Summer Stuff

 So, here is a picture of my new planter(s) that I mentioned last post.  In the background, you can see the 2nd one, just like it.  I like them because they hold the pot up so that the stuff that hangs over the side can cascade over the side really pretty.

I haven't sold much of anything, except a pair of jeans and a cool black Harley Davidson sweater.  But just selling jeans and a sweater this time of the year is good!  I also took a trunk load to Goodwill.  In getting my guest room makeover done, i got rid of one bed headboard and moved another one into place that i had in the attic.  Gave away the one with a large chest and mirror to a young man, a friend's son,  who is just getting his own place and got rid of something in my attic - win/win.  But, i had 3 large rubbermaid tubs under the bed storage boxes full of clothes and when I looked at it after being there for about 2 years I thought "I don't need ANY of this".  While, at the time I put it away, I was not ready to let go, evidently.  lol.  Basic clothes don't sell quickly or for hardly any money at all second-hand, so I mostly just give clothes away.  If you have a designer label or something really high quality (leather, jeans, coats, etc) I might try to sell, but just every day stuff (dresses, sweaters, etc) I mostly just donate most clothes instead of storing and messing with them.  But there is a time when I am ready to get rid of stuff, and when i am ready, i am ready, even a short time ago i might not be ready to get rid of.

Our tomatoes are still doing well.  Getting lots.  I froze 4 quart bags last week.  This week I will give some to family and I think make tomato soup, even though it certainly isn't soup weather!  But a nice light tomato basil will taste nice.  My sister and I drove for the day Saturday to the lake to spend time with some family.  My cousins are twins and their birthday this week.  So I took them home made bread and tomatoes and we ended up eating some of the tomatoes and people were going nuts over the "Arkansas tomatoes"!  I took big and small red ones, yellow and pink.  One of my cousins was really liking the yellow.  My mother in law likes them best too, less acid.

As for gardening, I have harvested some lettuce seed and will see if I can grow some more from seeds.  Pretty cool, huh?

I was sharing gardening stories with my aunt and cousin and so i shared this one.  This house we bought in 2014 had a pretty pink crepe myrtle directly in front of the house.  

As you can see, the plant there right near the front door, that's the crepe myrtle.  It is big, but not as big as it got before we just could'nt get around it.  Esp last summer, we had a really wet summer and it got so large that it blocked the sidewalk infront and was going up against the house, so we could not walk easily by on that side either.  So late last summer, we trimmed it way down and dug it up and moved it. Whew, it was a job!

The pretty crepe myrtle is doing fine!  We are so happy.  We really had to hack away to get it out, so we were a little concerned.  If you look in the background of this picture, you can see where it used to be.  We planted a small weeping cedar tree that we are training to curve back and forth.  I will post more pictures of it next time.

And finally, some cute dog photos

Hope you are staying cool and having a great August!  We are having a hot week, so i am just trying to enjoy summer while it lasts and not wanting to rush into fall!  

Movement Restricted Monday

So, I am a little troubled lately by the aches and pains that seem to be increasing in my life.  I am having a lot of pain in my back, knees and hips lately.  I do have an autoimmune condition that I have dealt with for many years, i am wondering if this is something related.  If so, perhaps my new-found commitment to cut out some sloppy eating will see results in my aches and pains.  I know before when i am in an autoimmune flare, i have a lot of general soreness and fatigue that is helped by multi facted approach (rest, meditation, movement, nutrition, supplements and yes, sometimes medicine).  I also know that since i am up about 15 pounds, that could be a big factor, so that might also benefit from my diet.  That being said, i am approaching mid 50's, so i am told - get used to it by several people!

We are having some overcast skies and a little bit of relief in this hot weather.  We have chances for rain every day this week - we have our fingers crossed - so dry here!  Saturday we took 2 large chests from my guest room i am redoing - my neice decided she just couldn't find time/room to get the furniture, so we took it to my sister in law's consignment/2nd hand store.  I have also recently sold 3 golf clubs, a motorcycle seat back rest and some Harley Davidson luggage.  Here is a picture of the backpack i sold for $100!

This back rest we sold for $175!  

I ordered the 2 cubes from Ikea that will be replacing all the large, heavy and dark wood furniture that came out of the guest room.  Pictures to come - it will take a month to get the pieces delivered and another few days to put it all together!  LOL

DH and my anniversary is tomorrow.  DH let's me buy whatever i want for the house.  One year we got a windchime.  One year a tree, etc.  This year i got 2 new crepe myrtles - the fragrant white Nachez crepe myrtle.  I planted them Saturday in the late afternoon heat and it was hot digging holes for them!  The ground is so dry and hard here, i was worried i would not be able to dig deep enough!

This is what they will look like.

I also took my potted geraniums and planted them out in my raised beds.  I got these geraniums from friend so i hate to lose them, but they are sort of boring little blooms and not a great pink, just a pastel - sort of boring.  I also moved some portulaca (i had to look up how to spell that!) that was growing in a pot.  I am trying to move as many of my perennials from pots to beds so i don't have to winter so many pots in the house this winter!  The advantage is, i had a lot of pretty greens that i wintered inside to provide color and interest in my deck pots and only bought a 6 pack of petunias and a 6 pack of impatiens to spread out with the greenery (vinca, asparagus fern, airplane plant, mother-of-millions and purple heart).  Next year i am going to do the same thing - focusing on these plants that do well and buy a few pretty flowers to add pretty color.  I am looking for a couple of the cool iron planters to add some height at the corners of my deck.  I saw some beautiful ones at the nursery Saturday but they were $100+ each!  I also planted a hyacinth vine that i started from a seed - it is already way bigger than 2 clematis i bought - but clematis are sort of slow to get started - and the hyacinth vine is an annual.  But they grow really fast - so i am going to try to plant several from seeds next year really early, like late winter.  I also see that some of my lettuce has gone to seed and i am going to see if i can get a little lettuce from seed next year.

I am such a garden nerd, that i have big plans that inspire me that involve design and seeds.  LOL.  My DH thinks i am making the yard way more complicated, but i really do have a 2 year, 5 year and 10 year plan.  My plan is to get many areas of my garden/yard so that i can do as much or as little as i want from year to year (i.e. raised beds, bushes and mostly potted flowers).  But i really do enjoy creating it a lot.  I intend to get to a point where i am just maintaining...wonder if i am kidding myself?!  LOL

I know much of my plans will be evolving and from trial basis - what i learn and adjust.  For example, in out front yard it is very sunny so i have English ivy (don't worry, it is contained to a small area) and cactus and i am increasing the cactus and succulents to reduce how much i have to water out front.  Right now we are watering even the bushes and shrubs, do to this dry summer we are having.  The important thing is 1)  i enjoy it and 2)  i hope it makes the house look nice and someday 3)  increase selling time/value.

This little cactus my friends from Florida mailed me a piece and i am going to keep it going/repot it.

What is your summer plans looking like where you are?  

Monday Mysteries

Couple of mysteries...First one.  I was excited that my banana tree my friend mailed me last year from Florida made it through the winter and was looking really nice (it does not get really tall like some i see around here).  But it was really full and lush looking.  Then we realized not only does it have a couple new plants coming off it...but 3!  So i offer to send one to my OK cousin whom i know loves growing things and a couple to my brother in law who loves growing things.  Well i sent my sister a picture of the plant and she says, i don't want anything to do with that weird scaly reptile looking thing! 

I looked at the picture again, and was like what is she talking about?  And then i realize it is my little barn i have underneath!  LOL

My cousin got her banana plant in the mail and was very excited!

I got around to making my sister and myself a 'windchime' with my holey rocks!  I gave her hers this weekend.  We both agree they are cute, but need metal to hit the rocks to make more sound.  So we set out at couple places to find the perfect objects that were 1)  metal, 2)  would 'wear' well out in the elements and 3) were inexpensive.  We found these cute little crosses at Hobby Lobby and bought 3 each.  They will help the sound.

I used fishing line and a piece of my Crepe Myrtle old wood.  

Speaking of planting...i gave my Florida friend some seeds from my jasmine.  I can't wait to see how this stuff does down there.  We have to bring ours in the garage every winter.  We got the non hardy version and my husband refuses to let it die back.  It smells so good!

OK for the other mystery...We had the handy man put a motion sensor light in the peak of our house to the north early June.  And we have another one in the back yard, which is fenced in.  Well, the back yard light never goes on unless it is us or the dogs that activate it.  But the north side we see on all hours of the night.  Last night it was on when i got up at 2am and i peered out the window and could see nothing!  Also, there have been 2 times something has pooped in my raised garden beds.  Weird.  DH thinks it is a stray cat or racoon.  I am now thinking i need a game camera on that side of the house!  It is interesting.  These are shots of that area during the day and at night.  The lights you see here are the solar spot lights i have trained on my arch i am growing wisteria on.  

Last photos are my porch swings

And my dog Penny enjoying the window seat.  Have a great week!

Happy Palm Sunday

I really had intended to find a church home by now.  Feel bad about that.   I have dome good friends well at home in their churches who share scripture and their journey.

We have been sharing in group texts a lot since 2 of our group fighting cancer.  I love the uplift.  

3 of us drove back to our hometown and surprised our friend L by mulching her front flower garden and planting some flowers.  We got her couple pillows to match afgan I made her.  D bought and hung her a windchime.  B gave her couple butterfly bushes.  L was gone all day taking her 24 to son to Topgolf in the tge city.  When they all got home, she was very surprised.   She had to use a wheelchair because the cancer has the weak and she recently fell and broke her foot.

She was elated that we surprised her.  She had just remarked to her husband C last week she had nothing pretty to look at out on her front porch.  She does now!

DH and I got our raised beds ready to plant some cold weather veggies.  I am inspired to get some flowers myself!

Have a lovely Sunday.