Busy, Busy Days And A Tip

As I said in my last post this is "crunch time" for me when it comes to getting the gardens and my containers in order. I've been running back and forth to a couple different garden centers picking up the last few plants I need and also trying out some new "goodies" that have just hit the market.

One of the nurseries has all sorts of "Proven Winners" which I'll swear by, myriad new coleus, and luscious new tropicals as well as animals. There are sheep, goats, and a llama to feed and pet. (An emu named Raquel used to be there and I was given one of her gigantic eggs. She's gone now, though) Ever since Ashley was little, we'd go there for plants and to see the animals. This Friday we took a quick trip out there for "just three perilla plants" and ended up with a double decker shopping cart full of wonderful plants. .Here are two "Black Lace" elderberry shrubs and a wonderful "Tiger Eye" golden cutleaf sumac that I found. We also picked out a couple of the "Supertunia" varieties, various "Superbells" (calibrochoa), five or six sun coleus, and the perilla.

There was quite a line at the check out when Ashley remembered she wanted some "Fiber Optic" grass she's seen in the back greenhouse. We pulled out of line and the cart and I ended up by a closed, temporary check out booth open at only the very busy times. No one was there at that time. Well, a few minutes she came back without the grass - she couldn't find it. I told her to stay by the cart and I'd get her plants. Well, when I quickly returned, a young man had opened the check out and was fussing over Ashley and had her nearly all rung up. And we had quite a cart load! Still standing in the other check out line were, seven or eight, mostly women my age or older and they were giving her the evil eye. So my tip is: if you want to get checked out right away, leave the cart with your lovely grand daughter. Young men will jump at the chance to help her!
In my last post I wrote about the metal rod contraption that is designed to stack pots on. Actually all but the bottom pot is supposed to be tipped but I tried it this way. When I was through I was sure Steve would hate it - he's quite conservative. He was gone while I was constructing this but when he returned he just raved about how cool it looked. And today when Ashley came over, she loved it. I must admit, it is growing on me. The only drawback is that the tipped pots are extremely hard to water without the soil running out. The directions say to "water gently" - that is an under statement! I'm thinking of using a small tube pushed in each pot and pour the water down that.

I will show you the flowers in my Main Garden that I truly hate - if it is possible to hate a flower. They are some yellow iris that I had rescued from a deep woods down our street. I couldn't imagine how anyone could throw such pretty plants away! Well, here's why:
If there is one breath of wind, these things topple into a horrid mess. I thought I'd pulled them all out once, but I fear I left a few root pieces behind. This fall for certain, I will dig them all up and throw them back into that woods that I rescued them from!

Here is another bit of whimsy that I couldn't pass up. I've been moving him from place to place among the gardens but Steve says he looks best on the entry steps. That's where he's sitting tonight. A mini Garm . . . .

Of course, Steve is working in the gardens too. I've got a grouping of four half whiskey barrels that are at least ten years old. The bands of two of them had fallen off and they were rotting. Steve bought two new ones and began to replace them. The bottoms had completely rotted away and tree roots were making their way upwards. Every year I dig and renew some of the soil in them, but never all of it. I had wondered why they were drying out so very fast last year. Those thirsty tree roots were taking all the moisture. After he completed that, he decided to chop out a decaying (lots of rotting stuff around our yard!) stump that one of the other barrels was resting on. Oh, everything becomes such a project here! It took him hours to get most of the stump and here he is. . . . .

The previous day he'd helped his son re roof his house, today he planted impatiens and the two elderberry bushes in that very far line of rocks (not the circular burning pit) which is a new area he made last fall. He then spread a fragrant mulch around the plants. It's quite beautiful. I don't know where he gets his energy - he's 59 and can out-work fellows half his age.

I still have the flower/vegetable garden to finish up as well as clean the little pond and put the fish in. That is at least two to three more days of work for me. Ashley said she'd clean out the pond, but I don't think her heart will really be in it. Oh well, any help she can give me will be appreciated. There are also containers and hanging baskets that I want to do. There is always next weekend.

This rich, dark columbine blooming near the birdbath was a complete surprise for me this year. Isn't it lovely . . .

Our pride and joy at the front of the house - a fantastic stand of "Krossa Regal". It gets alot of sun and never burns out and keeps this frosty blue color all summer. No pests bother it either.

And finally, some pretty lettuces and a pea plant and an angel lost among the Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Francis Williams hosta and ornamental grass. Obviously I haven't found just the right place for her. But I will.

Today ,while listening to a song by Bob Seger, I began to think of how many memories music can evoke in me. Many of the important times of my life are marked by music and in my next posting I'm going to explore that facet of myself with you.

Bye for now,

Alyssa

".......A Few of My Favorite Things"

Here are some very special beings in my life. My heart's joy, my grand daughter, Ashley and our two precious pugs. The rather regal looking dark pug is Thea. And the larger, dour seeming dog is Garm. I searched my Treasury of Mythology for unique and appropriate names for the two of them. Thea is Greek and means "shining one" - the ancient Greeks sometimes called the moon Thea.

As you see by the photos she does shine a bit. The breeder said her color was platinum - a brand new color in pugs - but I think it is just a fancy name for grayish-black.

Garm is from Norse mythology and is named after the hound that guarded the gates of Hela (a kind of Viking hell). This fearsome creature was supposed to have fangs dripping with blood, four red eyes, and a chest covered with gore!! Actually, we liked the sound of "Garm" - it fit his serious, almost bordering on dumb looking, expression and extremely laid back behavior.

They are nearly the same age but Garm is very large boned and massive for a pug. He looks more like a boxer. Thea is quite petite but is the dominant one. Since she was with us first, she feels she is entitled to have all the attention and gets upset if Garm is being spoken to, held, or petted in any way. She will bite at him and jump on him but he just ignores her or pushes her away with his body. He is so easy going; happy to sit next to you or hold a stuffed "dollie" in his mouth as he sleeps. He has a little act he goes through every time we come home: he runs into the living room, grabs a dollie, runs to us, runs back into the living room, and gets on the couch with the doll until we come in and make a little fuss over him. Meanwhile, Thea is leaping all over and barking and whining. I know, I know, our dogs are not trained very well, I'll be the first to admit it. But when non-family company comes over they go into their respective crates until they have calmed down.

Since our children are grown, Thea and Garm fill some empty spaces that were there. They are funny, silly, comforting, warm, happy, loving, and are always unconditionally there for us. We love and appreciate them for the wonderful creatures they are and try to take the best care of them we can.

And now is Ashley's turn. My feelings for her run so deep and seem impossible to put into words. I can't imagine my life without her wonderful smile and sweet loving ways.

WARNING: GRAMMA BRAGGING ! ! !

Because of unfortunate circumstances in my daughter's life, she was not married and unable to raise Ashley so I became Ashley's legal guardian when she was a few months old. At that same time, I was going through a divorce so Ashley and I started our new lives together. Her other Gram ma, Mae, helped me alot and when I had to start working 3rd shift Ashley went to live with her (and her Dad). But, I'd see Ashley every other weekend and as years went by that was our routine. She has always called me "Alyssa" and her other gram ma is "Mom". (My daughter had problems and was living a wayward life.) There are so many things that Ashley and I have done and memories we have - she is like a second daughter.

Now she is 19! and a young woman. As you see, she is very beautiful and has a fantastic smile, but her sweet personality and empathetic nature are what make people take to her immediately. She took gymnastics and was a cheerleader until she was diagnosed with fibro myalgia and had to quit them both. She was very sad and mad about it but never let it get her down. And she won't talk about it - she says she doesn't want to bore other people with her pain. It is a crummy disease that makes you tired all the time and your joints are swollen like an old person's. I'd gladly take it on instead of having her have to suffer with it for the rest of her life.

She is very good at math and is going to school for interior design. She has a good eye for that sort of thing. I love to take her shopping because she never, ever asks for anything so I just buy her all sorts of stuff. She's always worried that something will cost too much. We have favorite movies we like and favorite meals we cook together. She will only prepare a certain chicken dish at my house because of the fond memories she has of us making it together.

We enjoy books and music together and she requests I play certain pieces on the piano for her (I tried to teach her to play, but that didn't work out). Or likes to lay in our bedroom and hear me playing the piano in the living room. And we also like to go on the computer together and play little games or she explains "computer stuff" to me.

She would bring over all her friends and introduce them to Steve and I and give them little tours through our tiny house showing them what she liked the most or take them for walks in the gardens or on the paths in the woods. We liked all her friends - young people are wonderful when they are relaxed and have their guards down - and they would visit for a while. They were (and still are) surprised that I'm a video game player and we'd discuss games and systems. I've got XBox, XBox360, and PS2 and tons of games so sometimes we'd play a bit or I'd lend out games.

Now, as times change she's pretty busy with school and her boyfriend but I do see her a few times a month and at family gatherings. Sometimes she'll just drop in for an hour but I love seeing her no matter how short of a time it is.

Sometimes she'll take a nap and I'm always amazed at how lovely she looks when she sleeps - as she did when she was a tiny baby. She towers over me now, but I remember when I'd measure her at my chin. She seems so big and grownup when she hugs me hello and good bye.

And, this weekend she will probably be over to pickup the makeup we ordered over the internet last week. Now, being older we can discuss many other things - like one of her girlfriends is in Iraq and her worry and fear for her friend. And about her birth mother, or global warming, gay people, pollution, the causes I give to, religion, or love.

I'm looking forward to the future years I have with Ashley and all the memories we will make and share.

Bye for now,

Alyssa