Showing posts with label organizing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label organizing. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Oh Baby It's Cold Outside...

I Owe My Mother

1.    My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE .
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."

2. My mother taught me RELIGION. 

"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

3.  My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.

"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

4. My mother taught me LOGIC.

"Because,  I  said so, that's why."

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC . 

"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."

6. My  mother taught me FORESIGHT.

"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

7. My mother taught me IRONY. 

"Keep crying and I'll give you something to cry about."

8..  My mother taught me about the  science of OSMOSIS .

"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

9. My mother taught  me about CONTORTIONISM.

"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck"

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA

"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

11.  My mother taught me about  WEATHER.

"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

12. My mother  taught me about HYPOCRISY.

"If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"

13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF  LIFE..

"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out"

14. My mother  taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION .

"Stop acting like your father!"

15. My  mother taught me about ENVY.

"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."

16. My mother  taught me about ANTICIPATION.

"Just wait until we get home."

17. My mother taught  me about RECEIVING .

"You are going to get it when you get home!"

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.

"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to get stuck that way."

19. My mother taught me ESP.

"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"

20.  My mother taught me HUMOR.

"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT .

"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

22. My mother taught me GENETICS. 

"You're just like your father."

23. My mother taught me about my  ROOTS.

"Shut that door behind you.  Do you think you were born in a barn?"

24. My mother taught me WISDOM. 

"When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

And my favorite: 


25  My mother taught me about JUSTICE  .

"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"



Oh my gosh! How funny, but I had better add a disclaimer. My Mother would not have said half of those things. In fact, I think she only ever said #6. And #15 without the part about the parents. The one I most remember was to eat everything on my plate while thinking of all the starving children in the world.


 Hmm, I wonder if that has anything to do with my eating problems?
















Well, the cold weather is back and there's ice on the pond. But yet, the chickens have coerced me into opening up the doors for the last several days so they can forage in the garden. I'm a bit wary and repeatedly run outside and check on them as there has been a chicken hawk lurking around. The roosters are really good a raising an alert like earlier when a low-flying helicopter decided to circle overhead a few times. They signaled the alarm and all the hens scurried back into the shelter.
I've got my tomato seed order in and my order for the starts of the new pink blueberries which according to the trend-watchers will be very popular. Still deciding on flower seeds for my hanging baskets and other plants I might want to try. Next is to check my plant tag inventory and see which ones need re-ordered.
I have someone working on my website! Finally, after years of trying to do it myself and getting so frustrated Christy came along! So besides this blog, my Facebook and Etsy, you all can keep track of me on my very own website. I will keep you posted as it progresses. Might have to have a super-duper opening sale, huh?
The dogs are barking, but not because of any hawks. The squirrel has appeared on the fence and is telling them I need to refill his feeder with peanuts. He loves to sit just out of their reach and drop shells on their heads or race up and down the fence line. Hey, he's exercising them for me right? Plus it might give me some good footage for YouTube! 







The organizing still continues around here. I have gone through almost 500 magazines, tearing out articles I want to keep and bundling the remaining for recycling and giving away. Anyone need old issues of Country Living, Better Homes and Gardens, and numerous gardening magazines? It's kinda hard to part with them and also to finally confess out in the open that yes, I am a hoarder. But just like the very few things I have got rid of in the past, I will need them as soon as they are gone. I mean, my hot pants (remember those) and platform shoes became trendy again as a result of me! So for now the magazines are off the bookshelves and stacked in piles by the front door awaiting their fate. A few might find their way back onto a shelf; who knows.
By the front door also sits an overflowing hamper of clothes I have weeded out. I'm down a couple of sizes after the surgery and don't want to even look back. No keeping anything just in case I gain weight again. And besides I had to make room for the couple of new/used items I found at Value Village this week. What a feeling to shop in the middle of the  rack and have a selection!



"I'm not overweight.  I'm just nine inches too short."
~Shelley Winters



“The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight because by then, your body and your fat are really good friends” ~ Unknown Author

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

This and That

Well, again, too much time has passed since I was on here. I could make excuses. Business taxes need to get done, big sales at Joanns and Michaels, organizing the craft room and going thru old photos. Well that has been happening, but still I should be able to work this in, right? I'll try harder, I promise.
So yes, I'm trying to resurrect my craft room. It was a mess and it wasn't getting done on its own. All the linens, fabrics, and treasures in the closet were sorted out (somewhat) and sucked into space bags. Dan made me lots of shelves for the neat, flatter bags and there was still room left over for more!
Cardboard boxes were gone through and sorted into clear plastic bins. I forgot how many different types of crafts I like to do. Now if I can just start working on some of them.
There are boxes of other things to go through. I don't now if you know this about me but I am mad for flamingos. I have run out of room displaying them, so they are stored in boxes; many boxes. I visit them from time to time and really wish I could find a way to bring them all out of storage.
Oh! You would be so proud of me! I have been going through my stash of 20- plus years of magazine subscriptions. Country Living, Mother Earth News, numerous gardening and decorating and remodeling ones. One last look through them for any important and pertinent articles and then tied up and put down by the front door. I hate to just take them to the recyclers so am hoping to find a good home for them. Any takers?

Betsy and I have also been visiting lots of shops. I think I have replaced eating with shopping! But there are still great Christmas bargains to be had. Yesterday Betsy found bargain bags of decorations and greenery at Michaels for $2.00 each! And Sears had their leftovers for 92% off. You simply cannot pass up those deals!
I also met with a lovely lady who is helping me get my website up and running! You don't know how many frustrating years I have been trying to work on it myself. She seems to understand my visions for it and will try to keep me reigned in and focused. No easy task. I am so excited!
I have also been frantically searching the seed catalogs and putting in orders. I stopped at 63 varieties of tomatoes. I particularly like the early, cherries, and bush tomatoes, which will grow  in containers. There are alot of new gardeners that might not have planted veggies before and who might not have alot of space to do so. But I can tell you, after they have eaten a tomato right from the vine, they'll  be hooked!
While Betsy and I were shopping this weekend, the granddaughters were cleaning up the greenhouse, getting ready for all those seeds. Organizing benches, cleaning and stacking pots and flats, and setting up the lights. Our oldest, Jessica even found time to talk Grandpa into letting her practice driving the car. She is in drivers ed and has to log a certain amount of hours behind the wheel. Suffice it to say they all survived!



The weather has warmed here and all the snow is gone. The pond is melted and the waterfall is thunderous with all the water running over it. It, like our nearby river is almost to the point of overflowing from all the rains and snow melts.When we went for a drive the other day we saw alot of houses getting their feet wet. There has been heavy fog in the mornings so I might try to go out tomorrow and take some pictures. I like how the trees stand out so starkly against the grey-white background.
Well, I need to get to bed. Lots more organizing to do tomorrow!

P.S. Getting anxious to start decorating for Valentines Day! Look at this heart on my sunroom window!

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Late Winter Chores

 This title has a double meaning. Chores that can be done during the down time gardeners have during winter and the fact that I am late getting some of those chores done.
 Winter is the perfect time for pruning. Take a walk around the property and look for shrubs and trees that have gotten out of hand. Are they shading too much of your growing area? Are they hanging over property lines, too close to power lines?
 Look at each individual tree, whether fruiting or ornamental. Prune out any branches growing towards the inside of the tree. Remove any branches that are rubbing together or crossing each other. Open up the inside for good air circulation. When cutting at the trunk get as close to the trunk as possible; don't leave any stubs for disease or bugs to find a home. I don't apply anything to the cuts. I feel they heal on their own just fine.
Think of your tree as a big balloon. Prune out any branches that protrude outside that imaginary balloon.
Remember, safety first. Consult or hire a professional for anything that you feel is beyond your scope.
 Dig out all your tools and get them ready. ( I guess I should have mentioned this before talking about the pruning. ) Sharpen blades and clean  off any rust. Give them a good lube. ( I like that!) Disinfect pruners trowels etc. Get your lawn mower out and make sure fluids are fresh and the blades are straight and sharpened. Find all your hoses and sprinklers and nozzles. Replace any washers.
Dig out your garden journal and plan for this years garden. Make sure to rotate crops and make the most of your space by plotting out beds. Take a trip to the library or your own bookshelf and check out some books on square foot gardening, organic gardening, composting. If you don't already, think about starting a compost or worm bin.Home Depot even has composters for sale this year!
 Think outside of the box. Make the most of the space you have.  There are alot of veggies adapted for pots. Potatoes love growing in old tires. Cucumbers, tomatoes,  zucchinis, have bush varieties that do well in pots. Think vertical. Hang baskets of tomatoes, herbs.
Look thru garden catalogs. Try something different. And plant extra. Local food banks appreciate fresh food to help feed people who might otherwise not get the opportunity for a vine-ripened tomato or a head of lettuce. And get your kids involved. They might like to eat those beans and squash if they had a hand in growing them. Granddaughter Cheyenne already has broccoli,  swiss chard, beans and cucumbers coming up in her flat in the greenhouse.





Friday, February 19, 2010

A fine mess you've got me in

Oh! My office is a disaster. I need to get organized. I have seed catalogs stacked everywhere. My orders are getting placed, the seeds are coming in, and it all lands in here. I have file cabinets and folders at the ready, just to find the time to separate and file. I keep getting distracted. It is so sunny outside and I can see out the door to the backyard. The birds are singing and darting about. My mind is wandering towards ideas for the garden this spring. I will need to plant around the new sunroom (if it ever gets built) and move some plants around in the courtyard. New paths have to be laid.
But back to reality. I need to get busy. It's almost time to start the tomatoes, peppers and basil, and then there won't be time for the office.