we are both home and resting.  Sure is tough doing all this shopping J

After resting J I strung together more soft drink cans for Kevin to tie around the trees.  These are to keep the deer away.  Of course, if he doesn’t come get them and put them around the trees they won’t keep the deer away.  They are sitting in my front yard.

Today was an exciting fun filled day.  I did four loads of laundry, filled the bird feeders, dusted, took out the trash, picked up the mail, balanced my checkbook and paid a couple of bills.  Don’t y’all wish you could have a day like this.  Also made a few phone calls and checked my email.  WOW!  Can’t wait to see what the rest of the day will be like.  Didn’t do much else except pulled a few weeds.

Kevin is home today and he sure is busy.  He cut down the maple tree in my yard.  It was full of bugs and never did look really healthy.  When he dug up the roots they were still in the ball like they were when it was planted.  The contractor that cleared our land had planted three of these maple trees.  The other two died right away.  This one was trying to survive, but just didn’t make it.  Kevin also cut down the peach tree that was next to my concrete pad next to my house.  We would get a few peaches every year but they weren’t good enough to eat.  The past couple of years Kevin sprayed it and trimmed it trying to get it to improve, but no luck.  So, we decided we would just cut it down. 

For my birthday last year both Kevin and Brian’s family gave me another purple martin house.  This one is the gourds.  This morning Kevin cemented the pole in the ground so we can hang the house(s).  We decided to put it in the area where the two trees were that he cut down this morning.  He is a busy guy today. 

He has just finished tilling another spot in the backyard for his garden.  Now he is tilling LaNora’s garden.  I’m getting tired just watching him.

As for me, I have folded a load of laundry that I forgot was in the dryer, did my dishes, emptied the trash, took the mail to the mailbox, talked to LaNora who was outside raking leaves, talked to Jana on the phone, visited with Kevin when he stopped over, and checked out where he took down the two trees and cemented the pole in the ground for the gourd birdhouse.  I also replaced the light bulbs in my kitchen ceiling fixture.

I had planned to work on my curtains after lunch.  However, Kevin got my riding mower working so I thought I better get some yard work accomplished.  I picked up the twigs/branches in the “circle” area and then mowed the grass.at  It actually felt good to get outside.  I am taking a break now.  Don’t know if I will do any more outside today. 

That’s it!  I’m done for today.  Back at y’all tomorrow.

 Good Morning.  Today is cloudy and supposed to rain.  Therefore, I will probably not do any work outside.  In fact, I am working on my curtains.  Penny my girl is not happy with me.  I had to put frontline on her today.  For some reason she fights me every month.  She does not like it.  I know it doesn’t hurt, so I am not sure what her problem is. 

She didn’t wake me this morning.  In fact, I slept until 9:00.  I can’t remember the last time that happened.  I think she was so busy watching Kevin put up the gourd birdhouse that she forgot about me.  I even saw a couple of birds checking out the new birdhouse.

The curtains are finished!  Yea!!!!!

Some Outside Work Accomplished

Today is Friday and again it is cold and windy.  We had quite a bit of rain yesterday and last night.  Not sure how much since my rain gauge has a crack in it.  I will be throwing it away and getting a new one.  I did get the birdfeeders filled.  There was not a seed left in any of them.  So, needless to say, there are a bunch of them out there now.

Kevin is home today and he plans to trim the trees where necessary.  Patrick is supposed to bring Kevin’s auger back today so he can plant the fruit trees that arrived the other day.  I received an email informing us that our pecan trees have shipped.  Now we are waiting on the Franklin trees.  Once they arrive, that accounts for all the trees we ordered. 

I have two beautiful cardinals in my backyard.  I have read that if a cardinal comes to visit it means someone from heaven is visiting.  I am going to assume it is Jim and Mom.  The cardinal was Mom’s favorite bird so it has to be her.

Kevin got the trees trimmed.  I took a couple of pictures of the lemon trees he planted last weekend.  We walked around and checked the trees and all of them look healthy.  In fact, some of them are getting buds.  I just hope we don’t get a freeze. 

Today is Saturday and it is a beautiful day.  I have the windows open.  Kevin planted the apple, pear and peach trees this morning and now he is getting ready to leave for his bee class. I would have taken pictures but all you would see are tall sticks with twigs for branches.  None of them have leaves yet. We will have a regular orchard in our back yard. The pecan trees arrived this morning and we marked the back yard where he plans to plant them.  He will plant them tomorrow.  I am working on my curtains today.  I hope to get to them to the point where I will be hemming them.

I am done for today.  The curtains are all cut out and pinned to be hemmed. 

Another beautiful day.  Sunny and 70.  My kind of weather.  Kevin planted the pecan trees this morning.  They are in my back yard.  The orchard is in his back yard.  Now we are waiting on the Franklin trees which will be planted along the property line of my back yard between my house and Ricky’s house. 

Sunday was a really bad day for me.  Spent most of the day laying on the couch watching television and/or reading.  Feeling somewhat better today.  My blood pressure was low yesterday morning and even lower this morning.  Not sure what is going on.  Just came in from filling the birdfeeders.  While out there I noticed a bird nest on my satellite dish.  Since there were no eggs in it (I assume it is from last year) I took it down.

This afternoon I finished weeding the area next to my deck steps.  I also checked several trees.  The tulip poplar, oak, Bradford pear and dawn redwood are starting to get buds. I also noticed that one of the hydrangea bushes are getting leaf buds.  The other one (which we moved last year when Kevin added the deck steps) does not look good.  Not sure it is going to make it.  I am slowly getting some outside work accomplished.

Researching Military Ancestors

Went outside to fill the birdfeeders and while there I decided to check on a few plants.  I have some buds on my snowball bush. While there I pulled the weeds from around the bush.  Now that it is March I will be going outside for a while every day to do a little weeding and getting ready for spring/summer.  I also put some items away in the shed that I had placed next to my deck steps.  I really need to get some potting soil, top soil and rocks.  Busy times are heading my way.

I did some more research on the relative that fought in the Revolutionary War.  His name is Conrad Christian Goldman.  On the war records he is listed as Christian Goldman.  He is my fourth great grandfather.  He was a private who fought under the command of Captain John Stone.  John Stone was Captain of the Battalion of the First Company of the First Maryland Regiment of the Continental Army.  They fought in the battles of Brooklyn and White Plains.  They were from Lebanon Township, Lancaster, County.  Christian Goldman is the link to which my ancestors were able to join the Daughters of the American Revolution.  I have five more ancestors to research.

Yesterday I took down the curtains in my dining room and washed them.  I plan to use them as a pattern for the ones I will be making.

This morning I voted in the primary.  Not going to say for who.  Also, the apple, pear and peach trees have arrived.  Time for Kevin to get busy again (or yet).  I started getting the flower beds/containers ready.  I started on the section next to my deck steps.  I weeded the container with the rhododendron bush.  I was going to feed it, but it is supposed to rain so I will wait to do that tomorrow.  I also weeded the rectangular container with the iris plants.  They are starting to come up   All I have left to weed, and clean out the dead leaves, are the two ends and corners.  I did the front section when I did the containers.  I decided to do a little each day.

I did some more ancestry research today.  As I said before I have five more ancestors to research regarding the DAR.  They are all Heltmans, and I am trying to find how they are related. 

Well, we had another doozy (is that really a word?) of a storm last night.  It started out that we were just supposed to have some rain, then it was announced that we were under a severe thunderstorm watch, and the next thing I knew we were under a tornado warning.  Time for me to go to Kevin and Renea’s.  Poor Penny didn’t know what was happening.  She was getting ready to jump onto my lap when I grabbed her and put her in her crate.  Next I got my purse, phone and keys.  I texted Renea that I was on my way and headed out the door.  I think Penny was in shock because everything happened so fast.  The television said the tornado was heading right toward us.  Thankfully, it did not arrive.  The warning was cancelled within about fifteen minutes.  Penny and I stayed with Kevin and Renea for about an hour, and by that time the storms had passed.  We then came home.  It was time for bed.

Today is sunny and rather windy.  Not quite as warm as the last couple of days.  In fact, I did not work in the yard today.  We have a north wind which makes it feel really cold.  It is supposed to warm up in a day or two so I will finish the area I started when that happens.  Instead, I laid out the curtains on the material for my new dining room curtains.  I wasn’t sure how to measure, and I couldn’t have gotten it any closer.  If I mess up I am in trouble J

Today is Thursday.  This morning started out sunny and nice.  However, it is now getting cloudy and dark.  We are supposed to have thunderstorms this afternoon and evening.  Needless to say there will be no yard work today.  By the way, when I was outside the other day I had on a pair of capri pants (which we used to call pedal pushers) and I actually got sunburned on my legs from my knees to the top of my socks.  Never gave that a thought. 

This morning I started cutting out my curtains.  Next step will be pinning the hems and sewing them.

I also started doing research on the Fold3 site that I joined.  I found more military information on my relatives.  I had found some information on Ancestry.com (another site I joined).  I found a lot of information on DAR.org which is free.  I decided if I am really going to do research on my family I will just jump in and pay for some of these sites.  One of the relatives I found on the DAR site turned out to be my fourth great grandfather on my mother’s side.  I know of one great grandfather who fought in the Civil War.  He is from my dad’s side of the family.  I also have two uncles (one from my dad’s side and one from my mother’s side) who fought in WWII.  I am still looking.  The Civil War info and WWII info was given to me by my relatives.  I even knew the two who fought in WWII.  I will also be researching Jim’s family because I think it is important that our sons know about them.